Fishing in Rwanda

Fishing in Rwanda is permitted at Lake Shakani in Akagera National Park for about $25 per person per day, the only place in the country where sport fishing is allowed inside a national park. Anglers bring their own equipment and keep what they catch. Lake Kivu on the western border adds traditional night fishing for sambaza, run by local crews from Rubavu, Karongi and Rusizi.

The two are entirely different activities. Shakani is a permit controlled sport fishery inside a Big Five reserve. Kivu is a working commercial fishery that visitors join rather than a service built for them.

Fishing Permit Costs at Lake Shakani

The sport fishing permit at Lake Shakani costs about $25 per person per day and is arranged at Akagera park reception. Park entry is charged on top and is the larger figure: $100 for one day, $150 for two days and $200 for three for international visitors, as published by the Akagera Management Company. The park operates cashless, so payment is by mobile money, bank transfer or card.

Equipment hire is limited, and anglers are expected to bring their own rods, reels and tackle. That single detail catches out more visitors than anything else, since Kigali has little in the way of specialist fishing supply. Booking the permit ahead by phone or email avoids arriving to find the day fully allocated.

Sport Fishing at Lake Shakani in Akagera

Lake Shakani sits in Akagera’s southern sector, close to the campsite of the same name and within easy reach of park reception. Tilapia and catfish are the usual catch. Anglers fish from the shoreline rather than from boats, since motorised fishing craft are not part of the arrangement.

What makes the setting unusual is the company. Hippos are audible from the water’s edge through the day and night, and water birds work the shallows a short distance along the bank. Rangers brief anglers on where it is safe to stand, and that guidance is worth following closely given the wildlife present.

Camping and Fishing Combined at Shakani

The Shakani campsite sits directly at the water’s edge, which makes a fishing trip and an overnight stay a natural pairing. Camping costs $25 per adult and $15 per child per night on top of park entry, and firewood is included. Hippos grazing near the site after dark are a normal part of the night, and rangers give a safety briefing on arrival.

Sleeping inside the park also lowers the entry cost across a multi day stay, since Akagera prices entry on a sliding scale over one, two and three days. For anglers wanting more than a single session, that structure makes two nights considerably better value than two separate day visits. See our camping in Rwanda guide.

Traditional Sambaza Fishing on Lake Kivu

Sambaza is a small sardine like fish and the backbone of the Lake Kivu fishery. Crews paddle out at dusk in three wooden canoes lashed together with poles, hang lamps to draw the fish, and sing through the night to keep the paddling in rhythm. The catch comes ashore before dawn and is fried and sold across the lakeside towns the same morning.

Visitors can join a crew for roughly $20 to $40 per person, arranged through hotels in Rubavu or Karongi the day before. This is not a sport fishing experience and there is no rod involved. It is a night on a working boat, and it is cold on the water, so a warm layer matters more than any equipment.

Fishing Rules and Conservation in Rwanda

Sport fishing inside Akagera is tightly controlled because the park is a protected area managed by the Akagera Management Company in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board. Fishing is confined to Lake Shakani and is not permitted on Lake Ihema or the other lakes in the chain, which are reserved for wildlife viewing and boat safaris.

On Lake Kivu, commercial fishing is regulated through cooperatives, and the sambaza fishery has closed seasons intended to protect stocks. Visitors joining a crew are participating in a licensed commercial operation rather than fishing on their own account, which is why no individual permit is involved.

Best Time for Fishing in Rwanda

Fishing at Lake Shakani runs all year and the permit price does not move with season. The dry months from June to September give the most comfortable conditions on the shoreline and firmer access roads, which matters if you are driving yourself into the southern sector. Water levels drop through this period and concentrate fish closer in.

The rains from March to May raise water levels and soften the tracks, though the fishing itself continues. On Lake Kivu, sambaza crews work through the year outside closed seasons, and calm nights produce the better outings. Occasional fishing tournaments are held at Shakani, which are worth asking about at reception.

Fish Species and Tackle for Lake Shakani

Tilapia and catfish make up the bulk of the catch at Lake Shakani. Tilapia respond to light float tackle and small baits, while catfish take heavier bottom rigs and account for most of the larger fish landed. Neither requires specialist gear, and a general purpose spinning outfit covers both comfortably.

Because hire is limited at the park, a practical kit is a medium spinning rod, a reel loaded with monofilament in the 8 to 15 pound range, a small selection of hooks, floats and weights, and a landing net. Barbless hooks make releasing undersized fish cleaner. A folding chair is worth the space, since all fishing here is done from the bank.

Working Out the Cost of a Fishing Day in Akagera

The permit is the small figure and park entry is the large one, which surprises most first time visitors. A single day for one international angler comes to about $125 once the $25 permit and $100 entry are combined, before transport. Adding nights inside the park changes the arithmetic, because entry is priced across one, two and three day bands rather than repeating the daily rate.

Fishing Etiquette and Wildlife Awareness at Shakani

Anglers at Lake Shakani are fishing inside a Big Five reserve, which imposes rules that do not apply on ordinary water. Rangers designate where it is safe to stand, and those positions account for hippo movement between the water and grazing ground. Hippos leave the lake to feed after dark and follow established paths, so blocking one is the main hazard rather than anything in the water.

Crocodiles are present, and cleaning fish at the water’s edge is discouraged for obvious reasons. Litter discipline is taken seriously across the park, and discarded line is treated as a wildlife hazard. Fishing after dark is not permitted, since the park closes movement outside the campsite once the gates shut.

Rwanda Fishing Questions Answered