Named spots
| Spot | Type | Depth | From nearest port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian Ridge | bank | – | – |
| Hawaiian Trough | canyon | – | – |
| Penguin Bank | bank | 33 fm | – |
| Tuscaloosa Seamount | bank | 1557 fm | – |
Nearby buoys
2026-10-19 10:56 UTC · NOAA NDBC 51201
2026-10-19 10:56 UTC · NOAA NDBC 51202
2026-10-13 18:56 UTC · NOAA NDBC 51205
2026-09-09 11:56 UTC · NOAA NDBC 51208
2026-10-19 11:00 UTC · NOAA NDBC 51211
2026-10-19 11:00 UTC · NOAA NDBC 51212
Latest NOAA NDBC observations. Satellite and in water readings may differ.
Fishing Oahu / Kauai
Oahu and Kauai fish deep, warm, blue Pacific water, and the chart is built for a very different hunt than the mainland coasts. There is no continental shelf here. The islands rise steeply from deep water, so productive water can sit close to shore, and the story is about temperature breaks, color changes and current edges in warm tropical water rather than a cold upwelling seam. The trade winds and the currents wrapping around the islands set up eddies and edges, and where cleaner blue water meets greener or slightly cooler water is where the bait and the pelagics gather.
Structure here is volcanic and dramatic. The steep drop offs right off the islands, the offshore banks and seamounts, and the ledges where the bottom falls away fast all concentrate bait when the current sets up on them. Floating debris and current lines offshore hold bait as well. A temperature or color edge sitting over a bank or a seamount is far more productive than the same seam over open, deep water, which is why pairing the SST and chlorophyll layers with the depth contours pays off even where the bottom is thousands of feet down. Current is a big part of the picture, so watching which way the edges drift matters.
Seasonally this is a warm water pelagic fishery close to year round, with the makeup shifting through the year. Several tuna species, dorado, known locally as mahimahi, wahoo, called ono here, and billfish including marlin are among the species anglers target when the conditions line up. The runs and the mix change year to year with the water. Nothing is guaranteed, and seasons and regulations change, so always check current rules.
Before you run, read where the warm water edges are sitting, line them up against the banks, the seamounts and the island drop offs, and point the bow at the edge that has the temperature, the color and the structure all working together.
What you get with ReelTemps
- Sea surface temperatureFind the temperature break
- Chlorophyll-aSpot the green-to-blue color seam
- Composite & single passBlended picture or the freshest overpass
- CompareTemperature and color side by side
- Depth readoutFathoms and feet on hover, tap or mark
- Currents & buoysSee the water move and ground-truth it
- Route, ruler & waypointsPlan the run and save your spots
From the water
I've tried every temp map out there and they all feel like they were built ten years ago. I'm not exactly a tech guy, but this one actually makes sense the second you open it. First time using it, I marked a break in about 30 seconds the night before and boated bluefin right on it the next morning.
Used to burn half a tank driving around looking for color change or a solid temp break. Now I check ReelTemps before I leave the dock and I know exactly where I'm going. Less time driving around guessing, more time with lines in the water.
Albacore season used to mean a couple hours of homework the night before and just hoping it held up. Now I do most of my research that morning and pull it up on my phone if things change once we're out there. Makes calling an audible a lot easier.