Last checked: November 5, 2026
Skiing at Tomamu or Sahoro this winter? Take an afternoon off the slopes and fish through the ice on Lake Sahoro, about 40 minutes by car from Tomamu and 6 minutes from Sahoro Resort Hotel.
You fish for wakasagi (ワカサギ, Japanese smelt) on frozen Lake Sahoro in Shintoku Town, in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region. A guide helps you, the rental gear is included, and a heated tent keeps you warm. If you ask, the guide fries your fish as karaage (唐揚げ, Japanese-style deep-fried food).
We built this guide from the KKday listing, the operator’s pages, Japan Meteorological Agency data, JR timetables and public notices. We haven’t been to the lake, and we flag anything we couldn’t confirm.
HOKKAIDO REGION
Lake Sahoro, Shintoku (Tokachi)
Nearest station: JR Shintoku Station, then about 20 minutes by taxi
From Sapporo: About 2 hours 20 minutes by limited express to Shintoku
At a Glance
- Price: about US$32 for junior high school age and older, about US$22 for elementary school children, on KKday (as of November 2026)
- Time: 13:00–15:30. Meet at 12:50
- Group size: 1 to 20 people per booking. The tour runs with at least 2
- Ages: 6 and up to fish. Younger children can watch for free
- Included: gear, guide, tent heater, karaage
- Free cancellation: up to 2 days before
- Season: January to February, with March depending on the ice
- Meeting point: Lake Sahoro Parking Lot, about 20 minutes by taxi from Shintoku Station
Prices and available dates vary. Check the booking page before you book.
Is This Trip Right for You?
✅ Great if you…
- have never fished. The gear and a guide come with the ticket
- travel with kids aged 6 and up. Elementary school children pay the lower price
- are staying in Sapporo, Obihiro, Sahoro or Tomamu and want a half-day trip
- want your catch fried and hot, not packed in a cooler
⚠️ Think twice if you…
- don’t want to arrange a taxi. There is no bus to the lake, so you need a car or a booked taxi
- want to fish in the morning. KKday lists only this afternoon session
- need a guide who speaks fluent English. KKday’s language field says English and Japanese, and we couldn’t confirm how much English the guide speaks
- want to take fish home. We couldn’t confirm whether you can
- visit between April and December. There is no ice on the lake
When Can You Go?
📅 When the tour runs
Open Part of the month Closed
The season depends on the ice, so it shifts a little each year. Check the booking page for the dates you can book.
Source: KKday listing, the operator’s website and Shintoku Town, checked November 2026.
Here is how the sources fit together. The operator plans to run the tour from January 7 to March 15, 2027. In early November 2026, KKday showed dates from January 7 to February 24, 2027. Shintoku Town says the usual fishing period is mid-January to the end of February, depending on ice thickness. In 2026 the town closed the lake gate on March 16 because the ice had thinned.
December is too early. The operator’s Instagram post from December 2, 2025 said the lake was only partly frozen along the shore.
Our pick: late January or February. That’s the stretch all three sources agree on.
How the Afternoon Works
Here is a typical day if you come by train from Sapporo.
Before 9:00
Leave Sapporo
Take a limited express on the JR line to Shintoku. A train that leaves a little before 9:00 is the last one that reaches the lake in time
A little after 11:00
Arrive in Shintoku
You have time for lunch. The tourist association lists three soba restaurants in town, including Sobadokoro Sekiguchi (そば処せきぐち) by the station. It closes on Wednesdays and the third Tuesday
By 12:50
Meet at the lake
Your pre-booked taxi drops you at Lake Sahoro Parking Lot. You then walk about 300 m over snow and ice to the fishing spot
13:00–15:30
Fish for smelt
The guide helps you, and you can warm up in the tent
After fishing
Eat your karaage
Then walk back to the parking lot to meet your taxi
Evening
Train back to Sapporo
Take a limited express from Shintoku in the 18:00s. It reaches Sapporo around 20:30
Source: KKday listing, the operator’s website, Yahoo! Transit and the Shintoku tourist association, checked November 2026.
Do I need to bring anything besides warm clothes?
No. The rental gear is included. The operator suggests snacks, a drink and a hand towel or wet wipes.
Inside the Heated Tent: How Wakasagi Fishing Works
A hole in the ice
You fish through a hole drilled in the ice. KKday’s Japanese listing says the gear and a guide come with the tour.
A warm tent
When it gets very cold, you warm up in a tent. A kerosene stove heats it.
Karaage
If you ask, the guide fries what you catch.
The operator says that, with luck, one person can catch several dozen fish. Rainbow trout sometimes bite too. Catches depend on the day, so we can’t promise any number.
If it’s your first time on ice, ask the guide for help. The guide comes with the ticket.
Eating Your Catch: Karaage on the Ice
Karaage is the deep-fried snack you see on izakaya menus. Here the guide fries your own wakasagi.
The English KKday page says the price includes a “fried chicken service fee.” That’s a machine translation. The Japanese listing says karaage service, and the operator says it fries your catch. You won’t get chicken.
