Fishing Lake Kawaguchi (Kawaguchiko): the fish, the seasons, and the plan to catch them

What and where it is

Lake Kawaguchi (Kawaguchiko in Japanese) is one of the Fuji Five Lakes, on the north side of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi, about 100 km west of Tokyo and reachable in roughly two hours by train or road. It is a shallow, clear mountain lake of about 5.5 km² at around 833 m altitude, the most developed and accessible of the five for a visitor.

It is a small, shallow lake by the standards of the rest of this atlas: around 5.5 km² of surface, a maximum depth of about 14.6 m, a shoreline near 19 km (the longest of the Fuji Five Lakes), at around 833 m above sea level (source: Wikipedia and the Yamanashi official travel guide). The water is cold and clear, the bays are shallow and weedy, and there are docks, pontoons and rental-boat harbours all along the built-up north and east shores. That shallow, structured, accessible water is exactly why it fishes well from a small boat and from the bank.

It is an easy lake to reach, which is most of its appeal. From Tokyo you take the train to Otsuki and change to the Fujikyu line to Kawaguchiko station, or the direct highway bus, in roughly two hours either way. The town wraps the eastern end, so you can stay, buy your ticket, hire a boat and fish within a short walk. Mount Fuji stands over the south shore, and the lake is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Fujisan, so it is busy with sightseers as well as anglers, especially in autumn.

This is a managed, stocked fishery, not a wild one. The Kawaguchiko Fisheries Cooperative (河口湖漁業協同組合 gyokyo, the local fisheries cooperative) stocks the lake, sells the day-ticket every angler needs, and sets the rules. It is one of the few lakes in Japan where bass fishing is openly authorised and the cooperative even stocks bass, which is why it is treated as a bass destination at all (source: Kawaguchiko Fisheries Cooperative; tyhasegawa.com on Japanese bass law).

The fish, and where, when and how to catch each

Largemouth bass is the spring-to-autumn target, taken on hard lures from the shallow bays and a small boat. Wakasagi (pond smelt) is the cold-month speciality, caught in numbers on a fine multi-hook string from a dock or a heated dome boat. Stocked rainbow trout are a third option. The cards below give where, when and how for each.

Others, for context. The cooperative also manages carp (koi) and crucian carp (funa), with minimum sizes (18 cm and 15 cm), and oikawa (a small native cyprinid). Some smallmouth bass turn up in the Fuji lakes, but largemouth is the bass you plan around at Kawaguchi. Those are colour, not the day's plan; the three cards above are the trip.

Read the card for the trip you want, check the seasonal section for how it moves through the year, and follow the rig link to build the method. The big thing to carry across all of them: soft plastic worms are banned on this lake (see the rules), so the bass cards are hard lures, and the smelt rig is the one multi-hook string the cooperative still allows.

How the fishing changes by season

This lake runs two seasons that barely overlap. Spring to autumn is bass: shallow and best in spring, then weed edges and dawn-and-dusk through the summer heat. From October the lake turns into the region's best-known wakasagi fishery, fished from heated dome boats through the cold months, with stocked trout alongside. Pick which trip your dates fit.

Here is the year in plain terms.

• Spring (April to June). The bass window opens. Fish move into the shallow, weedy bays to spawn and feed, which is the easiest time to catch them and the time a bank angler or a small boat does best. The cooperative typically stocks bass in spring (a stocking was scheduled for mid-May in 2025), which keeps the fishery topped up. Wakasagi is winding down.
• Summer (July and August). Bass drop onto the weed edges, the drop-offs and the shade around the docks in the heat. Fish the first and last hours of light; the bright middle of the day over clear water is slow. This is when a small boat earns its place to reach the open weed lines. Busy on the water with sightseeing boats and pedalos, so early is doubly worth it.
• Autumn (September to November). Bass feed up before the cold and give good lure fishing into November. The wakasagi season opens on 1 October (fished from the docks first) and the heated dome boats start running from 1 November, so by late autumn both trips are on. Autumn is also the lake's busiest tourist window for the Fuji-and-autumn-leaves view, so book ahead.
• Winter (December to March). Bass go quiet and deep. The lake becomes the region's wakasagi fishery: heated dome boats over the shoals, smelt by the bag, and stocked rainbow trout for the spin angler. This is the cold-month trip, and the one most visitors come for in winter.

