Tanzania is one of the best fishing destinations in Africa. Knowing the best times and seasons to fish these insanely rich waters will make a big difference for your success.
The best times for fishing in Tanzania are during the dry season, from June to October, when the weather is more favorable and fish are more active.
| Month | Tanzania Fishing Location |
| January | Zanzibar Island – Head to the pristine beaches of Zanzibar for excellent deep-sea fishing opportunities, with chances to catch marlin, sailfish, and yellowfin tuna. |
| February | Lake Victoria – Explore the vast waters of Lake Victoria, known for its abundance of Nile perch, tilapia, and catfish, offering exciting fishing experiences. |
| March | Rufiji River – Navigate the mighty Rufiji River in Selous Game Reserve for thrilling fishing expeditions, targeting tigerfish, catfish, and giant freshwater perch. |
| April | Mafia Island – Enjoy the tranquil waters of Mafia Island, where you can catch kingfish, snapper, and grouper in the warm Indian Ocean. |
| May | Pangani River – Experience the serene Pangani River, teeming with tilapia, catfish, and Nile perch, providing an idyllic setting for freshwater fishing. |
| June | Pemba Island – Embark on fishing adventures off the coast of Pemba Island, known for its rich marine life and opportunities to catch barracuda, dorado, and wahoo. |
| July | Kilwa – Visit the historical town of Kilwa and explore its surrounding waters, where you can target trevally, amberjack, and giant barracuda. |
| August | Rufiji Delta – Discover the estuary of the Rufiji River Delta, famous for its impressive population of giant tarpon and other gamefish. |
| September | Ruaha River – Navigate the beautiful Ruaha River and try your hand at catching tigerfish, tilapia, and catfish while enjoying the stunning wildlife of Ruaha National Park. |
| October | Ruaha River – Navigate the beautiful Ruaha River and try catching tigerfish, tilapia, and catfish while enjoying the stunning wildlife of Ruaha National Park. |
| November | Lake Tanganyika – Venture to Lake Tanganyika, one of the deepest lakes in the world, where you can target species like Nile perch and tigerfish. |
| December | Mahale Mountains – Fish in the crystal-clear waters of Lake Tanganyika near the Mahale Mountains, known for its remarkable population of tigerfish and other gamefish. |
This article will discuss the best times and seasons to fish in Tanzania. We will also talk about where some of the best fishing in the state is on a month-by-month basis.
Lake Victoria – Targeted fish: Nile Perch, Tilapia, Catfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from June to September.
Lake Tanganyika – Targeted fish: Tigerfish, Yellowbelly, Lake Perch. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from June to October.
Rufiji River – Targeted fish: Tigerfish, Catfish, Nile Perch. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to September.
Selous Game Reserve – Targeted fish: Tigerfish, Yellowfish, Catfish. Best time to fish: June to October.
Ruaha River – Targeted fish: Tigerfish, Catfish, Tilapia. Best time to fish: May to November.
Katavi National Park – Targeted fish: Tigerfish, Tilapia, Catfish. Best time to fish: May to October.
Lake Natron – Targeted fish: Tilapia, Catfish, Lungfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to September.
Lake Rukwa – Targeted fish: Nile Perch, Tilapia, Catfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to August.
Lake Eyasi – Targeted fish: Tilapia, Catfish, Lungfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from June to October.
Lake Manyara – Targeted fish: Tilapia, Catfish, Yellowfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to September.
Lake Jipe – Targeted fish: Tilapia, Catfish, Yellowfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to August.
Mtera Dam – Targeted fish: Nile Perch, Catfish, Tilapia. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to September.
Pangani River – Targeted fish: Tigerfish, Catfish, Tilapia. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to October.
Kilombero River – Targeted fish: Tigerfish, Catfish, Tilapia. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from June to September.
Wami River – Targeted fish: Tigerfish, Catfish, Tilapia. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to August.
Lake Burunge – Targeted fish: Tilapia, Catfish, Yellowfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to September.
Lake Babati – Targeted fish: Tilapia, Catfish, Yellowfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to August.
Lake Ndutu – Targeted fish: Tilapia, Catfish, Yellowfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to September.
Lake Chala – Targeted fish: Tilapia, Catfish, Yellowfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from May to August.
Lake Victoria (Mwanza) – Targeted fish: Nile Perch, Tilapia, Catfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from June to September.
Mafia Island – Targeted fish: Barracuda, Tuna, Snapper. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from November to March.
Pemba Island – Targeted fish: Sailfish, Marlin, Tuna. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from October to March.
Zanzibar Island – Targeted fish: Kingfish, Dorado, Wahoo. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from October to March.
Kilwa Island – Targeted fish: Barracuda, Tuna, Snapper. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from October to March.
Dar es Salaam – Targeted fish: Kingfish, Dorado, Tuna. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from September to March.
Tanga – Targeted fish: Kingfish, Barracuda, Snapper. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from September to March.
Bagamoyo – Targeted fish: Kingfish, Barracuda, Snapper. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from September to March.
Saadani National Park – Targeted fish: Barracuda, Tuna, Snapper. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from September to March.
Pangani – Targeted fish: Kingfish, Barracuda, Snapper. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from September to March.
Mtwara – Targeted fish: Tuna, Dorado, Kingfish. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from October to February.
