Last checked: November 2, 2026
Need a rest day for your ski legs? Spend it hooked on tiny fish instead.
Lake Kizaki (木崎湖, in Omachi, Nagano) is about 20 minutes by car from Hakuba Station. You sit in a heated dome boat with a toilet and drop a short rod through a hole in the floor. The catch is wakasagi (Japanese smelt, a small silver fish), and you fry it as tempura in a cabin on shore. The trip takes 3 hours, and the gear is included.
We built this guide from the KKday listing, the operator’s own notes, the lake’s fishing rules and JR East information. We flag anything we couldn’t confirm.
CHUBU REGION
Lake Kizaki (Omachi, Nagano)
Nearest station: Uminokuchi Station (JR Oito Line), about a 30-minute walk
From Hakuba: about 20 minutes by car
At a Glance
- Price: about US$40 for adults (16 and up), about US$37 for children (10–15), on KKday (as of November 2026)
- Fishing permit: ¥1,000 per person (high school age and up, says KKday), paid separately
- Times: morning 9:30–12:30 (meet 9:20) or afternoon 13:00–16:00 (meet 12:50)
- Group size: 2 to 10 people (minimum 2)
- Dome boat season: October 31, 2026 to the end of March 2027, says the operator
- Included: dome boarding, guide, fishing gear, cooking utensils
- Free cancellation: up to 31 days before
- Getting there: about a 30-minute walk from Uminokuchi Station (海ノ口駅) on the JR Oito Line (大糸線). The morning trip needs a night nearby
Prices and available dates vary. Check the booking page before you book.
Is This Trip Right for You?
✅ Great if you…
- are staying in Hakuba or Shinano-Omachi and want a day that isn’t skiing. Both are a short train ride from the lake
- have never fished. KKday says the guide has fished for 30 years and teaches beginners, and the gear is provided
- want to eat what you catch. You fry the fish yourself, with the guide’s help
- hate the cold. The dome has a stove and a toilet
⚠️ Think twice if you…
- are traveling alone. The minimum is 2 people, and each person pays
- are bringing young children. KKday lists ages 9 to 80, and its notes say second grade and up. It also warns that the fishing is delicate, needs concentration and has no play area. Check the age rule with KKday before you book
- want to come from Tokyo, Nagoya or Osaka and fish that same morning. You can’t make the 9:20 meeting
- want a big catch. Winter fish bite slowly, and reviewers report about 10 fish
- need a fluent English guide. KKday lists English and Japanese, but we couldn’t confirm how much English the guide speaks, and KKday’s reviews are all in Japanese
When Can You Go?
The dome boat runs in winter only. It’s a boat with a roof, not ice fishing. The lake rarely freezes, and the operator says it hasn’t frozen over completely in recent years.
📅 When the dome boat runs
Open Part of the month Closed
Start and end dates move from year to year. The operator has opened as early as October 29 and as late as around November 23. It has closed anywhere from March 24 to April 9. It also takes irregular days off during the season. It takes about a week off around the turn of March and April (March 30–April 6 in 2026). Check the booking page for the dates you can actually book.
Source: Lake Kizaki POW WOW (木崎湖POW WOW) announcements and blog, checked November 2026.
From April to November the operator runs smelt fishing from a regular boat. That is a different trip, and the KKday listing doesn’t cover it.
Quick Facts
| Operator | Lake Kizaki POW WOW (木崎湖POW WOW), per KKday |
| Meet at | POW WOW Reception, 19004-1 Taira, Omachi, Nagano (長野県大町市平19004-1) |
| Group size | 2 to 10 people |
| Language | English and Japanese listed on KKday |
| Confirmation | Within 1 day after you order. It isn’t instant |
Source: KKday listing, checked November 2026.
Be on time. KKday says latecomers can’t join.
How the 3 Hours Work
Meet up
Check in at the POW WOW Reception at 9:20 (morning) or 12:50 (afternoon)
Late arrivals can’t join
Fish in the dome
The trip starts at 9:30 or 13:00
You fish from the dome boat for about 2 hours, according to one reviewer
Fry your catch
Back on shore, a cabin is where you fry the smelt as tempura
Reviewers say the guide shows you how
Finish
The trip ends at 12:30 or 16:00
Source: KKday listing and KKday reviews, checked November 2026.
Inside the boat
The operator says the dome has a stove, a toilet and life jackets. The floor is wooden, and each person gets about 90 cm of space and a cushion.
The fishing
The operator says its rods are 30–50 cm long, with hand reels or electric reels. We couldn’t confirm which type comes with the KKday trip. You lower the line straight down. The fish sit 13–20 m deep depending on the season. The operator’s blog describes rigs with 6 or 7 small hooks, so more than one fish can come up at once. Bait is maggots (sashi), cut small.
Is it cold inside the dome?
