Stillwater · Volcanic · Hokkaido, JP

Lake Akan

Lake Akan Kushiro Hokkaido Japan01s3

Lake Akan sits in a caldera of the eastern Hokkaido highlands, a cold volcanic lake ringed by spruce and steam, where the Ainu have lived alongside the water for centuries and the green marimo grow on its floor.

Fair · White Spotted Char
Chironomid pupa / buzzer · 10–14
A side-water session, not the main event
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
49% confidence
limited data

Lake Akan is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindS 12 km/hGentle breeze · Gusts to 16 km/h
Today's fly
Chironomid pupa / buzzer
Chironomid pupa / buzzer10–14
Static or slow on a long leader — the staple stillwater chironomid.
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Gentle breeze · Gusts to 16 km/h
S 12 km/h
N
S
from the south
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp6.1°C
Air temp7°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1010 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

How to fish it · for White Spotted Char
When
Mid-May to late June and mid-October to late November
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Claret DunHatch
2
3
2
Heather FlyHatch
2
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
White Spotted Char fly box
Chironomid pupa / buzzer
Chironomid pupa / buzzerTop
10–14 · Buzzer
Static or slow on a long leader — the staple stillwater chironomid.
SF
Smelt-fry baitfish streamer
8–10 · Streamer
Strip it for fish chasing fry or in coloured water.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Local recreational charge and current Lake Akan rules apply; check zones, boat rules and any C&R requirement.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
65%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp60%

A reasonable day here, though temperature isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 1
Lake Kussharo
24 km
White spotted char · Rainbow trout
Gallery · 3
  1. Lake Akan Kushiro Hokkaido Japan01s3
    Caldera lake in volcanic Akan-Mashū National Park.
  2. An amemasu (white-spotted char) from Lake Akan
    An amemasu (white-spotted char) from Lake Akan
  3. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

For the fly angler it is amemasu — the white-spotted char — with rainbow trout and the landlocked kokanee, fished in the clear cold windows of spring and autumn.

Under the surface

A caldera lake in the volcanic country of Akan-Mashū, cold and clear under the spruce, hot springs steaming at its margins and an Ainu kotan on its shore. The fishing is a spring-and-autumn affair; high summer sends the fish deep and the lake falls quiet.

Wading: Cold deep lake, sudden mountain weather — boat/shore

  • Lake
  • Volcanic
  • Stillwater
  • Shoal
Why this score
  • autumn conditions with mixed skies and breezy wind.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Char spring → late autumn

    Hokkaido is largely open-access for inland trout/char, with managed/charged zones the exception (e.g. the Akan C&R water). Verify the exact reach. Species surfaced in prose only. Legal status: guidance_not_permission.

Related guides
Thermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Lake Akan is a lake in Hokkaido — Kushiro / Akan-Mashū National Park, Japan. The catchment geology is recorded as volcanic, and the water sits at about 420 m above sea level. Species listed for this water: white spotted char and rainbow trout. The char season is recorded as running from spring to late autumn. Best window recorded for anglers: Mid-May to late June and mid-October to late November. Core methods listed: Stillwater streamer; wet fly; shoreline nymph. Nearby waters in our listings include Lake Kussharo at 24 km.