What you can eat (and what you must release)

Wakasagi and rainbow trout are the eating fish here. Wakasagi are classic tempura, eaten whole; trout you keep within the 18 cm size and the 15-a-day limit. Bass are a catch-and-release fishery on this lake (return anything under 25 cm immediately, and most anglers release them all). Handle and unhook fish carefully before they go back.

This is worth being exact about, because the rules differ from the rest of Japan. Lake Kawaguchi is one of the few lakes where the cooperative stocks bass and authorises bass fishing, so unlike Lake Biwa (where Shiga Prefecture bans returning a caught bass to the water) the norm here is catch and release. The cooperative sets a 25 cm minimum, so any bass under that must be returned at once; in practice anglers release their bass and come for the sport (source: Kawaguchiko Fisheries Cooperative rules page; tyhasegawa.com on Japanese bass law). For the contrast, see the Lake Biwa guide.

Wakasagi are eaten whole, usually deep-fried as tempura or karaage, and the lakeside serves them in season; they are the reason a lot of families make the winter trip. Whatever you keep, check the size and bag limits and any closed season before you keep a fish, and clean your kit between waters so you do not carry anything from one lake to the next.

The day-ticket and the rules

Yes, everyone fishing the lake needs a cooperative day-ticket (遊漁券 yuugyoken, a recreational fishing ticket), from the bank or a boat. For 2025-26 it is ¥1,100 for high-school age and older bought in advance (¥1,600 if bought on the bank), ¥450 for younger students, and free for primary-school children. The big local rule: soft plastic worms are banned.

Who manages it and what the ticket covers. The lake is managed by the Kawaguchiko Fisheries Cooperative (河口湖漁業協同組合), under the Yamanashi prefectural cooperative system. The day-ticket covers a day's fishing for the managed species (bass, wakasagi, rainbow trout, carp), from shore or boat. There is no night fishing: the fishing hours are from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset (source: Kawaguchiko Fisheries Cooperative rules page, as of 5 June 2026).

2025-26 day-ticket prices (Kawaguchiko Fisheries Cooperative own fee page, rates effective 1 January 2024; cross-checked with Japan Bass Fishing Agent, as of 5 June 2026):

How to get it

• Buy it in advance. Easiest is the ticket machine outside the cooperative office at Funatsu (2985 Kawaguchi, Fujikawaguchiko; office hours 09:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 15:00), or at a convenience store around the lake.
• Or buy it from a rental-boat or tackle shop: for example the rental-boat shops "Sakanaya" and "Konami", and the tackle shop "Bait & Tackle Karil" (source: Japan Bass Fishing Agent).
• Or buy it on the bank from a warden, which costs more (¥1,600), so buying ahead is worth it.
• Carry it while you fish. Fishing without a ticket can mean a fine.

Sizes, limits and the local rules

Source: Kawaguchiko Fisheries Cooperative rules page, as of 5 June 2026.

The rules that catch a visiting angler out

• Soft plastic worms are banned. Since 1 May 2007 the cooperative has prohibited soft plastic lures and synthetic-material baits (ワーム), to stop non-degrading plastic accumulating in the lake. So the whole soft-plastic family does not apply here. Spinnerbaits, rubber (skirted) jigs and natural pork rind are allowed; hard lures (crankbaits, jerkbaits, vibration plugs, topwater) are the bass method.
• Two rods per angler at a time.
• No multi-hook strings except the wakasagi rig. The cooperative bans multi-hook bodafuri-style rigs, with the wakasagi shikake the exception. So you cannot run a string of lures for bass or trout here, only the smelt rig in the smelt season.
• No trolling. Trolling for trout or bass is not allowed, so trout is a cast-and-retrieve fishery.
• No live bait except for carp and crucian carp, and no chumming except for them.
• No night fishing: one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.

