Enjoy smelt fishing at Lake Abashiri without bringing anything with you. Lake Abashiri boasts the highest smelt catch in Hokkaido, so you can enjoy smelt fishing in a simple and hassle-free way. All you need to do is rent a fishing gear set (fishing fee included), so as long as you're fully prepared for the cold, you can start fishing right away. Lake Abashiri is also a brackish lake connected to the Sea of Okhotsk via the Abashiri River. Smelt that descend into the sea swim upstream, so you can target smelt over 10 cm in length.