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Fishing Wailua Reservoir: what the data says
48-acre reservoir near Wailua. The lake tops out around 40 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Wailua 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 5 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 |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Wailua Reservoir
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 40 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Peacock Bass (Tucunaré) fishing at Wailua Reservoir
Spring peacock bass (tucunaré) on Wailua Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 10 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 Wailua 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 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 34 ft that scores prime in winter. 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 | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Wailua Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| 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 Wailua Reservoir
In spring, tilapia run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 2 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for tilapia in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and early morning.
| 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 |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 34 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 18 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Wailua Reservoir?
Wailua Reservoir is about 40 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 Wailua Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, peacock bass (tucunaré), tilapia, smallmouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish on Wailua Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Wailua Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 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 Wailua 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
Kapaia Reservoir · Halenanahu Reservoir · Puu Ka Ele Reservoir · Kalihiwai Reservoir · Waiakalua Reservoir · Mauka Reservoir
See how Wailua 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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