Smallmouth Bass fishing in Lake Nojiri

One of very few genuine smallmouth fisheries in Japan.

May, June and September are the prime months. A cooperative day permit is required.

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: Nagano
Region: Chubu
Getting there: 30 min from Nagano by bus

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 permitNojiriko Fishery Cooperative 野尻湖漁業協同組合
Tel 026-258-3515. A day ticket is required for anyone of high-school age and above. Shore fishing runs sunrise to sunset; boat fishing 07:00–16:00.

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 Smallmouth Bass

Established in only a handful of cool northern lakes and rivers.

Japanese: スモールマウスバス · sumorumausu basu
Scientific name: Micropterus dolomieu
Typical size: 25–50 cm (10–20 in)

Invasive Alien Species — moving or keeping this fish alive is prohibited.

How it is fished here

Lure casting

Elsewhere

This is the only place we list for Smallmouth Bass. See the species page.