ZAMBEZI FISHING MAP: ZAMBIA & ZIMBABWE
Fishing Hot Spots
From the Upper Zambezi and Victoria Falls to Lake Kariba and the Lower Zambezi, plus the Kafue, Lake Bangweulu and Lake Tanganyika. Tap any star or dot to see what it is and what to fish there.
More map layers
Fishing & access
Marine chart layers
Parks & rules
Safety: these are planning references. Use current official charts, weather and marine alerts and proper safety equipment before heading out.
Fishing Hot Spots by area
River towns, lakes and fishing camps. Tap one to fly to it on the map.
Tigerfish country
The Zambezi is home to the tigerfish, Africa's most famous freshwater gamefish, with a mouth full of teeth and a wild jump. Above Victoria Falls, the Upper Zambezi runs wide and slow past Kazungula, Sesheke and the Barotse floodplain. Below the falls, the river fills Lake Kariba, one of the world's biggest man-made lakes, where tigerfish hunt drowned trees and points. Below the Kariba dam, the Lower Zambezi flows past national parks full of game. Zambia's other waters add bream, catfish and the giant perch of Lake Tanganyika.
Rules and safety: you need a fishing license in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and park waters are usually catch-and-release with licensed guides. Hippos and crocodiles are everywhere, so fish from a boat with a guide and never wade.
On the bay, in the mangroves or on the ocean, the everyday struggles get left at the dock. For those few hours, it's just you, the water and peace.
BigJoe’s gear for the Zambezi
What BigJoe would bring to fish these waters.
As an Amazon Associate, BigJoe earns from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra and helps keep these maps free.
Map sources & checks
- Coverage
- The Zambezi River and the lakes of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Mapped features come from public datasets and can be incomplete or out of date: a missing reef, ramp or wreck does not mean it is not there.
- Map data
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — retrieved November 5, 2026
- World Database on Protected Areas (UNEP-WCMC & IUCN), Protected Planet — retrieved November 5, 2026 (license: Protected Planet terms)
- Hot spots
- 30 hot spots, each with its own source (tap any star to see it): every one is an OpenStreetMap/Nominatim named place (general position, not a pinpoint) cross-checked against GeoNames within 5 km.
- Protected areas
- 17 protected areas from the official list above, drawn in dashed red. National parks like the Lower Zambezi, Mana Pools and Victoria Falls allow fishing only with permits and licensed operators, usually catch-and-release; check the rules before you fish.
- Chart layers (Charts button)
- GEBCO ocean depth and OpenSeaMap buoys, lights and markers. GEBCO and OpenSeaMap are useful references, not official navigation charts.
- Weather & tides
- See Weather & Tides for this area: Open-Meteo weather and marine models. Tides here are estimated from a global sea-level model, not official tide tables.
- Dates
- This page last updated November 5, 2026. Each dataset keeps its own retrieval date, shown above.
⚠️ Planning reference only, not for navigation. Use current official charts, weather and marine alerts, and proper safety gear before heading out.
See something wrong or missing? Tell us and we will check it against the source.