Fishing Spot Japan

Largemouth Bass fishing in Lake Ikehara

Exceptionally clear water, which makes it a sight-fishing lake.

May, June and September are the prime months. No cooperative permit is required for what we list here.

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 cooperative permit is required for what we list here. The cooperative's right covers ayu, amago, crucian carp, wakasagi, eel and carp — not black bass. So no permit is required to fish for bass, though you do need one (¥2,000–3,000 a day) if you target ayu or amago. Bass is a designated invasive species: you may not move it live or release it elsewhere.

Water
Freshwater
Prefecture
Nara
Region
Kansai
Getting there
2 h 30 from Osaka

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 permitShimokitayama-mura Fishery Cooperative — tel 07468-5-9555
    Its fifth-class right covers ayu, amago, crucian carp, wakasagi, eel and carp. Black bass is not among them. Ikehara is Japan's most celebrated big-bass water — the national record of 69 cm came from here — yet bass sits outside the fishery right, so no cooperative permit is required to fish for it. A permit is required if you fish for ayu or amago: ¥10,000 for the season, ¥3,000 for a day in the first three days after the opening, ¥2,000 thereafter. Ayu opens the first Sunday in June and closes 30 September; amago runs 1 March to 30 September. Tickets are sold by five local shops, not online. Bass being outside the right does not make the lake unregulated: largemouth bass is a designated invasive species under national law, so you may not transport it live or release it elsewhere.

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 Largemouth Bass

Introduced. Japan produced the world-record-tying 10.12 kg fish from Lake Biwa in 2009.

Japanese
· burakku basu
Scientific name
Micropterus nigricans
Typical size
30–60 cm (12–24 in)
Invasive Alien Species — moving or keeping this fish alive is prohibited.

How it is fished here

Lure casting

Elsewhere

Largemouth Bass is also listed at Lake Kasumigaura, Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Nojiri, Lake Biwa. Everything caught in Lake Ikehara.