Where to fish

Good shore access runs round the developed north and east shores, with docks, pontoons and the rental-boat harbours near the town the easiest starting points. Bass come from the shallow, weedy bays and the structure along the built-up shore. Wakasagi come off the docks and from the moored dome boats. A small rental boat reaches the open weed edges and the deeper water.

The lake is small and the productive water is close in, so you do not need to travel far once you are there. These are the practical starting points (source: the cooperative and the local rental-boat shops):

• The town shore and harbours (Funatsu / Kawaguchi, north-east end). Where the cooperative office, the ticket machine, the rental-boat shops and the dome-boat moorings are. The simplest base: buy your ticket, hire a boat or a dome seat, and fish within a short walk. Docks and pontoons hold bass and are where the wakasagi anglers set up.
• The shallow weedy bays along the north and east shores. The bass water in spring and early summer, when the fish are up shallow. Walk the shore and cast hard lures and spinnerbaits along the weed edges.
• The open weed lines and drop-offs a short way out. Summer bass on the weed edges, reached from a small rental boat with a fish finder. The lake is only about 14.6 m at its deepest, so even the "deep" water is shallow by this atlas's standards.
• The dome-boat moorings (cold months). Heated, covered boats anchored over the wakasagi shoals; you book a seat and fish the smelt rig straight down through a hatch.

What depth and structure mean for method

• Shallow bays and weed edges (a metre or two): spring and summer bass. A spinnerbait or a shallow crankbait searched along the weed, a topwater early and late, a skirted rubber jig pitched to the thicker cover.
• The docks, pontoons and harbour structure: bass that sit in the shade and on the structure; a rubber jig or a small hard plug worked tight to it. Wakasagi straight down off the dock on the smelt rig.
• The open weed lines and drop-offs from a boat: summer bass on a deeper-running crankbait or a vibration plug; the fish finder earns its place here.

Bank vs boat, and the time of day

From the bank you can fish bass in the shallow bays and off the docks (best in spring and at first and last light), and wakasagi off the docks in the cold months. A small rental boat adds the open weed edges and the drop-offs for summer bass, and a heated dome boat is the comfortable way to fish wakasagi when it is freezing. The bright middle of the day is slow for bass either way.

Plain version: if you only have the bank, fish bass in the spring bays and off the docks at dawn and dusk, and wakasagi off the docks in winter. A small rental boat opens up the summer bass on the open weed edges; a dome boat is the warm, easy way to fish wakasagi in the cold. Either way, fish the first and last hours for bass and rest through the bright middle.

This table is the core decision the trip turns on. It lives on the cheat sheet too. Pick your fish, pick where you are and when, and it gives you the method.

The boat: guided, hire, or a dome-boat seat

Three ways onto the water. Book a guide (the simplest for a first visit; they supply the tackle and have English-speaking options close to Tokyo), hire a small bass boat or rowing boat from a lakeside shop, or book a seat on a heated dome boat for wakasagi. Rates vary by operator and plan, so the links below are the ones to book through. The day-ticket is needed whichever you choose.

A small boat opens up the open weed edges for summer bass, and a dome-boat seat is the comfortable way to fish wakasagi in the cold, so one of these is worth it. The lake is small and sheltered compared with the big waters on this atlas, but it is a mountain lake at around 833 m, so the wind and the cold are real in winter; dress for it and check the forecast.

Guided bass (recommended for a first visit, English-speaking options)

Guides supply the tackle, know the marks and the rules, and run trips from here because it is close to Tokyo. Book directly:

• Japan Bass Fishing Agent – set up for international anglers; guides include Kazuma Sassa and Haruto Ohno; full-day and half-day plans; rental tackle. Bass boats run via Kazu Marine. japanbassfishingagent.com/lakekawaguchi.
• Lake Kawaguchiko Fishing Guide and Charter – a guide service for overseas visitors, with pickup around the lake, rental tackle and life jackets; one-day, half-day and shorter plans; booking via WhatsApp, Instagram, WeChat or LINE. fishing-japan.net.

