Kaupale Reservoir, Hawaii: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Kauai County, Hawaii, is where Kaupale Reservoir sits. The setting is open low country. At 8 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Omao-Kukuiula sits 0.7 miles from the bank. Honolulu is the closest city, 113 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout. The country round the bank is quiet, with little traffic on the road in.

• Where to Fish on Kaupale Reservoir

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Documented catches and surveys in the area cover flathead grey mullet, blackchin tilapia and mozambique tilapia. Reported species tell you what lives around here, nothing more. On Kaupale Reservoir the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 78°F and February reads 71°F. Fish feed through every month here. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Time your trip to Kaupale Reservoir by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records show it does not hold water year-round. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. Barramundi and estuary fish want hard-bodied lures and soft plastics worked around snags and drains. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Kumano Reservoir is 0.4 miles off. For Kaupale Reservoir, the notice at the access point is the final word.