I am going to start documenting some of my family trips in Korea. I usually fit a little bit of fishing into these trips, but it’s not the main focus. My wife likes to find spots that have good value that haven’t been discovered yet. I use a cheap Airbnb when I go on my solo fishing specific trips. Hopefully by sharing these I can give you some ideas about what Korea has to offer.
Hotel Tops Ten sits on a bluff over looking the ocean. By my account there seems to be a functioning light house or signal post on the hotel grounds, and the hotel functions as a beacon of sorts too. There are not many walking trails around the hotel. For the best walking you need to head down to the costal walking path. There are some impressive rocks that the surf crashes against during high tide. During low tide- adventurous surf fisherman can be spotted scaling the rocks.
The hotel amenities are average at best. There is an indoor pool and spa that I have never used, but maybe nice for families. The breakfast is decent too, but nothing to write home about. The rooms however are very comfortable. The beds are big and the rooms are spacious with massive windows. Make sure you get one overlooking the ocean. There is also a shuttle that can pick you up from Gangneung Station and Bus Terminal. Sometimes my wife and mother in law will take the bus and arrive several days before I do. I drive from Seoul and join them for the tale end of the trip. Now to the good part- the fishing.
Gangneung has two small reservoirs that hold bass, Janghyeong and Jukheon. It seems that Jukheon gets more angling pressure. I don’t know if that has any bearing on the fishing. I have also caught bluegill in Jukeon. The fish at Jangyeong aren’t so big (10-14 inches) and I think this is due to a regular harvest by the locals. With that being said it is quite easy to catch 20 dinks in a couple of hours.
There are also plenty of ocean fishing possibilities. Most anglers are soaking bait on the bottom for small flounder and rock fish. If you can venture out a little further it is possible to catch Spanish mackerel and the occasional yellow tail. There are local anglers that fish from the beach, but I am certain that they understand the migration patterns of the fish and are only out there on the best days.
Osip Stream is a big draw for fresh water stream fishing. It gets a huge run of dace in the spring. There is also a trout hatchery located on the stream that lets out the occasional rainbow trout. The stream is also full of pale chubs. The cherry trout fishing has decline significantly due to construction. Some of the best habitat was destroyed. However- I do visit every year and the insect population is getting better. Hopefully the fishing comes back. The cherries are lucky if they get to spawn and of course they can only spawn once in their life.
Here is a link to Hotel Tops Ten