Lake Kussharo is Japan's largest caldera lake, a vast cold sweep of water in the Akan-Mashū highlands with hot springs welling through its sandy shallows. Amemasu and rainbow trout cruise its long shorelines, fished in the cold spring and autumn windows much as on neighbouring Akan — big, open, atmospheric stillwater.
A side-water session, not the main event
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
47% confidence — limited data
Live now
Conditions on the water
Trends shown where the gauge supports them
Wind
S 14 km/h
Gentle breeze
Wave
20 cm ripple
Water temp
—
No reading
Air temp
17°C
Cloud
Overcast
Pressure
1011 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.
How to fish · for white spotted char
The brief
When · where · method · kit
How to fish it · for white spotted char
When
Spring and autumn cold windows
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.
Today's tactical plan
The plan
Plan A · Plan B · what to watch · bank or boat
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
Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.
Boat — drift
A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.
Hatches & runs
What's on, when
Twelve months at a glance
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Today's fly · curated pack
Top pattern + the box
5 patterns from this venue's curated pack
Evidence
Why today scores what it does
The factors driving today's verdict
Why this score
- summer conditions with overcast skies and breezy wind.
About this water · Lough note · 4 min read
About this water
Lake Kussharo, on the water
Field guide · contributor-editedLake Kussharo · about
What this water is
Background · character · contributors
About this water
Lake Kussharo is Japan's largest caldera lake, a vast cold sweep of water in the Akan-Mashū highlands with hot springs welling through its sandy shallows. Amemasu and rainbow trout cruise its long shorelines, fished in the cold spring and autumn windows much as on neighbouring Akan — big, open, atmospheric stillwater.
Under the surface
Kussharo is the largest caldera lake in Japan, a broad sweep of cold water in the Akan-Mashū highlands where hot springs bubble up through the lakebed sand and steam drifts off the shallows in winter. It holds amemasu and rainbow trout along its great shorelines, fished — like its neighbour Akan — in the cold clear windows of spring and autumn.
Wading: Vast open caldera lake, wind and sudden weather — boat/shore
- Lake
- Volcanic
- Stillwater
- Shoal
Lake Kussharo · directions
How to get to the water
Directions
Lake Kussharo · zones
Where the rules change
Seasons · zones · per-species rules
Seasons & zones
- Charspring → late autumn
Lake Kussharo · permits
Good to know
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
- Local rules and any access charges apply; confirm the current water-specific rules.
Lake Kussharo · learn
Related guides
Learn-zone playbooks for this water
Related guides
Lake Kussharo
Google Places
Lake Kussharo is Japan's largest caldera lake, a vast cold sweep of water in the Akan-Mashū highlands with hot springs welling through its sandy shallows.
Species
A side-water session, not the main event
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
47% confidence — limited data
Conditions
Wind
S 14 km/h
Gentle breeze
Wave
20 cm ripple
Water temp
—
No reading
Air temp
17°C
Cloud
Overcast
Pressure
1011 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.
Condition match
59%
Cloud50%
Wind65%
Temp60%
A reasonable day here, though cloud isn't quite in the sweet spot.
How to fish it · for white spotted char
When
Spring and autumn cold windows
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
Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.
Boat — drift
A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.
Why this score
- summer conditions with overcast skies and breezy wind.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Gallery · 1
Terrain map
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
- Local rules and any access charges apply; confirm the current water-specific rules.
Directions
About this water
Lake Kussharo is Japan's largest caldera lake, a vast cold sweep of water in the Akan-Mashū highlands with hot springs welling through its sandy shallows. Amemasu and rainbow trout cruise its long shorelines, fished in the cold spring and autumn windows much as on neighbouring Akan — big, open, atmospheric stillwater.
Under the surface
Kussharo is the largest caldera lake in Japan, a broad sweep of cold water in the Akan-Mashū highlands where hot springs bubble up through the lakebed sand and steam drifts off the shallows in winter. It holds amemasu and rainbow trout along its great shorelines, fished — like its neighbour Akan — in the cold clear windows of spring and autumn.
Wading: Vast open caldera lake, wind and sudden weather — boat/shore
- Lake
- Volcanic
- Stillwater
- Shoal
Seasons & zones
- Charspring → late autumn
About this water · Lough note · 4 min read
Lake Kussharo is Japan's largest caldera lake, a vast cold sweep of water in the Akan-Mashū highlands with hot springs welling through its sandy shallows. Amemasu and rainbow trout cruise its long shorelines, fished in the cold spring and autumn windows much as on neighbouring Akan — big, open, atmospheric stillwater.
Other water nearby · 1
Related guides