Freshwater lure fishing from a Lake / Pond / Reservoir
Biwa trout: Retrieve parallel to banks and inflows, changing depth and speed if there is no response. Follow local invasive-fish handling rules.
Waters: Rivers & lakes
Fish
Biwa trout ビワマス
Oncorhynchus masou rhodurus ・ Salmonidae (Salmons, Trouts, and Whitefishes)
Catch season
- Catchable
- Peak
Months for Biwa trout are a broad Japan-wide guide and shift with region, temperature and conditions; prefer local reports and rules.
About
Found only in Lake Biwa and nowhere else. It runs up the rivers on rainy days, which is why it is also called ame-no-uo, 'the rain fish'. Its rich, fatty flesh makes superb sashimi (raw fish).
Basics
- Scientific name
- Oncorhynchus masou rhodurus
- Family
- Salmonidae (Salmons, Trouts, and Whitefishes)
- Japanese name
- ビワマス
- Kana
- びわます
- Waters
- Rivers & lakes
- Size
- 50 cm (max 90 cm)
- Time of day
- Dawn, Dusk, Night
- Depth (tana)
- Around bank cover and through mid-water, changing depth with season and temperature.
- Local names
- アメノウオ
How to catch it
Kit for this fish
Freshwater lure starter kit ・ Kit total ¥17,000–50,000
- 6.6 ft ML freshwater lure rodVersatile spinning rod for bass and medium or small trout. ¥6,000–22,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Spinning reel, size 2500The most versatile size for pier fishing: one reel covers sabiki, float fishing and eging. ¥4,000–15,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- 8 lb fluorocarbon lineGeneral freshwater lure line; adjust strength for cover. ¥800–2,400AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Freshwater minnow and soft lureFish- or crustacean-shaped lures; check water-specific tackle restrictions. ¥600–2,500AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Fishing pliers / hook removerEssential protection from venomous spines and sharp teeth. Most injuries happen when someone unhooks a fish bare-handed. ¥800–4,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Cap and polarised sunglassesAlso safety equipment, protecting your eyes from a flying rig. Polarised lenses additionally let you read the bottom. ¥2,000–20,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
- Life jacket, adult (Japan Craft Inspection approved)The first thing to buy, and worn on piers, rocks and boats alike. Boat fishing requires the government-approved type marked with the cherry-blossom stamp. ¥5,000–20,000AdFind on AmazonFind on Rakuten
First check the permit, lure and hook rules, and handling requirements for invasive fish.
Product links may be affiliate links. Prices move, so treat the ranges as a guide.
Eating
Food use varies locally. Check harvest rules and water quality, avoid raw consumption and cook thoroughly.
Rules
Inland rules are water-specific. Check the fishery cooperative and prefecture for day or annual permits, closed seasons, minimum sizes, tackle, harvest and release rules.
Closed seasons and size limits — how to find the numbers, which differ by prefecture
This article organises general information and is not legal advice. Rules differ by municipality and by fishery cooperative, and they change. Always check the current rules for where you are going.
Other fish taken the same way
Other fish from the same kind of place
Seasons, sizes and eating quality are general guides. Rules change, so check the latest prefectural, fishery-cooperative and site rules before fishing. This app provides general information, not legal advice.