Last checked: October 12, 2026
Want to get your kids hooked on fishing without giving up a whole day? This 3-hour tour at Lake Motosu (本栖湖) teaches families to catch rainbow trout on lures. Kids can join from age 3.
Nogawa Nature School (野川自然学校) runs the tour, and you book it on KKday. The lake is the westernmost and deepest of the Fuji Five Lakes (121 m). The Yamanashi tourism site calls it one of the clearest lakes in Honshu.
There is one catch. The tour starts at 8:00, and no bus reaches the lake by then. Plan to sleep nearby the night before.
We built this guide from the KKday listing, Yamanashi Prefecture’s fishing rules for the lake and the Fujikyu Bus timetable. We flag anything we couldn’t confirm.
Prices below are what KKday showed in October 2026 and change with the date and availability.
CHUBU REGION
Lake Motosu, Yamanashi
Getting there: No bus arrives by 8:00. Stay nearby and drive or take a taxi
At a Glance
- Price per person on KKday (as of October 2026): adult about US$62, junior and senior high school student about US$38, elementary student or age 3–6 about US$32
- Time: 3 hours. Be at Lake Motosu by 8:00
- Included: the tour, rental fishing gear and tax
- Paid separately: the lake’s day permit, ¥1,000 for an adult on site (¥800 if bought in advance)
- Ages: 3 to 60. Family members can watch for free
- Free cancellation: up to 7 days before
- Getting there: no bus arrives by 8:00. Stay nearby and drive or take a taxi
Is This Tour Right for You?
✅ Great if you…
- are traveling with kids. The listing is aimed at families with elementary-school and preschool children, with a package for ages 3–6
- have never fished. Rental gear is included, and the tour starts with a fishing lesson
- want to eat your catch. You can take home up to 10 fish
- are staying near Lake Kawaguchi. The lake is about 30 minutes from Kawaguchiko Station by car, by a map estimate
⚠️ Think twice if you…
- want a day trip from Tokyo. You can’t reach the lake by 8:00 from Tokyo in one morning
- won’t drive or take a taxi. The first bus reaches the lake at 10:35
- are 61 or older. The listing says ages 3 to 60
- like to read reviews first. The listing shows none yet
📅 When the tour runs
Open △ Check dates Closed
KKday lists the tour as available all year round. Fishing seasons shift a little from year to year, so check dates on the booking page.
Source: KKday listing, checked October 2026.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Operator | Nogawa Nature School (野川自然学校) |
| Languages | English and Japanese |
| Meet | At Lake Motosu by 8:00 |
| Address KKday lists | 1-766 Fujigamine (富士ヶ嶺), Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Length | 3 hours |
| Minimum group | 2 people or 5 people. KKday shows both numbers, so ask before you book |
| Confirmation | 1 day after you order |
Source: KKday listing, checked October 2026.
We couldn’t find the listed address on a map. After you book, check the exact meeting spot in KKday’s confirmation, and ask the operator if it isn’t clear.
What the 3 Hours Look Like
8:00
Meet at the lake
Be at Lake Motosu by 8:00
First
Fishing lesson
Then you go after rainbow trout
While you wait
Gobies, bugs and birds
Kids can catch small gobies, watch birds or hunt for driftwood, according to the listing
About 11:00
Finish
The listing gives no end time. Three hours from 8:00 points to about 11:00
Source: KKday listing, checked October 2026.
My kids are 5 and 8. Is this really for them?
Yes. KKday calls it family-friendly and sells packages for elementary students and for ages 3–6. For a child under 3, the operator suggests catching small fish with a net.
Prices and Packages
Prices below are what KKday showed in October 2026 and change with the date and availability.
| Package | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Adult | about US$62 |
| Junior and senior high school student | about US$38 |
| Elementary school student | about US$32 |
| Preschooler (ages 3–6) | about US$32 |
Source: KKday, checked October 2026.
KKday shows these as “from” prices, so check your date. The lake permit isn’t included (see the rules below).
Take a sample family. Two adults and two elementary students pay about US$187 on KKday. Add two adult lake permits at ¥1,000 each if you buy on site. Elementary students don’t need a permit.
How the Fishing Works
You fish with lures for rainbow trout. The operator says the fight is nothing like a stocked fishing pond. Where the fish sit changes with the season.
Winter
The operator says to fish the shallows.
Spring and autumn
A little deeper.
Summer
Fish from the cliffs where the bottom drops away. The operator mentions working the 30–50 m range.
The listing says you can fish all year. It adds that rainbow trout, a North American fish, are more active and taste better in the cold months.
Can we keep the fish?
Yes, up to 10, according to KKday. Bring a cooler box with ice. The lake’s own rules allow up to 15 rainbow trout, but the tour’s limit is lower.
Lake Motosu Fishing Rules
These are the Lake Motosu fishing cooperative’s rules, as posted on Yamanashi Prefecture’s fishing rules page (list dated April 1, 2025). They apply even on a guided tour.
⚠️ Permit required — Everyone in junior high school or older needs the lake’s day permit. The KKday price doesn’t include it
- Show your permit — Wear the day permit where others can see it. Show it to a warden if asked
- Two rods — Each person may use up to 2 rods
- 15 rainbow trout — That is the limit set by the rules
- No basket fishing from shore — Casting a float rig with chum (ground bait) from the bank is banned
- Bait ban, May 1 to June 30 — Bait fishing is banned across the lake. Lures and flies are allowed
- Kokanee are separate — Kokanee (himemasu) need their own ¥3,150 ticket. They are open only in periods the cooperative announces, between March 25–April 25 and October 25–November 25
- Lake trout — If you hook one, don’t release it and don’t take it out alive. In its lake trout notice, Yamanashi Prefecture asks anglers to kill it on the spot and take it to the Lake Motosu fishing cooperative (0555-87-2032 / +81-555-87-2032). Ask your guide what to do
- Breaking rules — You’ll be told to stop fishing, and the permit fee isn’t refunded
Day permit prices
This table shows the cooperative’s day-permit fee for rainbow trout, including tax.
| Who | Buy in advance | Buy on site |
|---|---|---|
| High school student or older | ¥800 | ¥1,000 |
| Junior high school student | ¥400 | ¥500 |
| Elementary school student or younger | Free | Free |
Source: Yamanashi Prefecture, Lake Motosu fishing rules, checked October 2026.
