Africa
Fishing in
Rwanda 2026.
Fishing License & Permit · Fishing Times · Waters & Fish Species · Cost Overview
🌙Fishing Times 2026Best fishing times
·Rwanda-1.94°, 29.87°
🎣 Live catches in ruanda
2 verified catches
Not enough data (2 catches)
Bite-time forecast appears from 5 catches.
01
Fishing License & Permit
- License required?
- Yes
- Where to apply?
- At the Rwanda Development Board or through local providers.
- Cost
- Fishing permit: From 5,000-10,000 RWF (~4-8 USD).
- Validity
- Day or travel permit
- Available online?
- No
Rwanda — the 'Land of a Thousand Hills' — has Lake Kivu (one of the largest lakes in Africa) and is famous for mountain gorillas! Fishing + gorilla trekking is a unique combination. Tilapia and Sambaza in Lake Kivu.
Book fishing tours in Rwanda
Guided tours with local experts — recommended by locals
02
Rules & Regulations
- Closed seasons
- No general closed seasons. Observe national park rules.
- Catch limits
- Moderate limits. Tilapia: Regulated.
- Prohibited methods
- Dynamite, poison prohibited.
- Catch & Release
- Not common. Fish is an important protein source.
Lake Kivu has a special feature — there is dissolved methane gas in the depths! The surface is safe for fishing.
03
Waters & Fish Species
Top waters
- —Shakani-Lake (Tilapia + Raubfische, bester Sportfisch-Spot im Akagera-Park)
- —Ihema-Lake (Tilapia, atemberaubende Wildtierbeobachtung während des Fishings)
- —Kivu-Lake (Sambaza-Sardinen + Nil-Tilapia, kulturelle Nachtfisch-Erlebnisse)
- —Ruhondo-Lake (Tilapia + heimische species, landschaftlich spektakuläre Twin-Lakes)
- —Muhazi-Lake (Tilapia + Wels, ruhiges Gewässer near der Capital Kigali)
Target fish
Freshwater
Lake Kivu, mountain lakes with trout, rivers. All freshwater at 1,500+ m elevation!
Saltwater
No access to the sea (landlocked).
Starting from100 USD / day
Best season: Possible all year round. Dry season: June-September and December-February is best.
04
Practical Information
- Equipment
- Hardly available locally. Bring your own equipment.
- Fishing guides
- Lake Kivu guide + boat: 30-80 USD/day. Trout guide: 40-100 USD.
- Transport
- Flights to Kigali. Rental car. Good roads (cleanest city in Africa!).
- Safety
- One of the safest countries in Africa! Clean and organized. Malaria in lowlands.
- Customs & taking fish home
- E-visa online (30 USD). Gorilla permit: 1,500 USD (!). Fishing equipment permitted.
05
Cost Overview
License fees
4-8 USD. Cheap!
Guide prices
30-100 USD/day.
Daily budget
Budget: 30-60 USD. With gorilla trekking: 1,600+ USD/day (!!).
Read blog article →
Detailed guide: Fishing in Rwanda
Equipment
Recommended fishing equipment
View equipment for Rwanda →
Flights
Compare and book cheap flights to Rwanda with Kiwi.com
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Airport Transfer
Pre-booked transfer from the airport to your hotel or fishing charter
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Mobile Data
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