Hire a boat

For your own session, hire a small bass boat (with a fish finder) or a rowing boat from a lakeside shop, for example the rental-boat shops Sakanaya and Konami near the town. Self-drive boating tours with Mount Fuji views also run from the lake, for example Fujisan Rent (fujisan.rent/boat-fishing). Confirm the rate and whether a boating licence is needed when you book; a powered boat in Japan needs a small-craft boating licence, so a rowing boat or a guided/skippered boat is the simple option for most visitors.

A dome-boat seat (wakasagi, cold months)

For smelt you book a seat on a heated, covered dome boat (ドーム船) moored over the shoals; it has heating and a toilet, so it suits families and beginners. The cooperative and the lakeside operators run them from 1 November through the cold months (the wakasagi season itself opens 1 October, fished from the docks until the dome boats start). Book through the cooperative or the rental-boat shops.

Where to stay (and buy a ticket locally)

Stay in Kawaguchiko town on the north-east shore, a short walk from the cooperative office, the ticket machine, the rental boats and the dome boats. It has everything from lakeside ryokan and hotels to hostels and a campsite, with the train station and the highway bus stop in the middle. Buy your ticket at the cooperative machine, a convenience store, or a rental-boat or tackle shop.

Stay near the water

• Kawaguchiko town (Funatsu / Kawaguchi). The developed north-east shore is wall-to-wall accommodation, from lakeside hotels and ryokan with a Mount Fuji view to guesthouses and hostels near Kawaguchiko station, so you can stay, buy a ticket, hire a boat and fish on foot. Book well ahead in the autumn leaf season and over holidays.
• The quieter north and west shores. Smaller pensions and a lakeside campsite for a quieter base, a short drive from the town and the boats.

Buy a ticket in person: at the cooperative ticket machine outside the office at Funatsu; at convenience stores around the lake (Lawson, 7-Eleven, FamilyMart); or at the rental-boat shops "Sakanaya" and "Konami" and the tackle shop "Bait & Tackle Karil" (source: Japan Bass Fishing Agent).

The methods, and the rigs to build them

Two methods cover the two trips. Bass is hard lures on a single rod: a spinnerbait or a skirted rubber jig as your search-and-cover lures, and crankbaits, jerkbaits, vibration plugs and topwater otherwise. Soft plastics are banned, so there is no soft-plastic rig to tie. Wakasagi is the fine multi-hook smelt rig. Each links to its build page or its knots.

Map of fish to method. The bass method is lure selection rather than a terminal rig you build, because the cooperative's soft-lure ban takes the Texas, Ned, wacky, jika and neko rigs off the table here. So the bass section links the knots that matter; the wakasagi section links its full rig page.

• Bass, hard lures only, bank or boat. A spinnerbait to search the weed edges and the shallows; a skirted rubber jig (with a natural pork-rind trailer if you want one) pitched to the docks and the heavier cover; crankbaits and vibration plugs over the weed and the drop-offs; jerkbaits and topwater in the cold-clear and the low light. Tie a hard lure on a non-slip loop for free movement, or a snap or jig direct with a Palomar. No soft-plastic rig page applies here, by the local rule.
• Wakasagi, the smelt rig, dock or dome boat → wakasagi rig. The fine vertical string of five to seven tiny hooks on droppers above a small weight, baited with red maggots, dropped straight down. The one multi-hook string the cooperative allows. It uses the dropper loop if you tie the droppers yourself, and the Palomar to join the ready-made shikake and the weight.
• Rainbow trout, a single light lure. A spoon or a spinner, cast and retrieved (no trolling), on a non-slip loop or tied direct.

