The status of reef fish density, diversity, species richness, biomass and coral cover was evaluated by comparing the conditions in two Dar es Salaam Marine Reserves (DMRs); the North Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve (NDMR; gazetted in 1975), and the South Dar es Salaam Marine Reserves (SDMRs; gazetted in 2007), before the 2016 El Niño. A 10 m line-intercept transect was used to characterize benthic cover and a 50 m belt transect was used to assess reef fish population status. Sampling occurred between August 2014 and April 2015. The results showed that fish biomass in the (NDMRs) was 2.7 times higher than that in the (SDMRs) and live hard coral cover was 3 times higher. Higher reef fish density, biomass, diversity, species richness and live hard coral cover were revealed before 2016 El Niño in NDMRs as compared to the SDMRs. Differences in status are linked to differences in time of gazetting and level of effective management in the marine protected areas (MPAs), where NDMRs has a General Management Plan (GMP) while SDMRs does not, and the differences in management are likely to have contributed to the differences in fish biomass and coral cover.