Africa
Africa Fishing Trips
Explore our selection of bucket list fishing trips in Africa.
Fishing in Africa
Destination Overview
Africa covers an enormous range of fishing environments. Tropical rivers cut through rainforest and floodplains, clear mountain streams run through the highlands, and the continent is bordered by both the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Add the offshore islands and atolls and the fishing changes completely from one region to the next.
In southern and eastern Africa, rivers such as the Zambezi, Chobe, Okavango, Mnyera and Ruhudji support tigerfish fisheries. The Orange River and the highlands of Lesotho hold indigenous yellowfish, while Nile perch inhabit major river and lake systems farther north. The Congo Basin adds goliath tigerfish and a long list of freshwater species found nowhere else.
The saltwater fishing is just as varied. The Seychelles offer flats and offshore fishing in the western Indian Ocean. Mozambique and Kenya have established billfish fisheries along the east coast, Gabon combines Atlantic surf fishing with estuaries and tropical rainforest, and Cape Verde sits offshore of West Africa in productive blue marlin water.
Target Species & Fishing Style
Tigerfish are central to freshwater fishing across much of Africa. Hydrocynus vittatus occurs through systems including the Zambezi and Okavango, while Tanzania’s Mnyera and Ruhudji Rivers hold the larger Hydrocynus tanzaniae. Farther into the Congo Basin, Hydrocynus goliath takes the fishery into another size class entirely. Tigerfish can be targeted with both fly and spinning tackle. On the Mnyera and Ruhudji, anglers fish from boats and work flies along fallen timber, steep banks, drop-offs and current lines. On the Upper Zambezi, flies, spoons, spinners and other artificial lures account for fish, with some areas also allowing anglers to fish rapids and rocky sections from shore.
Nile perch provide another completely different freshwater target. Uganda’s Nile system is closely associated with these fish, while Nile perch also occur alongside goliath tigerfish in parts of Central Africa. Heavy spinning and conventional tackle play an important role, while specialist anglers have also targeted Nile perch successfully on fly.
South Africa and Lesotho add a lighter freshwater side to the continent. Smallmouth and largemouth yellowfish are indigenous African gamefish and are well suited to fly fishing. The Bokong River sees smallmouth yellowfish migrate into its clear mountain water during summer, while the Orange River offers fishing for both smallmouth and largemouth yellowfish across very different terrain.
Saltwater fishing changes the picture again. In the Seychelles, anglers sight fish shallow flats for giant trevally, bonefish, Indo-Pacific permit and triggerfish using fly tackle. The same atolls also provide access to deeper water for dogtooth tuna, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, sailfish and other pelagic species.
Gabon and Angola is built around shore and estuary fishing. Tarpon, African cubera snapper, giant African threadfin, longfin jack, jack crevalle and Senegalese kob are caught with both fly and spinning tackle. Fishing takes place from boats inside the lagoons and estuaries and on foot along the Atlantic surf.
For big-game anglers, Cape Verde is blue marlin country, while Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago is associated with large black marlin. Kenya adds sailfish, blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin and swordfish to the list. Trolling, teaser fishing, pitch baiting and live or dead bait techniques all form part of Africa’s offshore fishing.
Seasons
There is no single peak season for fishing Africa. The strongest destination changes throughout the year.
The Seychelles fishing calendar runs through the Indian Ocean’s calmer periods, from October through April. Alphonse and Farquhar run across this wider window, while fisheries such as Providence have shorter November to December and March to April seasons.
Gabon runs from September through April, with the wet season feeding fresh water into the coastal lagoon and estuary systems. This period covers the main fishing for tarpon, cubera snapper, threadfin, jacks and other coastal predators.
Tanzania’s tigerfish season falls through the dry-season months, with the Mnyera and Ruhudji fished from the middle of the year into November. Early season brings higher water, while the rivers drop and warm as the season develops. On the Upper Zambezi, September and October are key months for trophy tigerfish and nembwe, while the Orange River’s Kalahari fishery peaks from October into December. Lesotho’s yellowfish season takes over during the southern African summer as fish migrate into the Bokong and other mountain tributaries.
Offshore, Cape Verde’s blue marlin season runs from March into late summer, with April through July forming the core period. Mozambique’s sailfish fishing peaks from July through September, followed by the Bazaruto black marlin season through spring and early summer.
Who Africa is For
Some fisheries demand heavy fly or spinning tackle and repetitive casting for tigerfish, GTs or tarpon. Others revolve around technical sight fishing for permit, triggerfish and yellowfish. Offshore anglers can focus entirely on marlin and sailfish, while freshwater trips can take anglers deep into river systems where fishing is combined with big five safaris and remote camp-based travel. Africa is great for anglers who fish across more than one discipline. Saltwater surf fishing has a major place here, but many of Africa’s fisheries are equally suited to fly fishing, spinning, jigging, popping, trolling and conventional tackle. The important part is choosing the right part of Africa for the species, fishing style and time of year rather than treating the continent as a single fishing destination.
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