The KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa has a rich assortment of natural and manmade lakes, floodplains, dams and rivers. All are stocked with varied fish species, from the hardy catfish to the tiger fish, rated the world’s best freshwater gamefish. Lake Jozini in the northern section of the province, in an area known as the Elephant Coast, is recognised for excellent tiger fishing. It’s the country’s 3rd largest dam and is fed by the Pongola (trough) River.
Rainfall in KwaZulu-Natal meets the world average and fishing is generally possible throughout the year. The province has lots of sunny days and annual temperatures hover around the 21° Celsius mark.
The Durban fishing lodges in the north of KwaZulu-Natal Province affords the avid angler an opportunity to fish both freshwater species at Lake Jozini and saltwater fishing at Kosi Bay. As an added attraction, the area is surrounded by nature reserve for excellent game viewing.
Top 5 reasons to visit Durban Fishing Lodges
1. Charter a boat and enjoy a day on Lake Jozini. Spend the time fishing, sun tanning and watching wildlife on the lake shores.
2. Take a game drive or guided walk in the Pongola Nature Reserve for a chance to see 4 of the Big 5 (elephant, leopard, rhino and buffalo). The park has a set of elephant twins, extremely rare in the wild.
3. Birdlife in this area is prolific and over 350 species have been officially recorded. One of the most peaceful sounds is the cry of the fish eagle over a lake at sunset.
4. Travel to Kosi Bay to try your hand at fishing from the pristine beaches. Other popular activities here are swimming, snorkelling and diving the reefs.
5. Opt for a boat cruise at sunset to watch the sun travel behind the mountains before the fireflies appear to light up the lake.
Transport
The nearest airport is King Shaka International Airport, 330km from Lake Jozini. There is an airstrip at Jozini for incoming chartered flights, ask your host for more details. Car Rental agencies operate in most large cities. Collect a vehicle from the airport or you could order a rental online. There are no taxi services in the region, however, several tour operators offer shuttle services from the main centres to the Durban fishing lodges.
Did you know?
The town of Jozini was originally established to house dam construction workers. Jozini is named after a local tribal chief.
The local Thonga people in northern KwaZulu-Natal use weaved baskets known as isifonyo to catch fish in the lake and rivers.
This section of the Elephant Coast is a low risk malaria region.
