© 2026 Morning Update
Tides and Fishing: Hawaii — Sunday, October 4, 2026
Sun, 04 Oct 2026 15:00:00 GMT · 5:39
https://morningupdate.org/hawaii-tides-fishing/episodes/hawaii-tides-fishing-sunday-october-4-2026-2026-10-04/

Maya: Aloha, and welcome aboard the very first edition of Tides and Fishing Hawaii, your daily guide to the tides, the bite, and the water around the islands. I am Maya.
Devon: And I am Devon. It is Sunday, October fourth, twenty twenty-six, and we are launching this show for the anglers of Oahu, Maui, the Big Island, and Kauai, every morning.

Maya: Let us start with the tides, from the latest predictions from Noah. Hawaii tides run mixed semidiurnal, meaning two unequal highs and two unequal lows each day, with a small range of about two feet.
Devon: We flag any high tide at or above two point five feet as above normal. Today, only one station earns the flag: Hilo, on the Big Island.

Maya: Honolulu, on Oahu, today: low tide at three forty-four A M of zero point four one feet, high at eleven thirty-four A M of two point one six feet, then low again at seven twelve P M of zero point two six feet.
Devon: Kahului, on Maui, today: low at two oh seven A M of zero point four five feet, high at ten fifty-eight A M of two point four three feet, low at six fifty-five P M of zero point eight five feet, and a small high at ten thirty-six P M of one point oh two feet.

Maya: Hilo, on the Big Island, today: low at three A M of zero point four six feet, then the flagged high at eleven oh three A M of two point five four feet, low at six thirty-four P M of zero point seven six feet, and a high at eleven oh seven P M of one point two two feet.
Devon: Nawiliwili, on Kauai, today: low at three oh nine A M of zero point four zero feet, high at eleven twenty-seven A M of two point one oh feet, and low at seven seventeen P M of zero point four six feet.

Maya: For tomorrow, Monday: Hilo stays above normal with a high of two point six oh feet, and Kahului joins the above-normal list at two point five two feet. Honolulu and Nawiliwili stay normal.
Devon: Remember, these are predictions from Noah, and wind and surf can push water levels around. But as a rule, today is a gentle tide day for the islands, with only Hilo running a little high.

Maya: Now the fishing, and here is an honest word: fresh charter-by-charter reports were thin this week. So here is the seasonal picture, cross-checked across the sources we do have.
Devon: Off Kona, the fall transition is underway. Blue marlin in the two hundred to four hundred pound class are moving through steadily, and resident yellowfin tuna, the ahi, are still hunting along the ledge. Cooling water is also starting to pull in early-season striped marlin.
Maya: And here is the fall headline: mahi mahi. October opens the fall run, which typically runs through December, and this is when the big bulls show up. If you are trolling, the weed lines and floating debris are where they stack up.
Maya: Ono, the wahoo, are the wildcard. It is not peak ono season, but they can run any time of year, and high-speed trolling with jet heads near the ledges is the classic play.

Devon: Now the marine weather from the National Weather Service in Honolulu, your go or no-go guidance. First, the warning: a small craft advisory is in effect for the Big Island southeast waters through this afternoon.
Maya: East northeast winds of twenty to twenty-five knots and seas of six to seven feet off the southeast side of the Big Island. For small boats, that is a no-go on the windward side today. The Kona coast stays leeward and sheltered, but watch the harbor entrances on an outgoing tide.
Devon: Around Kauai northwest waters, east northeast winds of fifteen to twenty knots and seas of four to six feet. That is bumpy but fishable for experienced hands in a capable boat.
Maya: And the good news: off leeward Oahu, the forecast calls for northeast winds around sixteen knots, mostly sunny skies, and waves of a foot or less. If you have a small boat, the leeward side of Oahu is your go zone today.
Devon: Winds ease through Monday and turn southeasterly by midweek, so the window opens wider as the week goes on. And one honest note: the automated bite ratings today are soft, so fish the tides and the structure rather than chasing a hot bite.
Maya: And since this is Hawaii, the surf report. South-facing shores are running two to four feet today, building to three to five on Monday as a new long-period south swell fills in. That swell peaks a touch above average Tuesday into Wednesday.
Devon: North-facing shores are one to three feet today, bumping to two to four and then three to five on Monday as a small northwest swell arrives tonight. West-facing shores run one to three today, two to four tomorrow. East-facing shores stay choppy through Monday in the trades.
Maya: And one to watch: Typhoon Choi-wan is sending a long-period west swell our way Thursday into the weekend, which could bring moderate surf to the west-facing shores of the Big Island. We will track it all week.

Maya: Finally, the night sky, for the anglers who fish after dark. Tonight is a gift: the moon is a waning crescent of about thirty-five percent, and it sets this afternoon around two thirty P M, so it stays down all night.
Devon: Dark skies are kind to night fishermen. Shore casters working the reefs for ulua and papio love a dark night, and the stars will be out in force.
Maya: Look up and you will see the Milky Way arching overhead through Cygnus, the swan, with the bright star Vega high in the sky. Pegasus, the winged horse, rises in the east after dark.
Devon: The viewing outlook: mostly clear skies off Oahu from about eight P M through midnight, so the stars should show well leeward. But the windward side of the Big Island may cloud over with showers tonight, so check your side of the island before you commit to a night session.

Devon: That is our first show in the books. We will be back every morning with fresh tides, the latest bite, and the marine weather you need before you leave the dock.