Discover Inland Sport Fishing in Tanzania

Sport fishing in Tanzania inland is increasingly becoming one of the most popular leisure activities among tourists. Even though fishing in Tanzania national parks and game reserves is prohibited, the country's many freshwater lakes and rivers, which occupy more than 6 percent of Tanzania's total area, offer plenty of sport fishing opportunities.

Tanzania rivers and their tributaries host plenty of fish especially during and immediately after the rainy seasons. It is therefore most advisable that you take your sports fishing safari after the short rains in November and December, or after the long rains in April and May. The best fishing spots in Tanzania include Mwanza, Musoma, Rufiji River, and Lake Tanganyika.

Several tours and safari companies in Tanzania organize fishing safaris for sports fishing enthusiasts looking for rewarding fishing experiences in Tanzania. At the inland port towns of Mwanza and Musoma on the shores of Lake Victoria, you can also find many friendly boatmen who can allow you to accompany them on their daily fishing trips. Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, is home to many tropical freshwater fish species, some of which are exported to aquariums all over the world.

Mwanza town, a port city on the Southern part of lake Victoria, is one of the best places to get started with sports fishing in Tanzania. Mwanza hosts huge Nile Perch and Tilapia, and is without doubt a popular safari destination for a fishing safari in Tanzania. Mwanza is also the cultural centre of the Sukuma, Tanzania's largest ethnic group.

Musoma, another port city on the Eastern shores of Lake Victoria, is a good fishing spot for catching the Nile Perch - known by the locals as Sangara or Chengu. You will find at Musoma, plenty of boats to take visitors across the lake. With a 3440 km shoreline and over 3000 islands-some inhabited-Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and also the largest tropical lake.

Lake Tanganyika, the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume after Lake Baikal, is also a popular fishing spot in Tanzania. The lake hosts over 350 fish species including the Nile Perch and the Goliath Tiger Fish. Lake Tanganyika stretches across Tanzania, Burundi, DRC, and Zambia, with Tanzania having the largest share. Among the over 2000 plant and animal species found in Lake Tanganyika, about 600 are unique and found nowhere else in the world.

The largest river in Tanzania, Rufiji River, provides opportunity for both salty water and freshwater fishing. The 21 lakes in the Rufiji floodplain area, plus the hundreds of ponds and creeks are the grounds for freshwater fishing. During the annual floods, these lakes and creeks fill up and yield good fish catches. Saltwater fishing takes place at the sandbanks off the Rufiji Delta near the coast, where good conditions exist for prawn fishing.

Aside from inland sport fishing, fly fishing along the rivers and large streams of Tanzania is also a popular activity among visitors.