Two of these six lakes need no permit at all. Two are run by a fishery cooperative with a real fee and real penalties for skipping it. And two national laws apply everywhere on this list regardless of which lake you're on. This page lays out what we could verify for each, with links to the actual cooperatives and government pages so you can check current details yourself before a trip — fees and rules do get updated.
Two national rules that apply everywhere
Before getting into individual lakes, two pieces of Japanese law matter no matter which of these six you're fishing.
Invasive species law (bass and bluegill)
Largemouth bass and bluegill are both designated Specified Alien Species under Japan's Invasive Alien Species Act. It is illegal to transport a live bass or bluegill away from the water where it was caught or to release it into another body of water without authorization. Violations can carry penalties of up to three years' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥3,000,000 for individuals, and up to ¥100,000,000 for businesses.
In some areas, including Lake Biwa, local fisheries regulations may also prohibit releasing these fish back into the water after capture. If you intend to keep your catch, transport it only after it has been killed, as the national law prohibits transporting live invasive fish.
Japan Ministry of the Environment, invasive species penalty page — env.go.jp
Salmon are protected, almost everywhere
Salmon and trout returning to spawn (chum, pink, and cherry salmon in particular) are treated as a managed fisheries resource in Japan. In practice, only designated fishery cooperatives are permitted to catch them in rivers, and recreational anglers who hook one incidentally are generally expected to release it quickly. This matters most for Saroma below, since salmon run into the rivers feeding it.
Japan's Fisheries Agency confirms rod and handline fishing is fine nationwide for recreational anglers, while gaffs, cast nets, fish spears, and most netting are not — and trolling is restricted to specific areas and times. See the agency's recreational fishing rules flyer (also available in English).
Lake Biwa & Lake Kasumigaura
Both lakes are legally classified as "sea districts," a status where standard inland fishing rights were never established. Practically, that means bass fishing from shore is open to anyone, free, with no permit to buy or carry.
Shiga Prefecture has its own ordinance, separate from the national law above, specifically prohibiting the release of caught bass and bluegill back into Lake Biwa — stricter than just "don't move them to another lake." Local practice is to keep or dispose of what you catch rather than release it, even at the same lake.
Neither lake's "no license" status is a loophole around the invasive-species law above — it just means there's no separate lake-specific permit stacked on top of it.
Ibaraki Prefecture confirms catch-and-release isn't restricted on Kasumigaura and Kitaura — you can put a bass back where you caught it. What's banned is moving invasive fish alive, or releasing fish brought in from elsewhere.
For Biwa's collection boxes, closed seasons, size limits, and the Biwa trout boat approval, see the Lake Biwa guide. For Kasumigaura's closed seasons and methods, see the Lake Kasumigaura guide.
Lake Saroma
Saroma is treated and fished like the sea rather than an inland lake — mainly flounder, herring, and smelt from public shoreline and fishing-port breakwaters, and Japan doesn't require a license for recreational sea fishing. Local fishing-spot guides for Saroma specifically flag a "salmon/trout river-mouth capture regulation" for the rivers and channels feeding the lake, consistent with the national salmon protection above.
Exact river-mouth boundaries and seasonal closures are published in Hokkaido's official "Fishing Rule & Manner" guide from the prefecture's Fisheries Management Division, updated annually. It's the most current source for this specific area.
Never take scallops, oysters, or any other shellfish at Saroma — see the Lake Saroma guide.
Lake Ogawara
The Ogawara-ko Fisheries Cooperative manages recreational fishing here. A day permit covering the main lake, Uchinuma, and Anenuma runs about ¥300; Tamonoki-numa, a separate inlet, charges its own ¥500 recreational fishing fee. These are genuinely inexpensive compared to most cooperative-run waters in Japan.
Each summer the cooperative opens a designated area for gathering shijimi clams by hand. In 2026 it runs July 1 – August 31 (closed August 13–16), 8:00–16:00, for ¥500 per adult and ¥300 per child. Hands only — rakes and baskets are confiscated. Details in the Lake Ogawara guide.
jf-ogawarako.com — Ogawara-ko Fisheries Cooperative (Japanese)
Lake Inawashiro
Inawashiro is managed by the Inawashiro-Akimoto Fisheries Cooperative, and a fishing permit (yugyoken) is required to fish here: ¥700 a day for shore fishing (¥1,000 if bought on the spot) and ¥1,000 for boat fishing (¥1,500 on the spot); children up to junior-high age fish free. Permits are sold at local tackle shops, some convenience stores near the lake, and sightseeing boat operators, though availability at each varies seasonally.
Night fishing is prohibited. Trolling and other boat fishing require a separate written application to the cooperative. Fishing without a permit here is treated as infringing the cooperative's fishery right, which under Japan's Fisheries Act can carry a fine of up to ¥1,000,000 — so this isn't a rule worth skipping.
inagyo.com/rules — Inawashiro-Akimoto Fisheries Cooperative, official rules and pricing (Japanese)
Seasons, size limits, and where the big smallmouth and trout are: see the Lake Inawashiro guide.
Lake Suwa
The Suwako Fisheries Cooperative holds the fishing rights here, and a permit is required for the lake itself and for the rivers flowing in and out of it (the Tenryu, Kamikawa, Togawa, and several others). A day permit is ¥1,000 in advance or ¥1,500 bought on-site; an annual permit is ¥6,000. Most dome-boat and rental operators simply bundle this fee into their package price.
Lure fishing is banned entirely on Lake Suwa and its connected rivers. Reels are only permitted for wakasagi fishing, carp fishing, or fly fishing — and even then, weighted cast-and-retrieve fishing isn't allowed. This is specifically why Suwa's wakasagi scene runs almost entirely through dome boats and rental tackle rather than independent bank fishing.
suwakogyokyou.com/fishing-rules — Suwako Fisheries Cooperative, official rules (Japanese)
For dome-boat prices, seasons, and the cooperative's recent fishing-hour limits, see the Lake Suwa guide.
None of this is legal advice, and fees and boundaries change — the cooperative and government links above are there so you can check the current version yourself before a trip, especially for anything involving salmon or a boat.
Made by us
TsureruKana
We also build an app that scores major and minor feeding windows for each of these six lakes using solunar theory — worth checking alongside the weather, not a guarantee — plus a lure-matching suggestion for what's likely working right now.
iPhone version coming soon · See everything the app does