Mikindani – Targeted fish: Barracuda, Snapper, Tuna. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from October to March.
Kilwa Masoko – Targeted fish: Barracuda, Tuna, Snapper. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from October to March.
Mafia Channel – Targeted fish: Kingfish, Barracuda, Tuna. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from November to March.
Zanzibar Channel – Targeted fish: Sailfish, Dorado, Tuna. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from October to March.
Mnazi Bay – Targeted fish: Kingfish, Tuna, Snapper. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from October to March.
Menai Bay – Targeted fish: Barracuda, Snapper, Tuna. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from October to March.
Kilwa Kivinje – Targeted fish: Kingfish, Barracuda, Snapper. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from September to March.
Tanga Bay – Targeted fish: Kingfish, Barracuda, Tuna. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from September to March.
Dar es Salaam Bay – Targeted fish: Kingfish, Dorado, Tuna. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from September to March.
Mafia Island Channel – Targeted fish: Barracuda, Tuna, Snapper. Best time to fish: Year-round, with peak season from November to March.
The best times to fish for Nile Perch in Tanzania are during the dry season, which typically lasts from June to October. They are most active during early morning and late afternoon. Some of the best locations for Nile Perch fishing in Tanzania include Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi), and the Rufiji River.
The best times to fish for Tigerfish in Tanzania are during the dry season, which is from June to October. They are most active early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Some of the best locations for Tigerfish fishing in Tanzania include the Rufiji River, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Rukwa, and the Selous Game Reserve.
The best times to fish for Yellowfin Tuna in Tanzania are during the months of May to September. They are most active during the early morning and late afternoon. Some of the best locations for Yellowfin Tuna fishing in Tanzania include the waters around Pemba Island, Mafia Island, Zanzibar Island, and the deep-sea areas off the coast.
The best times to fish for Kingfish in Tanzania are typically during the months of October to April. They are most active during the early morning or late afternoon. Some of the best locations in Tanzania for Kingfish fishing include the waters around Zanzibar Island, Mafia Island, Pemba Island, and the Tanzanian mainland coast.
The best times to fish for Wahoo in Tanzania are typically during the months of October to February. They are known to be most active during early morning or late afternoon. Some of the best locations in Tanzania for Wahoo fishing include Pemba Island, Mafia Island, Zanzibar Island, and the deeper offshore waters of the Indian Ocean.
The best times to fish for Mahi-Mahi in Tanzania are typically from November to February. They are most active during the early morning and late afternoon hours. Some of the best locations for Mahi-Mahi fishing in Tanzania include the waters around Zanzibar Island, Pemba Island, Mafia Island, and the offshore reefs and drop-offs in the Indian Ocean.
The best times to fish for Sailfish in Tanzania are generally from October to March. They are most active during the early morning and late afternoon. Some of the best locations for Sailfish fishing in Tanzania include the waters around Zanzibar Island, Pemba Island, Mafia Island, and the offshore reefs and drop-offs in the Indian Ocean.
The best times to fish for Marlin in Tanzania are usually during the months of November to February. They are most active during early morning or late afternoon. Some of the best locations in Tanzania for Marlin fishing include Pemba Island, Mafia Island, Zanzibar Island, and the waters off the coast of Dar es Salaam.
The best times to fish for Giant Trevally in Tanzania are generally from November to March. They are most active during the early morning and late afternoon hours. Some of the best locations for Giant Trevally fishing in Tanzania include the waters around Pemba Island, Mafia Island, Zanzibar Island, and the deeper offshore areas of the Indian Ocean.
The best times to fish for Dogtooth Tuna in Tanzania are typically during the months of June to September. They are known to be most active during the early morning or late afternoon. Some of the best locations in Tanzania for Dogtooth Tuna fishing include Pemba Island, Mafia Island, Zanzibar Island, and the deeper offshore waters of the Indian Ocean.
The best times to fish for Jack Crevalle in Tanzania are usually during the months of September to December. They are most active during the early morning or late afternoon. Some of the best locations in Tanzania for Jack Crevalle fishing include the waters around Zanzibar Island, Mafia Island, Pemba Island, and the Tanzanian mainland coast.
The best times to fish for Queenfish in Tanzania are typically during the months of November to February. They are most active during the early morning or late afternoon. Some of the best locations in Tanzania for Queenfish fishing include the waters around Zanzibar Island, Mafia Island, Pemba Island, and the Tanzanian mainland coast.
The best times to fish for African Pompano in Tanzania are during the months of November to March. They are usually caught during the early morning or late afternoon. Some of the best locations in Tanzania for fishing African Pompano include Pemba Island, Zanzibar Island, Mafia Island, and Dar es Salaam.
The best times to fish for Red Snapper in Tanzania are typically during the months of May to October. They are commonly caught during early morning or late afternoon hours. Some of the best locations in Tanzania for fishing Red Snapper include Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar Island, Mafia Island, and Pemba Island.
The best times to fish for Spanish Mackerel in Tanzania are typically during the months of May to October. They are most active during early morning or late afternoon. Some of the best locations in Tanzania for Spanish Mackerel fishing include the waters around Zanzibar Island, Pemba Island, Mafia Island, and the Tanzanian mainland coast.
Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Egypt. Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Kenya. Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in South Africa. Check out this guide for a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Cape Town.