The listing says “fried chicken.” Do we get chicken?
No. The Japanese listing means karaage made from the wakasagi you catch. Tell the guide you’d like it fried.
Kids, Ages and Who Pays
KKday sets the ages at 6 to 100 for fishing. The prices below are per person.
Prices below are what KKday showed in November 2026 and change with the date and availability.
| Who | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Junior high school and older | about US$32 |
| Elementary school children | about US$22 |
Source: KKday listing, checked November 2026.
The English page says children under elementary school age are admitted free. That’s a mistranslation. The Japanese listing says only that watching is free for children below elementary school age, and you tell KKday how many are coming. Fishing starts at age 6, so a younger child can watch but can’t fish.
If your youngest is 6 or older, book the elementary school price for them. If you have a child under 6, they come along as a free spectator.
How Cold Is It?
Cold. The table shows Japan Meteorological Agency averages for Shintoku Town (temperature in °C, with °F in brackets).
| Month | Average high | Average low |
|---|---|---|
| January | -2.2°C (28°F) | -11.1°C (12°F) |
| February | -1.4°C (29°F) | -10.7°C (13°F) |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency, checked November 2026.
The deepest snow averages 58 cm in January and 67 cm in February. The weather station sits in the town center at 178 m, and the lake is higher, so expect it to be colder.
Dress as the listing asks: a hat, gloves and warm boots. Insulated rubber boots are recommended, and snowboard boots are fine. The operator also suggests ski wear.
We’d pick insulated boots over sneakers. You walk about 300 m over snow and ice before you reach the tent.
Lake Sahoro: Free Fishing and the Town’s Ice Rules
Lake Sahoro is a reservoir behind Sahoro Dam, a flood-control dam that Hokkaido manages. It finished in 1984.
Shintoku Town says Lake Sahoro itself has no fishing fee. The rules changed in January 2024 when the town’s fishing right ended. The town doesn’t set a fishing period. You decide whether the ice is safe, and signs at the lake show the ice conditions. The town patrols several times a day and says it isn’t responsible for accidents.
Japan has no national fishing license. Hokkaido’s Fishing Rules 2026 booklet doesn’t list wakasagi in its regulation table, so it shows no closed season or size limit. For the wider rules, see our guide to Hokkaido fishing rules for visitors.
The operator says all participants are covered by its accident insurance.
⚠️ No cars past the parking lot — Don’t drive from the parking lot toward the lake
- Keep out of the dam area — Don’t enter the area from the dam body upstream to the driftwood barrier
- No snowmobiles — Only the patrol contractors may use them
- No street parking — Park only in the parking lot
- Ventilate the tent — If a stove is on in the tent, air it out about once an hour. This prevents carbon monoxide poisoning
The parking lot has a temporary toilet. We found no mention of a toilet in the tent or on the ice. We couldn’t confirm how to throw away trash, so plan to carry yours out.
Getting to Lake Sahoro Without a Car
The address is Aza-Shin-nai, Shintoku-cho, Kamikawa-gun (上川郡新得町字新内). The meeting point is Lake Sahoro Parking Lot.
From Sapporo by limited express
Since March 14, 2026, all JR Hokkaido limited express trains have been all-reserved, so you need a reserved-seat ticket, according to JR Hokkaido. Fares on its regular lines don’t change between busy and quiet seasons.
Earlier limited expresses leave Sapporo in the 6:00s and 7:00s. A train that leaves a little before 9:00 takes about 2 hours 20 minutes and reaches Shintoku a little after 11:00. The fare is about ¥6,700 one way, including a reserved seat. Weekdays and Saturdays are the same. We didn’t check Sundays and holidays.
Take that pre-9:00 train or an earlier one. A later train won’t get you to the lake by 12:50.
Shintoku Station’s ticket office closed on August 31, 2026. JR Hokkaido replaced it with a talking ticket machine (話せる券売機), open 5:50–23:20.
From New Chitose Airport
Take the Rapid Airport train to Minami-Chitose, then change to the limited express. The last connection that makes the meeting reaches Shintoku a little after 11:00. The fare is about ¥5,500.
From Obihiro or Tokachi-Obihiro Airport
A shuttle bus from Tokachi-Obihiro Airport to Obihiro Station takes about 40 minutes and costs ¥1,000. From Obihiro, the limited express to Shintoku takes 30 to 40 minutes and costs about ¥2,200. A local train takes about 1 hour and costs ¥1,040, but there are gaps in the local service before noon.
From Tomamu
From JR Tomamu Station, the limited express reaches Shintoku in about 25 to 30 minutes. Then take a booked taxi to the lake. By car, Google Maps shows about 40 minutes (37 km) from Tomamu The Tower to the lake’s west-shore parking lot, and about 6 minutes from Sahoro Resort Hotel. Google doesn’t account for snow, so allow extra time in winter.
The taxi from Shintoku Station
There is no bus or shuttle from Shintoku Station to the lake. The town’s free shuttle goes toward Sahoro Resort and doesn’t stop at the lake. The resort’s hotel shuttle is for guests only. The operator says there is no pickup, so you need your own car or a taxi.
