Makila Reservoir in Maui County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Hawaii holds Makila Reservoir, in Maui County. It sits in warm bottomland. You can fish the entire water from one spot if you pick it well. On size it sits at the modest end of our Maui County list. The nearest town is Lahaina, 1.9 miles away. The nearest city of size is Honolulu, 83 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Makila Reservoir

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Nearby survey and observation records mention flathead grey mullet, mozambique tilapia, bluefin trevally, mackerel scad and convict cichlid. Presence in the area does not guarantee a fish on the day. Treat Makila Reservoir as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 73°F and February at 66°F. Cold never shuts this water down; heat is the only limit. Season rules are a separate question. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. That shapes the year on Makila Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Parking within half a mile means no long carry with tackle. Barramundi and estuary fish want hard-bodied lures and soft plastics worked around snags and drains. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Kaua'ula Reservoir is 0.7 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Makila Reservoir.