Fishing Spot Japan

Pond Smelt fishing in Lake Kasumigaura

January, February, November and December 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, so the inland permit system does not apply.

Water
Freshwater
Prefecture
Ibaraki
Region
Kanto
Getting there
1 h from Ueno to Tsuchiura, then a short walk

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, so the inland permit system does not apply.

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 Pond Smelt

The target of Japan's winter ice fishing. Usually eaten as tempura on the spot.

Japanese
· wakasagi
Scientific name
Hypomesus nipponensis
Typical size
8–15 cm (3–6 in)

How it is fished here

Bait fishing

Elsewhere

Pond Smelt is also listed at Barato River, Lake Shinotsu, Lake Ashi, Lake Kawaguchi. Everything caught in Lake Kasumigaura.