Okinawa Fishing Info.

[Mike Cork]

You may want to send Ben a message. Not sure he's got notifications set on this thread. If you send him a private message he'll get an email

[Dksong]

Thank you!

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[Yakooza]

Hello, I just recently got here in okinawa can you give me some location for bass fishing? It's really rare here I hear.

[Dksong]

Ive still been searching with no luck. But if you dont care what youre catching, there White Beach, the naval base has a pier you can fish at. Of course its saltwater and theres all sorts of misc. fish, no largemouth

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[Yakooza]

Thanks for the info! I'll def try it out!

[avgsmith2010]

Hey man imma be going to Okinawa in late june and was wondering if you could tell me a few good spots for large mouth or peacocks or any tips aswell. Also the location or name of that regulated lake you were talking about would be awesome too.

[Zbass]

I'm on Okinawa now looking for some bass any help would be great. Thank yall

[atkinsj242]

Guys, if you find anything, let me know. I haven't had much luck.  I've heard the Higa River System holds some bass but haven't caught any...

[Bassdog75]

Hello,

I had no idea there was bass in Oki, can you give me any advice where to find them, and what you use, cranks, worms, frogs? Please and thank you.

[LouisiAnimalMgD]

Hey Ben I've been on island for a little over a month now and still havent been able to figure out where the bass are at.  Would it be possible to help a brother out with the information?  Thanks and Semper Fi

[DGarrett]

I'd like this info if you still check this lol new to oki an looking to do some fishing!

[KEKO94]

Hey everybody! I'd like to have some info about bass fishing in Okinawa. BenFishing can you give me some advice?
Thanks in advance

[Mike Cork]

Welcome to the site.

All you guys over there, be careful with that typhoon headed your way...

Ben doesn't swing by the forum as much as he used to. I think he's traveling again maybe.

But if you send him a message through the forum he'll get it in his email and help you out

[Mike Cork]

Also, if you guys get out, tell us about it. Everyone comes looking but no one leaves a report anymore? I'm curious what you all are catching when you do get out

[BenFishing]

Sorry, I've been gone for a while.  Lots of traveling around, moving, and getting settled, again.

I haven't heard from any Okinawa bass fishermen in a while, so here's the copy and paste message I used to send out to people, but is long out of date, and apparently fishing conditions have changed there, quite a bit.

The base ponds are back in the ammo depot area.  When I left, they were off limits, but one guy I gave some tips to, said they were open again, as long as you had an escort.  Don't know if this is true, though.

Hija River, just north of Kadena, on 58...you pass over it on your way to Torii.  That river has tons of tilapia, a lot of carp, some peacock bass, and some largemouth bass.  Even though tilapia are mostly vegetarians, you will still catch 50 to 100 of them for every bass you catch.  If you just wanna teach your kid to fish, some snails will help you catch tilapia all day.  There are also some big soft shell turtles in there.  Be careful if you hook one...they are faster on land than you think, and they can stretch their necks out pretty far....a 10 pounder could probably take a finger.
Here's a good place to park, to fish that area....Google "Yara Elementary School, Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan."  Follow the road that comes off highway 74 and runs past Yara ES (Elementary School)....take a left at the only stop sign there....and there will be a small parking lot on your right, almost immediately.  Walk out of the parking lot, taking a right (with your back to the parking lot), and walk along the sidewalk until you see a downward sloping road on your right (just past a small baseball area and about 200ft past the parking lot)  Follow that road down to the water.... you'll have plenty of legal shoreline down there.  I've caught largemouth and peacock bass down there.

Zakimi Lake.  It is off 6, past the turn off for Zanpa.  You'll have a left turn, just before a small bridge.  Follow that little stream up, to a park with a parking lot.  The stream has tilapia, and I have seen a couple bass in there, but never caught one.  On the far side of the park, there is a huge set of steps....the lake is on the other side of the steps.  When I first went there, so of the dam workers took me up there to fish.  I don't know if it is legal to fish there, but I didn't see any signs that said no.

Kurashiki Lake.  There are supposedly a couple days out of the year where they allow fishing on this lake, but I never was able to discover when....heard it is around September-October.  It's out of Kadena's Gate 3.  Follow 26 up to a 3-way light, and take a left there.  Then drive until you see a sign for the botanical gardens, and take a right there.  You can follow that road all the way up to Kurashiki.  If there is a lot of water, the little river does fill up, and that is legal to fish.  Bass do fall over the top of the dam if the water is high.  At the bare minimum, you should go park by the dam, and walk out on the bridge, to the tower.  Look down from the bridge, and you should see the occasional fish swim by.  There are some HUGE bass in there!!!  Easily some 15 pounders in there.  There are back roads to some areas of the lake...you'll need a 4-wheel drive.

Nanjo Lake.  Legal to fish, but tough if the water is high.  Trying to cut through the forest there is a pain.  Only place I ever saw a habu, all three of them in one day.  Nanjo is way south, more off the east coast.  Follow 329 south until you run into 331...it's a left turn/curve.  Take 331 down, until you hit 137, then take a right on 137.  Follow 137 to 86...hitting 86 really isn't a turn...just the name of the road changes.  About a mile after the 137 to 86 changeover, Nanjo Lake will be on your left.  Wait until you pass the lake, then cut through the farm roads, and drive back to the small dam, on the southwest corner of the lake.  There are tons of bass in this lake, but they are insane.  One day they will bite like crazy, the next day, they won't touch a thing. If you can get a kayak out there, awesome!  About half the time I went out there, I came across some locals fishing there too...there are a few bass fishing maniacs out there!
Recently heard this place is now fenced off....Don't know for certain, though.

There is another lake I fished.  I don't know the name, but if you go to Google Maps, and search "Higashi, Okinawa," it should be the bigger lake, just northeast from where Google puts the pin for your search.  It has a parking area way above the water.  There is also a big bridge over the dam, that also overlook the ocean.  I think it may be part of the Northern Training Grounds, but I'm not sure.  It is a beautiful lake, when the water isn't down.  I just hiked down with a pole and a few lures, and found some fish.  I talked with some guys that said they took a kayak out there, but I know they didn't go the route I went, because you can't get a kayak down the way I went!  I never took the time to research that place much because when I was up in that area, I was normally in the ocean, spearfishing.

Hope these tips help some.  Look up all these places on Google Maps, and use the regular view and the satellite view to find the best routes in.  I know there are more fishable lakes around, I just never got to them.  I found most of these by using Google Maps, and then just driving out to see if they were any good.