Last checked: October 21, 2026
Want to reel in a few fish from Hokkaido’s Sea of Japan coast without a boat ride? This KKday tour does it at Kotan Fishing Port (古潭漁港, Kotan Gyoko) in Atsuta, Ishikari. It’s about 1 hour by car from Sapporo Station.
You meet your guide at the port and fish for 2 hours, either at 10:00 or at 15:00. The listing says children from age 5 can join. The operator is Cycling Frontier Co., Ltd., a Sapporo company, and its fishing tours run as Frontier Fishing Tours.
We built this guide from the KKday listing, the operator’s website, city and bus timetables, Hokkaido’s fishing materials and weather data. We flag what we couldn’t confirm.
Prices below are what KKday showed in October 2026 and change with the date and availability.
HOKKAIDO REGION
Kotan Fishing Port, Ishikari (Hokkaido)
From Sapporo Station: About 1 hour by car
From New Chitose Airport: About 1 hour 30 minutes by car
At a Glance
- Price: from about US$38 per person for 2 or more people, or about US$76 for 1 person (as of October 2026)
- Fishing time: 2 hours. Meet at 10:00 or 15:00. KKday lists 3 hours in all
- Meeting point: Kotan Fishing Port (古潭漁港). No pickup. About 1 hour by car from Sapporo Station
- Ages: 5 and up
- Language: English and Japanese
- Free cancellation: up to 2 days before
Prices and available dates vary. Check the booking page before you book.
Where Is Kotan Fishing Port?
Kotan Fishing Port is on the Sea of Japan coast, north of Sapporo. It’s in the Atsuta area of Ishikari City (石狩市厚田区). The tour doesn’t pick you up, so the port is also your meeting point.
What This Tour Is
This is a beginner fishing lesson with a guide. KKday calls it the “Light Guide Plan”. The operator’s site says it teaches sabiki fishing, a rig with several small hooks on one line. It describes the plan as ideal for a first fishing trip, and says it supplies tackle and bait to suit the target fish.
You meet at the port and fish there. The listing mentions no boat. One reviewer, a family with a 10-year-old, said the guide was patient with the child and that they caught 5 or 6 fish (August 2026). The review doesn’t say which fish. KKday showed one review, rated 5.0.
Can my family come along just to watch?
No. KKday says people who aren’t fishing can’t watch or come along, and the tour is canceled if any are there. Book a spot for everyone who’ll be at the port.
Is This Trip Right for You?
✅ Great if you…
- have never fished. The plan is a guided beginner lesson
- worry about seasickness. The listing describes fishing at the port, not a boat trip
- are traveling with kids. KKday says age 5 and up
- have a rental car. The port is about 1 hour from Sapporo Station
⚠️ Think twice if you…
- want to hook something big. The operator lists small fish such as chika, mackerel and sardines
- want to go by bus on a Sunday. The only bus runs Monday to Saturday
- are traveling alone. One person pays about US$76, twice the per-person price for groups of 2 or more
- have family members who’d only watch. They can’t come along
If you’re traveling with a friend or family, book everyone in one booking. From 2 people, the price drops to about US$38 each.
When Can You Fish Here?
The operator says the season runs from April 27 to December 22. The calendar below follows that.
📅 When you can fish
Open Part of the month Closed
Check the booking page for the dates you can actually book.
Source: the operator’s website, checked October 2026.
When we checked on October 21, 2026, KKday showed dates from October 26 to December 21. Every day in that range could be booked except November 16–23, which showed as sold out. We couldn’t tell whether that week is a day off or simply full. KKday hadn’t opened dates for spring 2027 yet.
In winter (December 26 to March 20), the operator switches to smelt fishing at Lake Shinotsu. For winter fishing near Sapporo, see our Sapporo ice fishing guide.
What the Two Hours Look Like
10:00
Meet at the port
This is the morning start, and fishing runs until 12:00
15:00
Meet at the port
This is the afternoon start, and fishing runs until 17:00
KKday doesn’t list the order of the lesson. The operator’s site says the guide supplies the gear, so expect a short explanation of tackle and bait before you start fishing.
What You Might Catch
The operator names these fish for this plan. It says the targets change what tackle and bait it prepares.
Chika (チカ)
A small smelt related to wakasagi (Japanese smelt). Hokkaido’s fish guide says it lives along the coast and inside fishing ports.
Mackerel (saba, サバ)
The operator uses the general name and doesn’t say which species.
