SPECIES

Officially you can find 32 different fish species in Lake Nasser. Some are pretty astonishing like the Moonfish. You will be most interested in the Nile Perch (Lattes Niloticus) and the Tiger Fish (Hydrocynus Forskalii).

Lake Nasser is the best destination in the world for Nile Perch, which only exist naturally in the African river systems and lakes. By comparison with other lakes in Africa, Lake Nasser is remote and sparsely populated; this isolation has allowed the lake to maintain an excellent quantity of big Nile Perch.

The Nile Perch is the largest freshwater fish in the world. The Guinness Book of Records lists an incredible 232kg Nile Perch caught by local fishermen on Lake Victoria. The largest reliable record of Nile Perch from Lake Nasser is a fish of 176kg (392lb). A few Nile Perch of over 100kg have been captured by anglers on Lake Nasser, our record is 108kg (238lb). Research shows that Nile Perch have a better chance of reaching record sizes in lakes rather than in river systems and there is every indication that there are massive fish still living in Lake Nasser. A magnificent fish, which resembles a giant black bass or a large Barramundi, the Nile Perch has pharaonic power and will test your equipment to the limits. Great attacks and violent head moves on the water surface are characteristic for this beautiful local fish specimen.

As for the Tiger Fish, it doesn’t reach such pharaonic proportions. However it is also very powerful and will surprise you by its acrobatic fight. Especially on light tackle a Tiger takes a lot of beating. Few fish have such a fierce fighting energy. Tiger Fish thrive in the lake and of the two species the most common is Hydrocynus Forskalli that grows to 7kg. Tiger Fish are related to the South American Piranha and just one look at their vicious teeth, leaves you in no doubt that they are savage predators.

Catfish also provide an exciting challenge. There are 18 species found in the lake, two of which are interesting for anglers: the Bagrus and more notably the legendary Vundu. If you hook a Vundu it will really give you an unforgettable fight. The local fishermen talk of specimens that have achieved weights of well over 100lb; the largest cat-fish we have caught to date is a 40kg Vundu and a 34kg Bagrus. Catfish can be caught while trolling, but you have a much better chance ledgering for them at night with dead or live bait on a single hook.

Finally, the famous Tilapia deserves to be mentioned. This fish is abundant in Lake Nasser. As small fish it is certainly one of the main food resources for the Nile Perch.