Hawaii's Best Kept Secret
By Stan Wright

Wahiawa's Peacock Bass,
the best kept secret of freshwater fishing.

Wahiawa Reservoir.
Fishermen of all ages and skills are invited to cruse up to Wahiawa in central Oahu, Hawaii, for the ONLY freshwater fishing offered on Oahu. In this region, you will find the 400-acre irrigation reservoir commonly known as "Lake Wilson". Anglers will enjoy the relaxed lake atmosphere as they hunt and search for a variety of over seventeen different species of fish. Experience an adventure like none other in Hawaii!

We do a lot of sight-fishing here. It's really exciting to see the fish turn and attack your fly.

Try your skills with Large Mouth Bass, Small Mouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Snakehead (Pungi), Oscar, Tilapia, Red Devil, and the most popular and tough-fighting of them all, the Tucanare, or Peacock Bass, known for it's distinctive tail spot and brilliant colors.

There is nothing like catching a fish with a fly you tyed yourself, just ask Randall Sakai. This 7 pound peacock bass is his largest to date.

Is Fishing In Hawaii Seasonal?: If there was a "prime time" for catching Peacock Bass, then it would be during the warmer months. But in Hawaii, it's warm all year round right? Actually April through the end of October seem to be the months with the most consistent catch rate. Temperatures during the summer and fall are usually in the low to mid-eighties (occasionally hitting the 90's) with LOTS of humidity, and October and November end up as the hottest months of the year. Unlike the Large Mouth Bass, the Peacock Bass seem to love the warmer temperatures; so the warmer the weather, the livelier the Peacock Bass.

December through the end of March have seen some really great catches, but it's pretty unpredictable. You can hook every fish in the lake one day, and wonder where they swam off to the next. We get LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of rain during the winter and spring months. Not to mention thunder, lightning and winds up to 50mph...so it's not really a good idea to go fishing with your very own personal lightning rod!! Also during the rainy seasons, visibility in the lake can become extremely poor; Spring in 2004 has become a prime example of awful fishing conditions. The mud run-off from the banks and surrounding areas left the lake a reddish-brown color for almost 2 months. And because we do a lot of sight-fishing here things can be very difficult and frustrating.

So we suggest the best time to successively fish Lake Wilson is between April and October. But if you enjoy wild weather and a challenge, and are willing to brave the storm! For a true fisherman, any day is a good day to fish!!

Hawaii Fishing Articles & Photos –
Articles About Fishing for Peacock Bass at Lake Wilson in HI