Sardines (iwashi, イワシ)
Again a general name, with no species given.
Big-scaled redfin (ugui, ウグイ)
Hokkaido’s fish guide says people rarely eat it.
How you fish: sabiki. The operator says it’s a good method for a first fishing trip.
We found no catch records by month, and the operator doesn’t list fish by month either. Ask the guide what’s biting on your day.
Can I take my catch home?
We couldn’t confirm. Neither KKday nor the operator’s page for this plan says. Ask in the KKday chat before you book. Don’t eat mackerel or sardines raw: Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare lists both among fish that can carry Anisakis worms.
Weather and What to Wear
Hokkaido gets cold early. The table shows normal daily temperatures at Atsuta (JMA, 1991–2020 averages) for the months when the tour runs.
| Month | Average high (°C) | Average low (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| April | 10.3 | 0.4 |
| May | 16.6 | 6.0 |
| June | 20.8 | 11.5 |
| July | 24.5 | 16.0 |
| August | 25.6 | 16.9 |
| September | 22.3 | 12.1 |
| October | 15.8 | 5.9 |
| November | 8.1 | 0.6 |
| December | 1.7 | -4.8 |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency, Atsuta AMeDAS normals, checked October 2026.
Wind adds to the chill. The average wind speed is 4.2 m/s in November and 4.6 m/s in December, against 2.5 m/s in August. The normal deepest snow cover is 22 cm in November and 57 cm in December.
The operator’s site says it lends warm clothing, boots and a life jacket. It suggests a knit hat and a face mask in winter, sunglasses and sunscreen in summer, and a towel and tissues. We’d also pack gloves from November, when the average low is 0.6°C.
Is December too cold?
It’s possible but harsh. The average high is 1.7°C and the season ends December 22. Route 231, the coast road from Sapporo, has closed in heavy snow between Ishikari and Atsuta, for example in February 2022. If you’re bringing kids, we’d pick late October or November over December.
How to Get to Kotan Port
Plan A: Rent a car (our pick)
New Chitose Airport
About 1 hour 30 minutes by car
The route uses an expressway (道央道) with a toll section
Sapporo Station
About 1 hour by car
The route follows Route 231
At the port
KKday says there’s parking
Open the driving route in Google Maps: from New Chitose Airport or from Sapporo Station. Google showed about 1 hour 20 minutes and 56 minutes on an October 2026 evening.
Our pick: a rental car, if you can drive in Japan. The old bus no longer runs (see the warning below), and its replacement doesn’t run on Sundays. Picking up at the airport saves a transfer if you’re flying in the day before.
Plan B: Buses, for travelers who can book in Japanese
This route takes two buses and a reservation made in Japanese. It runs Monday to Saturday only.
7:10 from Sapporo Terminal
Take Chuo Bus route 31 from platform 7
It reaches the Ishikari Chosha-mae stop (石狩庁舎前) at 8:04 on weekdays and 7:59 on Saturdays. The fare is ¥490, and SAPICA, Kitaca and Suica cards work
8:20 on weekdays
Board the city’s reserved bus at Ishikari Chosha-mae
Its stop is separate from the Chuo Bus stop. It reaches Kotan at 8:58. The fare is ¥800
8:15 on Saturdays
Board the Saturday bus
It reaches Kotan at 8:53
10 minutes
Walk to the port
The Kotan stop is about a 10-minute walk away
Kotan departures
Weekdays leave at 13:28, 14:48, 15:48 and 18:28, which is the last
Saturdays leave at 13:58 and 17:38, which is the last
⚠️ Old directions no longer work — The Chuo Bus line to Atsuta ended at the end of March 2026. Since April 1, 2026, a reserved bus run by Ishikari City (the Atsuta–Hanakawa line, 厚田花川線) has replaced it
- No service on Sundays and holidays — The bus also doesn’t run from December 29 to January 3
- You must reserve, in Japanese — Register your name, address, date of birth and phone number. Then book on the website or call 0120-983-983 (a Japanese toll-free number), open 6:30–20:00. Book at least 60 minutes before departure. One booking covers up to 3 people. We found no English on the booking site
- How to pay — Pay the driver in cash, or pay by card if you booked on the website. We found no mention of IC cards on this bus. The Chuo Bus takes IC cards
- Kotan stop location — We couldn’t confirm exactly where the reserved bus stops at Kotan. Ask when you book
If you’re taking the bus, we’d book the 10:00 trip. On weekdays the 11:22 bus reaches Kotan at 12:00, three hours before the 15:00 start. For the 15:00 trip, the last bus back leaves at 18:28 on weekdays and 17:38 on Saturdays.