Colder than a house, says KKday, which compares it to an entryway. Two reviewers found it hot enough to take their jackets off. We’d wear layers you can peel off, because the reviews range from cold to hot. And bring shoes you can walk in on snow.
What You Can Catch in Winter
The numbers below are the day’s top count in the operator’s blog posts, mostly from 2014–2019. They show the best anglers on good days, not what a beginner brings home.
| Month | Day’s top count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| November | 20 to 726 fish | Two anglers topped 700 on November 13, 2025 |
| December | 10 to 620 fish | None reported |
| January | 12 to 555 fish | On January 5, 2024, murky water slowed the bite. The best anglers caught about 70 |
| February | 10 to 576 fish | None reported |
| March | 10 to 601 fish | A family of 4 caught about 40 in March 2022, says one reviewer |
Source: Lake Kizaki POW WOW blog posts, KKday reviews, checked November 2026.
Beginners report far less. Reviewers mention about 10 fish in January 2025 and “10-some” in January 2023. Two reviewers say the guide warned them that cold days are slow. One says winter is too slow for a big count.
Will a beginner catch anything?
Reviewers report about 10 fish in winter, but nothing is guaranteed. We’d go for the tempura and the warm boat, not for a number. The big counts above belong to the day’s best anglers.
Fishing Permit and Lake Rules
⚠️ The permit isn’t included — It costs ¥1,000 per person, and KKday says it applies to high school students and above. The lake’s rules set ¥1,000 a day, half price for junior high students and free for elementary school children and younger. We couldn’t confirm what KKday charges for a junior high student
- Carry the permit — Show it to the lake warden if asked
- Up to 2 rods per person — Trolling is banned
- Black bass and bluegill can’t go back in the lake — Nagano’s inland fisheries commission bans releasing them, and the ban has covered Lake Kizaki since December 1, 2008
- Wakasagi are open all year — Fishing is allowed from sunrise to sunset
Source: Lake Kizaki Fishery Cooperative rules (in effect since January 1, 2024), Nagano Prefecture release ban, KKday listing, checked November 2026.
We couldn’t confirm where you buy the permit. Bring ¥1,000 per person in cash, and ask at the POW WOW Reception when you check in.
Do I need a fishing license?
Not a national one, because Japan doesn’t have one. You do need this lake’s day permit, which KKday lists at ¥1,000. Our guide to fishing licenses in Japan explains how it works.
How to Get There
The meeting point is about 1.9 km from Uminokuchi Station (海ノ口駅), the nearest stop on the Oito Line. Google Maps puts the walk at about 30 minutes, though KKday says 20. We’d plan on 30 and allow extra time if snow is on the ground. KKday also says a taxi from Shinano-Omachi Station (信濃大町駅) takes about 15 minutes. We couldn’t confirm a taxi company or a fare.
Morning trip (meet at 9:20): sleep nearby the night before
If you’re coming from Tokyo, Nagoya or Osaka, we’d book a hotel in Shinano-Omachi or Hakuba the night before. Trains toward the lake leave both towns from the 6 a.m. hour, so a morning train gets you to the station well before 9:20, even with the walk. Leaving Tokyo, Nagoya or Osaka on the same morning doesn’t work for this trip.
Hotel Route Inn Shinano Omachi Ekimae is one option in Shinano-Omachi, about 100 m (a 2-minute walk) from the station, according to Klook. Hakuba has more places to choose from, but many sit about 2 km from Hakuba Station, so check how you’ll reach the station for an early train. If you’re staying in either town, we’d book the morning trip, because the walk from the station ends well before the 9:20 meeting.
Afternoon trip (meet at 12:50): a day trip is possible
If you’re traveling in from Tokyo or Nagoya for the day, we’d book the afternoon trip. Leave early. The earliest connection from Tokyo is a Hokuriku Shinkansen in the 6 a.m. hour, and from Nagoya a Shinano limited express in the 7 a.m. hour. Either one gets you to Uminokuchi Station before 11:00. The next train after that arrives with no time left for the walk.
- From Tokyo — about 4.5 hours, about ¥10,000 on weekdays (Hokuriku Shinkansen, then the Shinonoi Line to Matsumoto, then the Oito Line)
- From Nagoya — about 4 hours, about ¥6,300 (the Shinano limited express to Matsumoto, then the Oito Line)
Source: Yahoo! Japan route search, checked November 2026. Fares change with the season and seat type.
Getting back
The station gets about 9 trains a day in each direction, starting in the 6 a.m. hour, and the morning has long gaps. After the morning trip, a train toward Matsumoto leaves soon after you reach the station on foot. After the afternoon trip, you wait about an hour at the station, because the first train after it is too close to walk to. Expect to reach Tokyo late in the evening.
