Wahiawa Reservoir Fishing Guides
Also known as Lake Wilson, the largest public freshwater fishery in Hawaii, filling a branching valley on the central Oahu plateau between the two mountain ranges.
Guides on the Wahiawa Reservoir
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About the Wahiawa Reservoir
Wahiawa Reservoir, which almost everyone on the island calls Lake Wilson, sits on the central Oahu plateau in the saddle between the Koolau and Waianae ranges. It was built to irrigate the pineapple and sugar land around it and it fills a branching, steep-sided valley, so the shoreline is far longer and more convoluted than the surface area suggests. It is the largest public freshwater fishery in the state and effectively the only one of its kind, which makes it a genuinely unusual entry in any list of American waters.
The gauge at the spillway reads reservoir stage. In a climate where the rain falls hard on the windward slopes and runs off fast, the stage record is the practical guide to the lake. A full pool puts water back into the brush at the heads of the arms and spreads the fish out along a great deal of flooded cover. A drawdown concentrates them on the main points and the old channel, and exposes the structure that is invisible the rest of the year.
The fishery is introduced from top to bottom, as everything freshwater in Hawaii is. Largemouth bass are the main quarry and hold along the steep banks and the timber in the arms. Tilapia are abundant and are the forage that drives the whole system, channel catfish grow large in the deeper water, and bluegill and green sunfish are everywhere. Public fishing is permitted under state freshwater rules, and the rules here differ from anything on the mainland, so read them first.
Access is by a public launch, and the lake sees far less pressure than a mainland water of the same quality would. It is a short drive from Honolulu through the pineapple country, and for a visitor it is a genuinely different day out from the ocean fishing the island is known for.
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Access
Wahiawa - the town at the lake, with fuel, food and basic supplies on the plateau.
Public boat launch - the state access on the reservoir and the main put-in for boats and kayaks.
Honolulu - about forty minutes south, with tackle shops, lodging and the airport.
Haleiwa and the North Shore - a short drive north, with services and the island's other visitor country.
Koolau and Waianae ranges - the watershed either side, which drives how fast the lake rises after rain.
Schofield and Mililani - the developed areas nearby, with groceries and further services.
Kaukonahua Stream arms - the branching upper reaches of the reservoir, best reached by paddle.
Seasons
Spring: warm and settled, with bass on the banks in the arms and consistent fishing through the whole lake.
Summer: the driest stretch and often the lowest water, which concentrates fish on the points and the old channel.
Fall: still warm, with good bass fishing and the first of the heavier rain beginning to refill the arms.
Winter: the wet season, with a rising lake, flooded brush at the heads of the arms and fish spread wide.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Wahiawa Reservoir?
Anglers target Bluegill, Bullhead, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Tilapia on the Wahiawa Reservoir in Hawaii.
Where can you access the Wahiawa Reservoir?
Wahiawa - the town at the lake, with fuel, food and basic supplies on the plateau. Public boat launch - the state access on the reservoir and the main put-in for boats and kayaks. Honolulu - about forty minutes south, with tackle shops, lodging and the airport. Haleiwa and the North Shore - a short drive north, with services and the island's other visitor country. Koolau and Waianae ranges - the watershed either side, which drives how fast the lake rises after rain. Schofield and Mililani - the developed areas nearby, with groceries and further services. Kaukonahua Stream arms - the branching...
When is the best time to fish the Wahiawa Reservoir?
Spring: warm and settled, with bass on the banks in the arms and consistent fishing through the whole lake. Summer: the driest stretch and often the lowest water, which concentrates fish on the points and the old channel. Fall: still warm, with good bass fishing and the first of the heavier rain beginning to refill the arms. Winter: the wet season, with a rising lake, flooded brush at the heads of the arms and fish spread wide.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Wahiawa Reservoir?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Hawaii agency site: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/fishing/fishing-regulations/