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Fishing Kapaia Reservoir: what the data says
45-acre reservoir near Līhuʻe. The lake tops out around 35 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Kapaia Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Peacock Bass (Tucunaré) fishing at Kapaia Reservoir
Spring peacock bass (tucunaré) on Kapaia Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 12 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 9 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | see map |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | see map |
| Fall | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | see map |
| Winter | 6 to 22 ft | midday | see map |
Channel Catfish fishing at Kapaia Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 11 to 35 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Kapaia Reservoir
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Tilapia fishing at Kapaia Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: tilapia sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring tilapia. Plan around midday and early morning in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | see map |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | see map |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | see map |
Common Carp fishing at Kapaia Reservoir
Spring common carp on Kapaia Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 16 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 9 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 9 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Kapaia Reservoir?
Kapaia Reservoir is about 35 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Kapaia Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, peacock bass (tucunaré), tilapia, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp on Kapaia Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Kapaia Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Kapaia Reservoir?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Wailua Reservoir · Halenanahu Reservoir · Mauka Reservoir · Waita Reservoir · Alexander Reservoir · Aepo Reservoir
See how Kapaia Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Hawaii · best peacock bass (tucunaré) lakes in Hawaii · best tilapia lakes in Hawaii · best bluegill lakes in Hawaii
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