Fishing Spot Japan

Common Carp fishing in Lake Biwa

March, April, May, June, July, August, September and October are the good months. No permit is required.

When

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Season grading is our editorial judgement, not a sourced figure. It says when the fish is catchable, not when the water is legally open — for that, read the closed seasons below.

Do you need a permit?

No permit is required. Legally treated as a sea area under the Fisheries Act — this is why Japan's most famous bass water needs no permit.

Water
Freshwater
Prefecture
Shiga
Region
Kansai
Getting there
20 min by train from Kyoto

How far our answer goes here

  • ✓National lawApplies everywhere. Foreign-national gear limits, protected species, bluefin controls.
  • ?PrefectureMinimum sizes, closed seasons and legal gear. This is a floor — local rules add to it, never subtract.
  • ~Sea-area / inland committeeDirectives that close specific waters or periods. We hold these for a few prefectures only.
  • —Cooperative permitLegally treated as a sea area under the Fisheries Act — this is why Japan's most famous bass water needs no permit.

Rules stack. Everything above the line we hold; everything below it you still need to confirm on the ground. That gap is exactly what a local guide is for.

Size limits and closed seasons

Not yet transcribed for this prefecture. The cooperative’s permit rules and national law still apply.

About Common Carp

Present in most lowland rivers and lakes.

Japanese
· koi
Scientific name
Cyprinus carpio
Typical size
40–90 cm (16–35 in)

How it is fished here

Bait fishing, Fly fishing

Elsewhere

Common Carp is also listed at Lake Kasumigaura. Everything caught in Lake Biwa.