Paying on the Oito Line
Uminokuchi Station is unstaffed, with no ticket window or machine, and you can’t use Suica there. Suica does work at Shinano-Omachi and Hakuba (JR East). On a one-person-operated train, JR East says you take a numbered ticket when you board. You pay cash at the fare box when you get off. We couldn’t confirm which Oito Line trains run that way, so carry coins. From Hakuba, the fare to the station is about ¥350.
By car
KKday gives about 40 minutes from Azumino IC, and about 1 hour from Nagano IC or Itoigawa IC. The operator says parking is free and holds about 50 cars. The road along the west shore is narrow and has many curves, according to the operator. Allow extra time in snow.
Snow and trains
Heavy snow has stopped parts of the Oito Line in the past. On the day, check JR East’s Oito Line operation info before you leave.
Prices in the box below are set by Klook and change by date.
Tackle Shops on the Way
We found no tackle shop near Lake Kizaki, Shinano-Omachi Station or Hakuba Station, on Google Maps or in the chains’ store lists. The trip includes a full gear set, so you don’t need one. At the lake, the operator says its reception sells rigs and bait. If you want to look at Japanese smelt gear, shop in Matsumoto, where you change to the Oito Line.
- Johshuya Matsumoto Inter (つり具の上州屋 松本インター店): About 25 minutes on foot from Matsumoto Station. Its store page said in October 2026 that it has a smelt corner with electric reels, rod tips and rigs, including rigs for Lake Kizaki. Walking route in Google Maps
- Tackleberry Shinsyu Matsumoto (タックルベリー 信州まつもと店): A used-tackle shop, about 15 minutes by car from Matsumoto Station. Its blog said in September 2026 that it opened a smelt corner. We couldn’t confirm what’s in it. Driving route in Google Maps
Want to fish with your own rod? Neither KKday nor the operator says whether you can bring your own gear on this trip, or whether the price changes, so ask KKday before you book. Walking and driving times are from Google Maps, checked November 2026.
Booking, Cancellation and Bad Weather
Prices below are what KKday showed in November 2026 and change with the date and availability.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (16 and up) | about US$40 |
| Child (10–15) | about US$37 |
Every person in your group needs a ticket, including friends who only want to watch. KKday doesn’t allow free companions on the boat.
Cancellation
KKday’s cancellation policy (as of November 2026):
Deadlines run on the operator’s local time. If your ski dates are set, we’d book once your plans are firm. You can cancel for free until 31 days before.
Weather
⚠️ Trips can be canceled — KKday’s notes name four cases: a direct typhoon hit, a severe weather warning, a natural disaster and the campsite’s own decision to close or cancel. The listing doesn’t say what refund you get in those cases. Ask KKday before you book
What’s Included and What to Bring
Included
- Dome boat boarding
- Guide
- Fishing gear
- Cooking utensils
Not included
- The ¥1,000 fishing permit
- Transport to the lake
What to bring
- Cash for the permit (¥1,000 per person)
- Coins for the Oito Line fare
- Warm clothes you can take off in layers
- Shoes you can walk in on snow
- Gloves, if you don’t like touching the maggot bait
Around Lake Kizaki in Winter
The operator says there is a Lawson convenience store and a day-trip hot spring, ゆ〜ぷる木崎湖, each about 3 minutes by car from the lake.
- Matsumoto Castle — open all year except December 29–31, 8:30–17:00. Adults pay ¥1,200 for an e-ticket or ¥1,300 for a paper ticket, according to the castle’s website
- Kurobe Dam — this one is closed in winter. The Alpine Route runs April 15 to November 30 in 2026
- Hakuba on Klook — Klook lists a lift ticket for Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field and a snowshoeing experience in Hakuba
The Omachi Tourism Association lists the other fish in the lake: kizaki masu, eel, crucian carp and char (iwana).
Klook also lists activities across Nagano Prefecture. Prices in the box below are set by Klook and change by date.
FAQ
QDo I need a fishing license?
No national license, but you do need the lake’s ¥1,000 day permit. KKday doesn’t include it in the ticket.
QHow old do I have to be?
KKday gives three answers: 9 to 80 years old, second grade and above, and a child ticket for ages 10–15. We’d confirm with KKday before booking if your child is under 10, because the three age rules don’t match.
QCan I go alone?
Not on your own. The minimum is 2 people, and each person pays.
QIs it cold?
Colder than a house, says KKday. Two reviewers found it warm enough to take their jackets off, so wear layers.
QCan I do it as a day trip from Tokyo?
Yes, but only the afternoon trip, and only if you leave Tokyo early in the morning. The morning trip needs a night nearby.
QCan I take my fish home?
We couldn’t confirm that. One reviewer says travelers can’t carry fish home, so eating it as tempura is handy.
Ready to Book?
A rest day that ends with a plate of fresh tempura is hard to beat. The dome boat suits you if you’re staying in Hakuba or Shinano-Omachi. It’s also a good fit if you want a warm winter fishing trip and can bring a friend or family member.
