Kakegawa Surf Fishing Guide: 5 Spots From Osuka to the Kikugawa River Mouth and Chihama

This guide covers the surf in Kakegawa, Shizuoka, on the eastern Enshu-nada just before Omaezaki. The Kikugawa River mouth gives this stretch a big feature, and it has a strong record for flathead and flounder.

Kakegawa is usually thought of as an inland city, but its southern Osuka and Daito districts face the Enshu-nada. The border with Fukuroi in the west is the Benzaiten River; in the east, Chihama beach continues into the Hamaoka sand dunes in Omaezaki.

Enshu-nada and the Kakegawa surf

The Enshu-nada surf runs for more than 100 km from Omaezaki to the Atsumi Peninsula in Aichi, facing the open sea and famous for yellowtail and flounder. Kakegawa has the Kikugawa River mouth as a big feature in the middle of a shallow beach. The western side (Osuka) continues the shallow beach from Fukuroi, and the further east you go, the closer it gets to the slightly steeper beaches of the Omaezaki area.

Kakegawa City notes that the Enshu-nada coast is a loggerhead turtle nesting beach, and that erosion and vehicles on the sand are damaging the environment. Part of the coast is in the Omaezaki-Enshunada Prefectural Natural Park. Here are the spots from west to east.

1. East of the Benzaiten River mouth (western Osuka)

The western entrance to the Kakegawa surf. The small Benzaiten River has a training wall at its mouth and tidal flats at low tide. On a long shallow beach, the outflow is one of the few clear features. At dawn, work both sides of the outflow, then walk east to Osuka beach if nothing bites. Benzaiten Seaside Park is on the east side. Fish from the sand and stay off the training wall.

2. Osuka beach (Obuchi / Sun Sun Farm area)

West Kakegawa’s main beach, reached from the Obuchi junction on Route 150. Locals sometimes call it after the nearby “Sun Sun Farm” produce market. A shallow beach with no big obstacles and few snags, ideal for covering water with lures. Fishing websites report flounder of 50–70 cm from November to January, with sardine, Japanese whiting and ponyfish as bait.

In winter flounder season, strong westerly crosswinds are common here. Bring heavier metal jigs or heavy sinking pencils that the wind does not push around as much. Surfers use this beach too, so check around you before casting.

3. Daito to Kuniyasu beach (Daito Onsen Seatopia area)

Between Osuka and the Kikugawa mouth. The Daito Onsen Seatopia hot spring near the beach is an easy landmark. About 1,160 catches are logged for Kuniyasu beach on ANGLERS. Summer–autumn 2026 records include flathead, small flounder, Japanese whiting and nibe croaker, plus small yellowtail (wakashi) and even skipjack, so yellowtail runs are possible depending on bait.

It is mainly shallow sand. Look for rips, lanes where waves do not break and water flows back out, and work the seams beside them. Wading into a rip is dangerous, so keep to knee depth. The Seatopia car park is for facility users; do not use it for fishing without checking the rules.

4. Kikugawa River mouth

The top spot on the Kakegawa surf. A large river mouth brings current, stained water and bait together, creating a clear feature. About 1,270 catches are logged for the Kikugawa mouth on ANGLERS. Of the roughly 50 most recent (July–October 2026), flathead was the most common, followed by black sea bream and flounder, plus seabass, yellowfin bream, trevally, barracuda and even greater amberjack.

I fished off the Kikugawa mouth from a SUP on 22 May 2024 and caught a flathead of about 50 cm, with hits from flounder and barracuda too; my friend hooked young amberjack and yellowtail (both lost). In early summer, the Kikugawa mouth is full of fish.

The best chance is when the falling tide pushes river water out. Rather than the middle of the outflow, fish the weaker edges and the line between stained and clean water. For flathead, keep a soft plastic on a jig head on the bottom. Beware of floods after heavy rain and sudden drop-offs near the mouth. Never wade into the river mouth.

5. Chihama beach

East of the Kikugawa mouth, Chihama runs straight into the Hamaoka dunes in Omaezaki, and they are often treated as one area. It is a little steeper than the western Enshu-nada, so even short casts reach depth. Summer–autumn 2026 records for Chihama (about 1,100 catches on ANGLERS) were led by Japanese whiting, followed by small and adult flounder, young amberjack, black sea bream and seabass. Think whiting in summer, flounder in autumn and winter. Hamaoka has a free municipal car park, so you can move there if Chihama is quiet.

Spot comparison

Fish and seasons

Kakegawa’s two pillars are summer flathead and autumn–winter flounder. Autumn yellowtail usually start in the west around Tahara and Irago, so check Aichi, Hamamatsu and Iwata reports to time your trip.

Safety and etiquette

• Loggerhead turtles: May–August nesting and hatching; avoid strong lights on the beach at night and keep away from protection markers
• No driving on the sand
• Parking: facility car parks are for users; never park on the road or farm roads
• River flooding: do not wade into the Kikugawa or Benzaiten mouths after heavy rain
• Life jacket: rips exist even on shallow beaches
• Respect fisheries: hold your cast when whitebait boats or set-net ropes are nearby
• Take your rubbish home

My take

Kakegawa is the hinge between the shallow western Enshu-nada and the slightly steeper Omaezaki beaches, with the Kikugawa mouth right in the middle. I think that terrain explains the numbers of flathead and flounder. My suggested route: start at the Kikugawa mouth at dawn, and if it is quiet, move west (Kuniyasu, Osuka) or east (Chihama, Hamaoka). Choosing by wind direction also helps: on strong westerly days, pick a spot where it is not a crosswind.

Read next

• Fukuroi Surf Fishing Guide
• Omaezaki–Makinohara Surf Fishing Guide
• Magochi (Bartail Flathead) Guide

MINAGIMAN

JAPAN ANGLER

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Born in 1994. Originally from Hyogo Prefecture, I moved to Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture in search of the sea. I am an Enshunada surf angler who enjoys surf fishing. I am also active on YouTube, and my fishing grounds range from Irago to Iwata.