Lake Victoria – the Lake and Its Islands

At Kenya’s Western frontier lies the great expanse of Lake Victoria. This massive lake, commonly known as Nyanza, is twice the size of Wales, and forms a natural boundary between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

The lake is the heart of the African continent, the source of its mightiest river, the Nile. This mighty body of water is rich in fish life, with shimmering shoals of colourful cichlids and large Nile Perch.

Fishing brings many visitors to this lake, mainly in search of the Nile Perch, considered a world class game fish.

Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake, called Nam Lolwe in Dholuo and Nnalubaale or Ukerewe in Luganda, was renamed after Queen Victoria by the explorer John Hanning Speke, the first Briton to document it in his reports. The main economic benefits of Lake Victoria at the regional level are production and contribution to GDP of riparian states through different economic activities – including tourism, commercial fishing, commercial agriculture, employment, foreign exchange earnings, subsistence farming, livestock keeping, fishing, Rice farming, sugar cane farming, and small-scale trading.

Ports on Lake Victoria

The main ports on Lake Victoria are Kisumu port in Kenya; Mwanza Port, Musoma Port, Bukoba Port – all in Tanzania; Entebbe Port, Port Bell and Port Jinja – all in Uganda. Many smaller Lake Victoria ports are also in use.

Fishing expeditions in Lake Victoria

Fishing expeditions into Lake Victoria are easily arranged through Silverbird Travel & it’s also the perfect place to kick back and relax.

Lake Victoria supports Africa's largest inland fishery, with the majority of the catch being the invasive Nile perch, introduced in the Lake in the 1950s.

Lake Victoria Islands

1) Rusinga Island

Rusinga Island has an elongated shape approx. 10 miles (16 km) from end to end and 3 miles (5 km) at its widest point, lies in the northeastern part of Lake Victoria at the mouth of the Winam Gulf. Part of Kenya, it is linked to Mbita Point on the mainland by a causeway.

2) Mfangano island

Mfangano Island lies in the Northeastern part of Lake Victoria, at the mouth of the Winam Gulf. Part of Kenya, it lies west of Rusinga Island.

3) Ndere Island

Ndere Island is a small island (4.2 sq km) in Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria in Kenya. It was gazetted as the Ndere Island National Park in November 1986.