Lake Kawaguchi cheat sheet
The two trips this lake runs, the day-ticket and the rules, the lures and the smelt rig, and the box of tackle for each. One page to take to the water.
Lake Kawaguchi
Bass roughly April to November, best in spring. Wakasagi 1 October to 15 May (dome boats from 1 November). Rainbow trout through the cold months.
Day-ticket
Everyone needs a cooperative day-ticket: about ¥1,100 in advance (¥1,600 on the bank), ¥450 for younger students, free for primary-school children. Buy it at the cooperative machine at Funatsu, a convenience store, or a rental-boat shop. Confirm prices with the Kawaguchiko Fisheries Cooperative.
The rules
Soft plastics banned. Bass 25 cm minimum (release). Rainbow trout 18 cm and 15 a day. Two rods per angler. No trolling. No multi-hook strings except the wakasagi rig. No night fishing (one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset).
Eat / release
Wakasagi (tempura) and rainbow trout (within the 18 cm size and 15-a-day limit) are the eating fish. Bass are catch-and-release; return anything under 25 cm at once, and most release them all. Wet hands, handle carefully, clean your kit between waters.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Fish | From the bank / dock | From a boat | Best time | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Yes, the shallow bays and the docks, best in spring | Yes, the open weed edges and drop-offs | First and last light; spring shallow | Hard lures, spinnerbait, rubber jig (no soft plastics) |
| Wakasagi | Yes, off the docks and pontoons | Yes, the heated dome boats over the shoals | Cold months; through the day | Wakasagi rig |
| Rainbow trout | Yes, along the shore | Yes | Cold months | Spoon or spinner, cast and retrieve (no trolling) |
Bank only is a real spring-bass and winter-wakasagi trip off the docks. A small rental boat adds the summer weed edges; a heated dome boat is the warm way to fish wakasagi in the cold.
What you need
Bass: a lure rod and a box of hard lures, spinnerbaits and rubber jigs (no soft plastics). Wakasagi: a tiny smelt outfit and a packet of shikake, plus warm layers. The two trips share almost no tackle.
The knots
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Palomar | Snaps, jigs and the shikake; the workhorse. | Hard lures, the wakasagi rig |
| Non-slip loop | A fixed loop at a hard lure or spoon so it swims freely. | Hard lures and spoons |
| Dropper loop | A standing loop in the line for a hook branch. | DIY wakasagi droppers |
Learn the Palomar first; it ties the snaps, the jigs and the ready-made shikake. Wet every knot before you pull it tight.
This one page is the printable I take to the water.
Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.
I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.