Fishing Spot Japan

Cherry Salmon fishing in Kinugawa system

Catch-and-release sections exist and are signposted in Japanese only.

May and June are the prime months. A cooperative day 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?

A cooperative day permit is required. Typically ¥1,000–2,000, and more for ayu.

Water
Freshwater
Prefecture
Tochigi
Region
Kanto
Getting there
2 h from Asakusa by limited express

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 permitTochigi Kinugawa Fishery Cooperative
    Tel 028-666-8899. Buy the ticket BEFORE you step into the river — bought on the bank it costs exactly double. Day tickets: all-species incl. ayu ¥3,200, non-ayu ¥1,700, coarse fish ¥1,000. Its rights also cover the Daiya, Ara, Kokai, Gogyo, Ta and Sugata Rivers, so one co-op governs a very wide area.

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 Cherry Salmon

The landlocked form of masu salmon and the classic quarry of Japanese mountain streams.

Japanese
· yamame
Scientific name
Oncorhynchus masou
Typical size
20–35 cm (8–14 in)

How it is fished here

Tenkara, Fly fishing, Lure casting

Tenkara — Japanese fixed-line fly fishing. A long rod, a line, a fly — no reel. Developed by professional mountain-stream anglers and now followed internationally.

Elsewhere

Cherry Salmon is also listed at Niseko mountain streams, Kitakami River system, Kuma & Kawabe Rivers. Everything caught in Kinugawa system.