The knots that tie all of this are the Palomar (the workhorse, for snaps, jigs and the shikake), the non-slip loop (for hard lures and spoons), and the dropper loop (for the wakasagi droppers). Each rig page links to the knots it needs.

Build your kit (the kit builder and the shopping list)

Pick your trip (bass, or wakasagi) and whether you are on the bank or in a boat, and the kit builder trims the shopping list to exactly what you need. Bass is a lure rod and a box of hard lures and jigs; wakasagi is a tiny smelt outfit and a packet of shikake. The full list is below, grouped, with no brands and no prices.

That is the whole list. Pack the bass set (a lure rod, a box of hard lures and jigs, no soft plastics) for the warm months, or the wakasagi set (a tiny smelt outfit and a packet of shikake) for the cold ones. Buy generic types; you do not need a named brand to catch a bass or a smelt.

A trip checklist

Before you go: decide which trip your dates fit (summer bass or winter wakasagi), buy the day-ticket, pack the right kit (no soft plastics for bass), decide bank or boat and book it, and note the rules. Then print the cheat sheet and take it with you.

Do this in order:

1. Decide which trip your dates fit. Spring to autumn is bass; October to early spring is wakasagi (with a short overlap in October). Trout runs alongside the cold-month trip. The "what's on" strip above shows it at a glance.
2. Buy the day-ticket. In advance at the cooperative ticket machine, a convenience store, or a rental-boat or tackle shop (about ¥1,100 high-school age and older; about ¥1,600 on the bank). Carry it while you fish.
3. Pack the right kit. Bass: a lure rod and a box of hard lures, spinnerbaits and rubber jigs, no soft plastics (they are banned here). Wakasagi: a tiny smelt outfit and a packet of shikake, plus warm layers.
4. Decide bank or boat, and book it. Bank only: bass in the spring bays and off the docks, wakasagi off the docks. Want the open weed edges or a warm winter trip: hire a boat or book a guide, or book a dome-boat seat for wakasagi (links above).
5. Note the rules. Bass 25 cm minimum (release them), trout 18 cm and 15 a day, two rods, no trolling, no multi-hook strings except the wakasagi rig, no night fishing. Wet hands, release carefully.
6. Print the cheat sheet and fold it into the box. Get the printable cheat sheet

Common mistakes

The big ones: packing a box of soft plastic worms (they are banned here), expecting one trip when your dates fit the other, fishing the bright middle of a summer day, turning up without a ticket and paying the bank price, and trying to troll or run a string of lures. None is hard to avoid once you know.

• Packing soft plastic worms for the bass. The single most common mistake a visiting bass angler makes here. Soft plastics have been banned since 2007. Pack spinnerbaits, rubber (skirted) jigs, crankbaits, jerkbaits, vibration plugs and topwater, plus natural pork rind, and leave the soft-plastic box at home.
• Coming for the wrong season. This is two trips on one lake. Summer bass and winter wakasagi barely overlap. Check your dates against the "what's on" strip before you book, so you are not turning up for bass in January or smelt in July.
• Fishing the bright middle of a summer day. Clear, shallow, busy mountain water. Bass switch off in the midday sun and the boat traffic. Fish the first and last hours and rest in between.
• Turning up without a ticket. Buy it in advance at the machine, a convenience store or a shop (about ¥1,100). Buying from a warden on the bank costs more (about ¥1,600), and fishing with no ticket can mean a fine.
• Trying to troll or run a multi-hook lure string. Trolling is banned, and multi-hook bodafuri rigs are banned except for the wakasagi shikake. Trout and bass are single-lure, cast-and-retrieve fisheries here.
• Underdressing for the winter dome boat. It is a mountain lake at around 833 m; the cold is real. The dome boat is heated, but getting to and from it is not. Pack warm waterproof layers.

Frequently asked questions

The questions travelling anglers ask most about Lake Kawaguchi: what is here, the day-ticket and where to buy it, the price, the soft-lure ban, the wakasagi season, the best time for bass, what you keep, the boat, the other rules, and how to get there from Tokyo.