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45-acre reservoir near Līhuʻe. The lake tops out around 35 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Drawn out, this is 44 acres of water rimmed by 3.8 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 4.1) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 75% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.6 mi, about 0.5 mi across. You'll find it in Kauai County. The nearest mapped water is Wailua Reservoir, 3 mi to the north.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: peacock bass (tucunaré) sit in 2 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 22 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for peacock bass (tucunaré) in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and early morning. Throw a topwater (walking bait) or a jerkbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Topwater prop bait, Jerkbait (fire tiger) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Topwater (walking bait), Jerkbait |
| Fall | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Jerkbait, Swimbait |
| Winter | 6 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Slow jerkbait, Jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 11 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: tilapia sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 2 to 10 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 18 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in midday and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a micro-jig near weed edges until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tiny jig + bread-ball tip, Small worm under float |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro-jig near weed edges |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig tipped with worm |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Slow micro-jig, warm outflows |
Spring puts common carp in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 30 ft. Spring common carp concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 30 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Hawaii waters are set by the Hawaii DLNR — and special regulations can apply to Kapaia Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Hawaii fishing regulations →
Kapaia Reservoir is about 35 ft (11 m) deep 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.
Anglers target largemouth bass, peacock bass (tucunaré), channel catfish, bluegill, tilapia, common carp 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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Kapaia Reservoir is regulated by the Hawaii DLNR. Check the official Hawaii regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Wailua Reservoir 3 mi · Halenanahu Reservoir 4 mi · Mauka Reservoir 7 mi · Waita Reservoir 8 mi · Alexander Reservoir 9 mi · Aepo Reservoir 9 mi · Aepoeha Reservoir 10 mi · Ipuolono Reservoir 11 mi · Puu Ka Ele Reservoir 12 mi · Kalihiwai Reservoir 12 mi · Waiakalua Reservoir 13 mi · Puʻu Lua Reservoir (Kōkeʻe) 19 mi
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
More water nearby: Kauai County fishing maps (13 charts). Browse all Hawaii fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.