Species guide · Hawaii
Bonefish fishing in Hawaii
Albula vulpes, an inshore species also called gray ghost, o'io and oio. Listed for the Hawaii region. Peak season, about 2 more weeks.
Right now it scores best in Big Island Windward Waters at 37, one of 20 Hawaii bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Peak seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Hawaii
Peak season, about 2 more weeks- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Shoulder season
- Mar: Shoulder season
- Apr: Shoulder season
- May: Peak season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Peak season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Peak season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Shoulder season
- Dec: Shoulder season
Peak: May to Sep. In season (shoulder or peak): all year.
Research notes, Hawaii region
Hawaii has two species, roundjaw (Albula glossodonta, most of the catch) and sharpjaw (A. virgata, deeper water); the scientificName field lists the Atlantic species. Summer gives the most consistent flats fishing; schools move deep to spawn roughly mid November to March. The PIFG angler tagging program has tagged thousands of o'io on Oahu, where release is common.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 20
Hawaii bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's bonefish score this hour.
Best window today 4-8 PM (46) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 4 PM (67) · 100 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 4 PM (65) · 47 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Sep 29 at 4 PM (68) · 115 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Mon, Sep 28 at 6 AM (58) · 7 named spots
Best window today 10 AM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 12 PM (62)
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Sep 29 at 8 AM (58) · 6 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Mon, Sep 28 at 6 AM (67) · 4 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 4 PM (67) · 54 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Sep 29 at 4 PM (69) · 2 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Sep 29 at 4 PM (67) · 37 named spots
Best window today 11 AM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 6 PM (54)
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sat, Sep 26 at 4 PM (61) · 2 named spots
Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 1 PM (58)
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Sep 29 at 4 PM (69) · 84 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 4 PM (65) · 118 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Sep 29 at 3 AM (67) · 70 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Sep 29 at 4 PM (69) · 50 named spots
Best window today 2 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Sep 29 at 4 PM (61) · 14 named spots
Best window today 11 AM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 1 PM (54)
Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 1 PM (65)
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 68°F to 90°F, best between 72°F and 84°F.
- Water depth
- 1 to 12 ft of water.
- Structure
- Flat, grass, channel, reef and mangrove, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers incoming tide and high tide, with moderate current.Bonefish move onto shallow flats and into tidal creeks to feed on the rising and high tide and fall back to deeper water as it drops. The first of the flood along flat edges and the ends of a falling tide at channel mouths are the classic windows. Slack low water on a flat usually holds no fish.
- Light
- Little tied to dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Prefers steady pressure.
- Wind and sea limits
- 15 kt of wind and 1 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Bonefish push onto shallow sand and grass flats with the rising tide to root for shrimp, crabs and clams, often in water under 2 feet deep, and fall back to channel edges and deeper flats as the tide drops. Most fish are sight cast to with a small shrimp or crab fly, a light jig or a live shrimp, which takes bright sun, light wind and a quiet approach. They are catch and release only in Florida, and in Hawaii many anglers also fish bait from shore along sand channels and reef edges.
- Methods
- sight casting, fly fishing, wading, poling skiff, bait soaking from shore
- Lures
- small skimmer or bucktail jig, shrimp fly (Crazy Charlie, Gotcha), crab fly
- Bait
- live shrimp, shrimp tail, crab, clam
Regulations
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources. Synced with DLNR DAR Sep 16, 2026.
No reviewed bonefish rule for Hawaii is on file yet. Check with DLNR DAR before you keep one.