Photo/Illutration Visitors set up their ice fishing huts on Lake Gandoko in Morioka before dawn on Feb. 6. (Koichiro Yoshida)

MORIOKA—Colorful ice-fishing huts in red, yellow and green dot the snow-covered ice on Lake Gandoko here that stretches as far as the eye can see.

The lake is located in Morioka’s Yabukawa district, known as the coldest place on the main island of Honshu.

Temperatures sometimes dip below minus 20 degrees, and the lake becomes covered with thick ice in winter.

But even this bone-chilling place is feeling the effects of climate change.

The ice fishing season for pond smelt opened on Feb. 6, the latest date since 1998 when such statistics were first recorded.

To ensure safety, the fisheries association of Lake Gandoko measures the thickness of the ice at several points every day. If all points show a thickness of at least 15 centimeters, the lake can open for fishing.

The ice fishing season on the lake usually lasts until mid-March.

However, the season ended on Feb. 20 last year, the shortest period on record, due to warmer temperatures. Holes and cracks in the ice forced officials of the fisheries association to make the tough decision to close the season early.

Fishing fans from within and outside the prefecture come to the lake each winter to catch pond smelt.

On the opening day of the season this year, cars arrived at the lake before 5 a.m., the time when the anglers are allowed on the ice.

They pulled sleds loaded with fishing gear and tents, set up their huts on the frozen surface and then drilled holes in the ice to start fishing.

Toshiya Ishikawa, 52, from Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, and his wife, Rumiko, 50, left their home just after 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 6. They had already loaded their car with fishing equipment three weeks ago.

“My husband took me here 10 years ago and I became crazy about ice fishing,” Rumiko said. “I love the tempura of fresh pond smelt. Even if we can’t catch anything, it is still fun to fish while surrounded by the great nature. I’ll come here every week.”

A resthouse next to the lake rents out gear, specialized tents and sleds, allowing beginners to easily give ice fishing a try. It also sells food that take advantage of garlic grown near the lake.

Two years ago, the resthouse created “sasukebuta hormone udon,” which contains local brand pork, for take-out. It prepared 3,000 meals for this ice fishing season.

Kazue Sugawara, the resthouse manager, waited for the delayed opening day with worries.

“We had been preparing for the fishing season since November. We earn almost all our money for a year only during the fishing season,” she said.

“I want the season to last as long as possible, even for an extra day. We’ll also cook for visitors the fish they have caught,” Sugawara added.

Larger and sturdier domed facilities for fishing opened on the lake on Jan. 23, ahead of the ice fishing season. They are equipped with heating systems and will be in operation until the end of March.

Visitors are allowed on the ice from 5 a.m. until sunset. Night fishing is prohibited.

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