Nile Perch

The Nile perch is native to Africa, including the Nile, Congo and Niger river systems, and it is also found in northern Egypt in the brackish waters of Lake Maryut. Humans introduced the Nile perch beyond its original range; it thrives in rivers, lakes and dams and can dominate all other species due to its size and aggressive feeding. In Africa, the most important attempt was in Lake Victoria. It was introduced to “improve the fishery,” but has resulted in the extinction of several local species and no real increase in fish biomass or catches. However, operators in Uganda and Kenya are offering Nile perch fishing trips. Beyond Africa, the Nile perch was introduced to Australia, where it is now a serious nuisance, and efforts are being made to get rid of it.

The Nile, or Goliath, perch, Lates niloticus, is one of the best known, and probably most loved, freshwater fish in the northern freshwaters of Africa. The species is important commercially and has recently become a sport angling target. Nile perch have a typical perch-looking body being elongate but robust. The species resembles the barramundi of Australia but is substantially larger. They have smallish eyes with black cores but characteristic bright yellow rings round them. The body is covered in large scales and is grey, often with a blueish tinge. The massive mouth is full of many small, sharp, curved teeth and it simply “gulps” in prey. Nile perch are the largest freshwater fish in Africa, attaining a length of 2 m. (6 ft. 7 in.) and a mass of 200 kg. (440 lbs.). Small Nile perch feed on plankton but, as they grow, quickly move to crustaceans and insects after which fish dominate their diet. Nile perch can live for 16 years and mature around 1.21 m. (4 ft. 6 in.). They’re usually solitary as adults but smaller Nile perch shoal as a defence mechanism against predators such as larger perch. Learn more from our blog..

Nile perch are ambush predators and often lurk around structure, but also move around looking for prey. Adults are usually solitary and patrol all areas of their domain while young fish tend to remain in shallow waters. The species feeds through day and night and the whole year with little daily or seasonal feeding patterns. Nile perch can be caught from the shore, boat or by wading, depending on circumstances and personal choice. Spinning, bait and fly can all produce good results in catching small Nile perch. Large specimens are more difficult as, in many areas, fishing pressure is great and few large fish survive. Local knowledge is essential to safely and easily find suitable localities with large fish. Really big specimens are caught mostly in the large lakes from boats. Most of this fishing is done using heavy spinning rods and live or dead bait. Medium spinning equipment, casting with artificial lures, can be excellent fun and productive while, in a few areas, fly fishing from the bank can result in the catch of a lifetime. There are a few large rivers where enthusiastic and well-resourced fly anglers can target large Nile perch. This is often carried out on dark nights and with large crocodiles in attendance and so this angling comes with an extra dash of adrenaline. Whatever your choice, Nile perch fishing can be an incredibly exciting, and taxing, experience that could be a highlight of any sport angler’s career.