KKday gives about 20 minutes from the station to the meeting point. Google Maps shows a 13-minute drive (11.3 km) to a parking lot on the lake’s west shore. We couldn’t confirm it’s the same lot as the meeting point. Plan on about 20 minutes.
Shintoku Hire (新得ハイヤー) is the local taxi company. Sahoro Resort’s access page says the company has few cars. It asks guests to reserve ahead. It lists the winter fare from the station to Sahoro Resort Hotel as about ¥4,800. That’s the hotel, not the lake. We couldn’t confirm the fare to the lake, whether the dispatcher speaks English, a return pickup, or how to pay. Bring some yen in cash in case.
The same page says the taxis run 8:00–23:00 Monday to Saturday and 9:00–18:30 on Sundays and holidays.
Can I just grab a taxi at Shintoku Station?
Don’t count on it. The company has few cars. Book your ride to the lake and your pickup after the tour before you leave Sapporo or Obihiro.
Getting back
The session ends at 15:30. After the walk to the parking lot and the taxi ride, a limited express in the 16:00s is too tight. Plan on a train in the 18:00s. It reaches Sapporo around 20:30 and New Chitose Airport after 20:00.
Don’t plan a same-day flight, even a late one. Our pick: stay a night in Shintoku, Obihiro or Sapporo and fly the next day. The 18:00s train gets you back after dark.
By car
From Obihiro it’s about 1 hour (52.9 km). From Tokachi-Shimizu IC it’s about 30 minutes. Hokkaido says frozen roads are about 10 times more slippery than dry summer roads, and drivers should keep at least three times the usual distance. Six rental companies operate at Tokachi-Obihiro Airport.
At Shintoku Station
The Shintoku Station community center, Toku-Toku (とくとく), is open 9:00–20:00 every day. It offers luggage storage, toilets, free Wi-Fi and a café (closed Tuesdays). We couldn’t confirm the luggage fee or find coin lockers at the station.
Prices in the box below are set by Klook and change by date.
Tackle Shops on the Way
Shintoku and Shimizu towns have no fishing tackle shop, as far as we found. KKday and the operator don’t say whether you can bring your own rod, or whether the price changes if you do. There is also no plan without gear. Message KKday before you buy anything.
If you want your own rig anyway, Fishland Nishi-Obihiro (フイッシュランド西帯広店) sits inside MEGA Don Quijote Nishi-Obihiro. It’s about 11 minutes by car from Obihiro Station, or about 37 minutes on foot from Nishi-Obihiro Station. The shop’s blog posted wakasagi rigs in December 2024. A January 2025 post reports a staff trip to Lake Sahoro.
Driving route from Obihiro Station in Google Maps · Walking route from Nishi-Obihiro Station · Shop page
Where to Stay
If you’re coming by train, our pick is a hotel by Obihiro Station. The station has many hotels, and the limited express reaches Shintoku in 30 to 40 minutes. Sahoro Resort Hotel and Yuyado Kuttari Onsen Lake Inn are closer to Shintoku, but you’d still take a taxi to the lake.
Booking, Cancellation and Weather
KKday confirms your order one day after you book. The operator says some dates fill up early.
Cancellation
KKday’s cancellation policy (as of November 2026):
KKday refunds to your original payment method within 15 days.
Weather
⚠️ Trips can be canceled or changed — Strong wind or heavy snow can cancel the tour. KKday’s listing doesn’t spell out the refund, so ask KKday before you book
Around Tokachi
Shintoku is known for soba. The tourist association lists three soba restaurants in town. Opening days vary, so check before you go.
If you have a free day, KKday lists a guided tour to Taushubetsu River Bridge (タウシュベツ川橋梁) with ice bubbles. It starts on December 25.
Prices in the box below are set by Klook and change by date.
FAQ
QDoes the guide speak English?
We couldn’t confirm. KKday’s language field says English and Japanese, so write your questions down.
QHow old must my child be?
Six. Younger children can watch for free if you tell KKday how many are coming.
QDo I need a fishing ticket?
No. Shintoku Town says Lake Sahoro itself has no fishing fee.
QCan I get there without a car?
Yes, with a booked taxi from Shintoku Station. There is no bus to the lake.
QCan I do it as a day trip from Sapporo?
Yes. A limited express before 9:00 gets you there in time, and a train in the 18:00s brings you back.
QCan I take my catch home?
We couldn’t confirm. The listing only mentions karaage.
QIs there a morning session?
Not on KKday. KKday lists only the afternoon session.
QIs there a toilet?
Yes, a temporary one at the parking lot. We found no mention of one in the tent.
QHow do I pay?
You pay KKday online by card when you book. We couldn’t confirm how the taxi takes payment.
Ready to Book?
Hook, line and karaage: a warm tent, included gear and a fried snack you caught yourself.
If you’re a first-timer or a family with kids aged 6 and up, this tour fits an afternoon in Tokachi. Book the taxi too, and plan to stay overnight.
