Inland sport fishing is gaining prominence as a top leisure activity in Tanzania tourism. In Tanzania’s national parks and wildlife reserves, fishing is forbidden. However, the rivers and freshwater lakes in Tanzania provide visitors with numerous sport fishing possibilities.
During the rainy season, the country’s rivers and their tributaries are inhabited by plenty of fish and it is therefore a good idea to take a fishing safari after the short and long rains. The short rains fall in November and December, while the long rains are received in April and May. Some of Tanzania’s best inland fishing fishing grounds are Mwanza, Musoma, Lake Tanganyika and Rufiji River.
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, a port town on the Southern part of lake Victoria, is one of the popular Tanzania travel destinations for a fishing safari. At Mwanza port, you can catch huge Nile Perch and Tilapia. This port city is one of the best places to get started with inland sport fishing in Tanzania. Mwanza is the cultural centre of Tanzania’s largest ethnic group, the Sukuma.
Musoma, on the other hand, sits on the eastern edge of Lake Victoria near the Kenyan border and has plenty of Nile Perch - locally known as Sangara or Chengu. The port has plenty of boats to take visitors across the lake. Lake Victoria is the largest tropical lake in the world and second largest freshwater lake in terms of surface area. The lake’s shoreline is 3440 km and has more than 3000 islands many of which are inhabited.
Lake Tanganyika is another popular fishing safari destination in Tanzania. Stretching across four countries - Burundi, DRC, Zambia, and Tanzania - lake Tanganyika is the world’s second largest freshwater lake by volume after lake Baikal in Siberia. The lake is home to over 350 fish species , including the Goliath Tiger Fish and the Nile Perch. Lake Tanganyika has over 2000 plant and animal species, of which 600 are not found anywhere 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.
Fly fishing in Tanzania’s rivers and streams is also becoming a favorite activity for visitors to Tanzania.