You can buy in advance at the cooperative’s office (本栖 127, Fujikawaguchiko-machi) or at places it designates. You can also pay a warden at the lake. We couldn’t find the list of designated places. KKday doesn’t say whether your guide buys the permit or you pay at the lake, so ask after you book.
KKday says ¥1,000 for junior high school students and older. The lake’s rules halve the fee for junior high school students. We’d go with ¥1,000 in cash for everyone in junior high or older. That covers either price, and the rules don’t say whether cards work.
Do we need a fishing license?
Not a national one, but you do need the lake’s day permit. It’s bought separately from the KKday tour. Our fishing license guide explains how permits work in Japan.
How to Get There by 8 AM
⚠️ No bus arrives by 8:00 — The first Fujikyu loop bus leaves Kawaguchiko Station at 9:35 and reaches Lake Motosu Tourist Information Center (本栖湖観光案内所) at 10:35
- No same-morning trip from Tokyo — The earliest Shinjuku departure we found (5:15 on October 20, 2026) reaches Kawaguchiko Station at 7:58
Stay near Lake Kawaguchi the night before
If you’re coming from Tokyo, we’d pick a hotel in Fujikawaguchiko for the night before. The first bus gets to the lake at 10:35, and the earliest Tokyo departure we found reaches Kawaguchiko Station at 7:58. Fujikawaguchiko town includes the Lake Motosu area, but we couldn’t confirm whether any hotel on the list sits right by the lake.
Drive or take a taxi
From Kawaguchiko Station, the lake is about 26 km and about 30 minutes by car. That is a map estimate without traffic. A taxi works too. We couldn’t confirm that taxis run early in the morning or what they cost, so ask your hotel the evening before.
Flying into Haneda? It is about 145 km to the lake, roughly 2.5 hours by car by the same map estimate. Expect more with traffic and breaks.
You’ll want mobile data for maps. Our eSIM guide for fishing trips in Japan helps with that.
Getting back
The tour should end around 11:00. The Fujikyu bus leaves Lake Motosu Tourist Information Center at 11:45 and reaches Kawaguchiko Station at 12:45. The next bus leaves at 12:45 and arrives at 13:45. Fares are by distance and start at ¥180 for adults. You don’t need a reservation. Fujikyu Bus answers questions at 0555-72-6877 / +81-555-72-6877 (9:00–17:30).
If you aren’t driving, we’d pick the 11:45 bus. It is the first one after the tour should end. We couldn’t confirm how far the meeting spot is from the bus stop, so ask the operator.
Source: Fujikyu Bus loop-bus timetable, checked October 2026.
Booking, Cancellation and Weather
Cancellation
KKday’s cancellation policy (as of October 2026):
KKday counts the day of the tour in those days, so cancel with room to spare. Refunds go back to your original payment method within 15 days.
Weather
⚠️ Rain doesn’t stop the tour — It runs in the rain
- Some weather cancels it — Heavy rain, flooding and typhoons cancel the tour. The listing doesn’t say how refunds or new dates work, so ask KKday before you book
Before you book
KKday confirms your booking 1 day after you order, so we’d book well ahead rather than the night before.
The listing shows two minimum group sizes, 2 and 5. A group below the minimum might not run. Ask KKday which one applies before you book.
After you book, ask the operator about:
- the exact meeting spot
- how the lake permit is bought
- toilets, food and parking at the lake (the listing doesn’t mention them)
- life jackets for kids (the listing doesn’t mention them)
- summer evening sessions (the description mentions them, but the packages list only an 8:00 start)
What’s Included
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| The tour, rental fishing gear and tax | The lake’s day permit and your transport |
Source: KKday listing, checked October 2026.
What to Bring
🎒 Your packing list
- ☐ Cash for the lake permit (¥1,000 per person, junior high school or older)
- ☐ A cooler box with ice for the fish you keep
- ☐ A hat and sunglasses
- ☐ Shoes that can get wet
- ☐ A long-sleeved shirt and long pants, because of insects
- ☐ A folding chair (KKday recommends it)
FAQ
QDo I need a fishing license?
No national license, but you need the lake’s day permit if you’re in junior high school or older. It’s ¥1,000 on site for an adult and isn’t part of the KKday price.
QHow old do kids have to be?
At least 3. The listing says ages 3 to 60, and family members can watch for free.
QCan we keep the fish?
Yes, up to 10, according to KKday. Bring a cooler box with ice.
QCan we do this as a day trip from Tokyo?
No. The earliest Tokyo departure we found reaches Kawaguchiko Station at 7:58, and the tour starts at 8:00. We’d stay near Lake Kawaguchi the night before.
QWhat if it rains?
The tour still runs. Heavy rain, flooding and typhoons cancel it.
QWhat is the minimum group size?
It’s unclear. The listing shows both 2 and 5, so ask KKday before you book.
Ready to Book?
A beginner’s lesson, a clear lake and a cooler full of trout, fingers crossed. If you have kids and a bed near Lake Kawaguchi, this tour is an easy morning to add.