Where to Stay
Base yourself in Sapporo and make this a day trip. The port is about 1 hour from Sapporo Station by car. From New Chitose Airport, the JR Rapid Airport train to Sapporo costs ¥1,230 and takes about 40 minutes.
Booking, Cancellation and Bad Weather
KKday confirms your booking one day after you order, so it isn’t instant. We’d book several days ahead.
KKday’s cancellation policy (as of October 2026):
⚠️ Weather — KKday doesn’t say what happens if bad weather cancels the trip. Ask KKday before you book
What’s Included and What to Bring
KKday’s listing doesn’t say what the price includes. The operator’s site says the price covers a guide, a full set of rental fishing gear, bait, a rental life jacket, boots and warm clothing. It says food and drink aren’t included. Confirm this in the KKday chat before you book.
What to bring:
- A knit hat and a face mask for winter
- Sunglasses and sunscreen for summer
- A towel and tissues
- Something to eat and drink, since the operator says food and drink aren’t included
At Kotan Port: Facilities and Rules
KKday says there’s parking. We couldn’t confirm whether the port has a toilet or a shop. The Michi-no-Eki Ishikari “Airoad Atsuta” roadside station (道の駅石狩「あいろーど厚田」) has a first-floor toilet and parking that are open 24 hours. We couldn’t confirm the distance from the port, so check it on Google Maps.
⚠️ Don’t enter the water to fish — Hokkaido bans swimming in the waters enclosed by Kotan’s west and south breakwaters. The ban includes fishing with part of your body in the water. The fine is up to ¥50,000
- Stay out of work areas — Hokkaido’s 2026 fishing rules ask visitors to stay out of fishers’ work areas and dangerous spots such as breakwaters
- Park properly — The same rules ask you not to park where you’d block others, and not to fish near the harbor mouth
Do you need a license? Not for sea fishing. See our Japan fishing license guide. For other Hokkaido rules, see our Hokkaido fishing rules guide.
After Fishing in Atsuta
Michi-no-Eki Ishikari “Airoad Atsuta”
It has a sunset-view lounge on the Sea of Japan and displays on kitamaebune (北前船) trading ships and herring fishing. The 3rd-floor indoor lounge is open in winter and the outdoor balcony is closed. Hours are 9:30–18:00 from April to October (until 19:00 from June to August) and 10:00–16:00 from November to March.
Atsuta Port Morning Market
It runs 7:00 to about 14:00 from early April to mid-October, so it fits spring and summer trips.
Anchorage monument
At the port entrance, a stone monument (弁財船投錨地碑) marks a trading route. The city’s board of education says kitamaebune sailed north from Osaka through the Seto Inland Sea. That’s the same inland sea this blog calls home.
We’d stop at the roadside station after the 10:00 trip. Fishing ends at 12:00, and the station is open until 16:00 in November and December.
FAQ
QDo I need to bring fishing gear?
No, according to the operator’s site, which says you don’t need to prepare any. KKday doesn’t list it, so confirm in the KKday chat before you book.
QDoes the guide speak English?
KKday lists English and Japanese. We couldn’t confirm how much English the guide speaks.
QCan I get there without a car?
Yes, but only Monday to Saturday, and the reserved bus is booked in Japanese. See the bus plan above.
QCan I join alone?
Yes. KKday shows a 1-person price of about US$76. KKday also lists a minimum of 2 people, so ask in the chat first.
QCan children join?
Yes, from age 5, says KKday.
QHow late in the year can I go?
Until December 22, says the operator. On October 21, 2026, KKday showed dates up to December 21.
QDo I need a fishing license?
No. Sea fishing in Japan doesn’t need one. See our license guide.
Ready to Book?
Hooked on the idea? Two hours at a Hokkaido fishing port, with gear and a guide, makes an easy half day from Sapporo. It suits first-timers, families with kids from age 5, and anyone with a rental car.
At a Glance
- Price: from about US$38 per person for 2 or more people, or about US$76 for 1 person (as of October 2026)
- Fishing time: 2 hours, starting 10:00 or 15:00
- Meeting point: Kotan Fishing Port (古潭漁港), about 1 hour by car from Sapporo Station
- Free cancellation: up to 2 days before
