Welcome to Hanalei Bay, HI

Boating in Hanalei Bay, HI Map View

During the winter and spring, the entire bay is subject to high surf, but when the sea is calm good protection is afforded from the trades. Midbay anchorage is in depths of 6 fathoms, sandy bottom.
A launching ramp is on the S side of the Hanalei River, 0.1 mile above the mouth.
Navigation:
Hanalei Bay has an entrance width of a mile between Makahoa Point on the W and the extensive Puu Poa Point reef on the NE; inland extent is nearly a mile. Breaking coral reefs fringe the shores on both sides of the entrance. Seas break across the entire entrance during N or NW gales.
Along the sandy beach at the head of Hanalei Bay are clumps of ironwood and coconut trees and the houses of Hanalei. The highway is close to the shore. Three miles inland the mountains attain heights of more than 4,000 feet.
The Hanalei River which empties into the E side of the bay, is navigable for shallow-draft boats for a distance of 2 or 3 miles. A privately dredged channel passes close to the reef on the NE side of the bay and leads to the river mouth. At high water, a depth of 4½ feet can be carried over the bar at the mouth and about 4 feet to the bridge 1.8 miles above the mouth. Overhead power and telephone cables with a clearance of 27 feet cross Hanalei River at its mouth.
A 300-foot long concrete pier, used as a shore recreation site for swimming and fishing, is on the E side of the bay and 200 yards S of the Hanalei River.

Coastal Stories See All

Southern Resident killer whales swim just off Seattle’s shore. NOAA experts anticipate that the West Coast and the Pacific Islands will feel the effects of the 2026–2027 El Niño event most directly. Credit: NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center; taken under NOAA permit #781-1824

How Will El Niño Affect Your Local Fisheries?

10/10/2026

By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. What does El Niño mean for U.S. fisheries and marine life? What can fishermen and coastal communities expect to observe and experience as this event continues and potentially intensifies? And what are scientists at NOAA Fisheries doing to track this natural phenomenon? The El Niño-Southern Oscillation is a powerful… SEE MORE

NOAA's flood inundation map (left) depicting the forecast for flooding extent in New London, Wisconsin, and a photo of flooded streets in New London (right), dated April 17, 2026. (Image credit: NOAA NWS)

NOAA’s flood mapping tool now covers nearly 100% of U.S.

10/7/2026

By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. NOAA’s National Weather Service announced today that Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM), a revolutionary tool for predicting river flooding, is now available on an experimental basis to nearly 100% of the U.S. population. This is a massive expansion from FIM’s prior coverage of 60% of the country. FIM… SEE MORE

Meet Hawaii Fish Company, Tilapia Farmers in Hawaiʻi

10/4/2026

By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. For husband and wife duo Ron and and Estralita Weidenbach, fish farming is a family business. The couple met in the 1970s while Ron was consulting at the East West Center in Honolulu and the World Bank, focusing on sustainable aquaculture projects in Asia. Estralita was a… SEE MORE

Hanalei Bay, HI

Welcome to Hanalei Bay, HI

Monthly Tide Chart

Weather

Maps & Charts

Boating in Hanalei Bay, HI Map View

Quietly Sophisticated: The Hood 42 LM

Coastal Stories See All

How Will El Niño Affect Your Local Fisheries?

NOAA’s flood mapping tool now covers nearly 100% of U.S.

Meet Hawaii Fish Company, Tilapia Farmers in Hawaiʻi

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