Mountain Freestone · Granite · Honshū, JP

Kurobe River (Kurobe Gorge)

Jujikyo in Kurobe Gorge

The Kurobe cuts one of the deepest gorges in Japan through the granite of the Northern Alps, a river of dam, tunnel and sheer rock where iwana live in cold pockets at the foot of immense walls.

Today · Slow going — pick your moments
Pheasant Tail nymph
Forecast · Today
Slow going — pick your moments
Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
45% projected
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail nymph
Pheasant Tail nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp7.8°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather13°C
WindN 17 km/h
Pressure1015 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead9.4 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for White-spotted Char
Ideal
8°C est.ideal 7–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for White-spotted Char
When
Summer, when the high country is open and snow has cleared
Where
The Kurobe cuts one of the deepest gorges in Japan through the granite of the Northern Alps, a river of dam, tunnel and sheer rock where iwana live in cold…
Why this works
Poor — water temperature is working for you, but water clarity is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11am

12pm(now) — Autumn Needle Fly

Stage: Creeping nymphsApproach: Heavy nymphActivity: 22%

Peak activity at 11am — Autumn Needle Fly

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Supporters see what else is on the menu.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ephemera japonica (Upstream Keiryu Mayfly)Hatch
2
3
2
Stenopsyche CaddisHatch
2
3
3
2
Cicada (Semi)Hatch
2
2
Epeorus latifolium (Riffle Mayfly)Hatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
White-spotted Char fly box
CM
Clinger mayfly dun (Epeorus / Rhithrogena)
14–18 · Dry
Cast to rising fish and let it drift drag-free.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Area rules and serious access constraints; confirm permits and route
  • Mountain safety is essential.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Gallery · 2
  1. Jujikyo in Kurobe Gorge
    V-shaped gorge in Toyama.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Hard, dramatic, half-wilderness water reached by mountain railway and trail, fished by those who go deep into the range.

Under the surface

A river in one of Japan's deepest granite gorges, in the heart of the Northern Alps, between sheer walls and the famous Kurobe dam. Iwana hold in cold pockets beneath the cliffs; access is by mountain railway, tunnel and trail. Spare, dramatic, half-wilderness keiryu.

Wading: Deep gorge, sheer walls, cold swift water, serious access

  • River
  • Granite
  • Confined
  • Pocket water
  • Step pool
Conservation note

White-spotted char (iwana).

The full read · show the working · for White-spotted Char · confidence 45%
How the 30 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow40 × 22%8.8
Clarity15 × 18%2.7
Feeding Time45 × 13%5.9
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity51 × 12%6.1
Limiting factor: Water is very coloured — too coloured for White-spotted Char= 57
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
A drop and clear would lift the flow and clarity scores.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Char late February to April → late September to mid-October

    Honshu/Shikoku/Kyushu keiryu are managed by local fishery co-operatives — a yugyoken (day/annual ticket) is required, and most streams close around 30 September / mid-October for spawning. Species are surfaced in prose only (no engine slugs for yamame, amago or iwana). Legal status: guidance_not_permission.

Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Kurobe River (Kurobe Gorge) is a mountain freestone river in Honshū — Toyama (Northern Alps), Japan. The catchment geology is recorded as granite, and the water sits at about 175 m above sea level. The species listed for this water is white spotted char. Best window recorded for anglers: Summer, when the high country is open and snow has cleared. Core methods listed: Tenkara (fixed-line); short-line nymph; small dry.