Rainbow Trout fishing in Lake Chuzenji

When

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?

A cooperative day permit is required. Typically ¥1,000–2,000.

Water

Freshwater

Prefecture

Tochigi

Region

Kanto

Getting there

2 h 30 from Tokyo via Nikko

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 permitChuzenjiko Fishery Cooperative 中禅寺湖漁業協同組合
  Bag limits: himemasu 30 per person per day, other trout 3 per person per day, and no trout under 20 cm may be kept. Lake trout and brown trout must never be removed alive (prefectural committee directive). Everything except wakasagi and trout is catch-and-release, on barbless fly or lure only. Rods: 2 from shore, 4 per boat. Only boats approved by the Ministry of the Environment and the co-op may be used — kayaks and SUPs are not permitted. The French and Belgian embassy grounds and Kozukejima island are off limits.

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 Rainbow Trout

Widely stocked in lakes and managed river sections.

Japanese

ニジマス · nijimasu

Scientific name

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Typical size

25–60 cm (10–24 in)

How it is fished here

Fly fishing, Lure casting

Elsewhere

Rainbow Trout is also listed at Lake Akan, Niseko mountain streams, Lake Ashi, Lake Kawaguchi. Everything caught in Lake Chuzenji.