Sport Fishing in Akagera National Park

Introduction

Akagera National Park is a protected area in Rwanda situated in the eastern region of the country along the international border with Tanzania. This National Park has an area cover of 1,122 square kilometers and is known to be Rwanda’s largest savannah national park. It was named after the Kagera River which flows along its eastern boundary feeding into Lake Ihema and several other smaller Lakes. Akagera National Park has over 10 lakes including Lake Ihema, Lake Shakani, Lake Mihindi, Lake Kivumba, Lake Hago, Lake Rwanyakizinga, Lake Gishanju, Lake Murambya to mention but a few.

The complex system of these lakes and linking papyrus swamps make up over a third of the park which is the largest protected wetland in Eastern Central Africa. However, amongst all the lakes in Akagera National Park, sport fishing is only done on Lake Shakani since it’s home to a variety of fish species for example tilapia, catfish, Nile perch, and many more. Lake Shakani is located in the northeastern region of Akagera National Park which is Rwanda’s popular spot for sport fishing. Other fishing destinations in Rwanda include the country’s freshwater bodies such as Lake Muhazi, Lake Kivu, River Kagera, and many more.

Sport fishing experience

Sport fishing in Akagera National Park is a unique water sports experience that allows visitors to challenge themselves to catch big fish. This experience involves catching and releasing the fish back into the water though after the sport one is allowed to take one and experience its taste. Methods used for this activity include gill net, spearing, shoot arrow, scoop net, cast net, hooks, and many more. Visitors are advised to carry their fishing equipment though there is a provision for them to hire the gear for a day from the park premises to avoid carrying extra luggage.

Sport fishing on Lake Shakani can be done by both professionals and beginners. For beginners, they can hire a fishing instructor for either a full day or half day allowing one to catch fish as well as learn about the different fishing methods used in Rwanda. Fishing on Lake Shakani can be either done on a motorized boat or along the Lake’s shores where a local guide leads visitors to specific areas where fish can be easily caught. Fishing on Lake Shakani is indeed a unique water spot experience since participants can also enjoy the sounds of nature as they cast their nets for example listening to the honking calls of hippopotamuses, different screeching calls of water birds, and many more.

Akagera National Park hosts occasional fishing competitions that take place every year on Lake Shakani. These competitions are announced each year though the dates are not the same. To participate in sport fishing or any fishing competitions in Akagera National Park, tourists are advised to prepare and book in advance through a reputable tour operator at least 6 months earlier. However, sport fishing in Akagera National Park can be combined with several other activities in the Park such as game drives to spot the big five and several other animals, boat cruises on Lake Ihema, bird watching, nature walks, and cultural encounters to mention but a few.

Cost of sport fishing in Akagera National Park

For anyone to take part in sport fishing within Akagera National Park, he or she must have purchased a fishing permit which costs USD 25 per person valid for one day, and USD 15 for children aged 6 to 12 years since this activity is only limited to people aged 6 years and above. In addition to the sport fishing permit, there are other costs to consider such as park entrance fees which go for USD 100 per person for international visitors, USD 50 per person for foreign residents, and USD 16 per person for Rwandan/East African country citizens.

Best time for sport fishing in Akagera National Park

Sport fishing on Lake Shakani in Akagera National Park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season that runs from June to September and December to February. During this period of the year, there is little or no rainfall, and the water levels remain normal which makes fishing often easy.

Accessibility

Akagera National Park can be accessed from Kigali by either road or a chattered domestic flight. By road, Akagera National Park can be accessed by driving from Kigali which is Rwanda’s capital through Rwamanga town and then proceeding to the national park taking about 3 hours. By air transport, visitors can access Akagera National Park by booking a chartered flight from Kigali to Akagera National Park. These chartered flights are organized and run by Akagera Aviation lasting for about 20 minutes.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

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09:38 08 Jan 24

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Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

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The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

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18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

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MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
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Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
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travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

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