Spearfishing in Hawaii & Alaska
The two extremes of the USA: Hawaii, warm and gin-clear, the cultural home of spearfishing; and Alaska, cold, remote and expert-level. In Hawaii residents need no license and spearfishing is part of life — but you must respect the no-take MLCDs, the West Hawai'i SCUBA ban and species rules like uhu. In Alaska spear is legal gear, but cold, Cook Inlet hyper-tides and low viz make it technical. This guide sorts both and links to each city's forecast.
Key Hawaii rule: SCUBA spearfishing is BANNED in the West Hawai'i area (Big Island west coast) and in the MLCDs — freediving is legal outside the closed areas. The invasive roi (peacock grouper) and ta'ape may and should be removed, no limit. And in Alaska: cold cuts your time, plan the slack in Cook Inlet (4–9 m hyper-tides) and always dive with backup.
Open the flagship — Key Largo →Hawaii: license, MLCDs and species
Hawaii is one of the country's most accessible and culturally rich spearfisheries, but with rules of its own:
- License: RESIDENTS need no license to spearfish in the sea. NON-residents must buy the Nonresident Recreational Marine Fishing License (NRMFL). There's no separate spearfishing permit.
- MLCDs and scuba: the Marine Life Conservation Districts (Hanauma, Molokini, Kealakekua, Pupukea…) are no-take — no spearfishing. And SCUBA spearfishing is banned across the whole West Hawai'i area (Big Island Kona coast). Freediving is legal outside the closed areas. Papahānaumokuākea (NW Hawaiian Is.) is a no-take monument.
- Species: uhu (parrotfish) has strict Maui rules — max 2/day, minimum sizes, and blue (terminal-phase) males of the two large species are PROHIBITED. Ulua (giant trevally) and palu are classic targets. Invasive roi and ta'ape may be removed with no limit (but roi can carry ciguatera: be careful eating it).
Alaska: legal spear, expert level
In Alaska spear is legal sport-fishing gear (5 AAC 75.995): you may use a spear or speargun (no explosive charge) submerged or on the surface, with a sport license. It's a niche pursuit — not by prohibition but by the conditions:
- Targets: halibut — spear is allowed gear — lingcod and rockfish. Note: yelloweye rockfish is usually restricted, and in the Southeast lingcod may be closed to spear/diving on certain dates. Keep the fish identifiable/measurable until you land it.
- Conditions: 4–12 °C water (dry suit), low visibility and Cook Inlet hyper-tides (4–9 m) that drive ferocious currents. Dive ONLY on the slack, with surface support and wide safety margins. Not a beginner destination.
Where to dive, by region
Alaska
Alaska — spear is legal gear; halibut/lingcod/rockfish, but cold, Cook Inlet hyper-tides and low viz make it expert-level.
- Kodiak — Cold clear kelp and rocky coast — black rockfish, kelp greenling and lingcod on the pinnacles.
- Homer — Kachemak Bay rocky points and kelp — lingcod and rockfish; inner bay is glacial-turbid, cross to the clearer far side.
- Seward — Resurrection Bay boulder walls and rock faces — rockfish and octopus; lingcod is closed year-round in the bay.
- Sitka — Sitka Sound rock and kelp — lingcod and black/yellowtail rockfish; SE Alaska lingcod closes Dec 1.
- Ketchikan — Rocky walls and current-swept reefs — lingcod, rockfish, greenling and wolf eels; dive Clover Pass at slack.
- Juneau — Channel rock-and-kelp walls off Douglas Island and Auke Bay — rockfish and greenling in big-tide water.
- Valdez — Prince William Sound fjord — Allison Point from the road or the Valdez Narrows by boat; rockfish, lingcod and halibut in cold, glacial-silt water.
Hawaii
Hawaii — no licence for residents; ulua/uhu/palu, removing invasive roi/ta'ape encouraged; MLCDs are no-take, scuba-spear banned in West Hawai'i.
- Honolulu — South-shore reefs off Kaka'ako and Maunalua Bay — uku, goatfish and papio; stay clear of the Waikiki MLCD.
- Haleiwa (North Shore) — North Shore reef points and flats — ulua, uku and goatfish; diveable only in the summer flat spell.
- Waianae — The clearest leeward Oahu water — Makaha caverns and NW-tip reefs for ulua, uku and kumu.
- Hawaii Kai — SE Oahu walls and outer reef — China Walls ledges, eagle rays, uku and omilu; Hanauma Bay is a no-take MLCD.
- Lahaina — West Maui reefs at Olowalu and Mala Wharf — uku, omilu and goatfish; Honolua Bay is a no-take MLCD.
- Kihei — South Maui lava ledges and caves at Makena and Wailea — uku, goatfish and omilu; Molokini is a no-take MLCD.
- Kailua-Kona — Kona's clear reefs and lava drop-offs — uku, ono and pelagics; West Hawai'i FMA: freedive spear OK, SCUBA spear banned.
- Captain Cook (Kealakekua Bay) — Deep clear Kona reefs at Ke'ei and Two Step — uku and reef fish; the namesake Kealakekua Bay is a no-take MLCD.
- Hilo — East Hawai'i lava reefs and arches at Richardson's and Leleiwi — kole, uhu, uku and papio; dive calm days only.
- Poipu — South Kauai reefs and coral bommies — uku, papio and goatfish off Mahā'ulepu and Koloa Landing.
- Kaneohe — Windward Oahu's barrier reef — the outer slope off Kapapa has the best viz; uku, ulua, papio, kumu and roi.
- Kahului — North-central Maui fringing reefs — Waihee, Kanaha and Paukukalo; uku, uhu, kumu, weke and roi.
- Hana — Remote East Maui — sheltered Hana Bay plus the 'Alau and Waianapanapa lava reefs on calm days; uhu, kumu, weke, ulua and roi.
- Lihue (Nawiliwili) — Southeast Kauai reefs around Nawiliwili — Ninini Point, Nukolii and remote Mahaulepu; uhu, weke, ta'ape, papio and uku, all outside the harbor FMAs.
Frequently asked questions
Rules current as of 2026 — spearfishing law is STATE-by-state in the US. License, which species you may spear (e.g. striped bass is legal in RI/NY/NJ/DE/VA but banned in ME/MA/CT/MD/NC/SC), powerhead rules and beach/pier buffers all vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, FL Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state fish & wildlife agency and local ordinances before you go.
Do I need a license to spearfish in Hawaii?
Hawaii residents, no: they need no recreational marine license. Non-residents must buy the NRMFL (Nonresident Recreational Marine Fishing License). Either way, respect the no-take MLCDs, the West Hawai'i SCUBA ban and the uhu rules.
Can I spearfish on scuba in Hawaii?
Outside the closed areas, freediving is legal; SCUBA spearfishing is BANNED in the West Hawai'i area (Big Island Kona coast) and in the MLCDs. Elsewhere SCUBA isn't banned statewide, but always check the current local rule before diving.
What's roi and why should I remove it?
Roi (peacock grouper) and ta'ape are introduced invasive species that compete with native fish. Hawaii encourages removing them and they have no bag limit. Note: roi can accumulate ciguatera, so many remove it for conservation but don't eat it. Ta'ape is good eating.
Can you really spearfish in Alaska?
Yes, spear is legal sport-fishing gear (5 AAC 75.995): halibut, lingcod and rockfish, with a sport license. But it's expert-level — 4–12 °C water (dry suit), low visibility and Cook Inlet hyper-tides. Dive only on the slack, with backup. Most prefer Kodiak, Sitka or Seward in summer.