Fishing in Namibia
Namibia offers two entirely separate fisheries and most visitors only hear about one. The Atlantic coast delivers world class shore angling for kabeljou, steenbras and shark, sustained by the Benguela current. A thousand kilometres northeast, the Zambezi and Kwando hold tiger fish. Both need a permit, and the rules on the coast are stricter than people expect.
The Cold Water Coast
The Namibian coast is one of the more productive fishing grounds in the world and the reason is the current.
The Benguela runs north from Antarctic waters along this shore, with upwelling cells pulling cold nutrient rich water to the surface. That feeds phytoplankton blooms visible from space, which feed sardines and anchovies, which feed everything larger.
For anglers the result is a shoreline that supports serious fish within casting distance of an empty beach, with close to unlimited space to fish it.
Shore angling here has its own culture, centred on Henties Bay, which exists largely because of it. Holiday houses, a caravan park, a strong club scene and competitions over the December holidays that fill the town.
Namibians and South Africans make up most of the anglers on this coast, and international visitors are a small minority, which is part of what makes it good.
What You Catch on the Coast
The prized species are the ones the club culture is built around.
Kabeljou, also called kob, is the headline fish and the one people travel for. Steenbras and galjoen fill out the top three.
Sharks are the other draw and they run large. Copper sharks, cow sharks, spotted gully sharks and bronze whalers are caught from the beach, and the bigger specimens are a serious proposition on shore tackle. Most operations run catch and release for sharks.
Blacktail, west coast steenbras and a range of smaller species round it out.
Boat based fishing from Walvis Bay targets snoek, yellowtail and larger pelagic species offshore, which is a different day out from standing on a beach.
Rock lobster, called crayfish locally, is fished commercially at Lüderitz and is not a recreational target.
Coastal Permits and Rules
This is where visitors get caught out, and the rules are more specific than most expect.
A permit is required for all recreational fishing on the Namibian coast. Permits are available from Ministry of Fisheries offices in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, and from the police station at Henties Bay, which is a useful thing to know.
Where you may fish is defined. Angling is permitted from Terrace Bay to Torra Bay inside Skeleton Coast National Park, from the Ugab River to Walvis Bay in Dorob National Park, from Pelican Point to Sandwich Harbour, and in the far south.
Bait rules exist and are enforced. Worms may not be used. Only red bait that has washed ashore may be collected, rather than prised off rocks.
Angling is prohibited entirely inside Cape Cross Seal Reserve, which surprises anglers used to fishing freely along the coast.
Bag limits and size limits apply by species and change, so check with the Ministry or a local operator rather than assuming.
Get the permit before you drive north. Henties Bay police station issues them, which is convenient if you are already there, but the Ministry offices in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay are the reliable option and both are on your way. Turning up at a beach two hours north without one leaves you either not fishing or fishing illegally.
Tiger Fishing in the Zambezi
The other Namibian fishery is a thousand kilometres away and completely different.
The Zambezi Region in the far northeast holds four perennial rivers, and the tiger fish in them draw anglers from across southern Africa.
Tiger fish are fast, aggressive and notoriously hard to land, with a bony mouth that throws hooks and a fight out of proportion to their size. They are the reason people book this region at all.
Bream and catfish are the other targets, with catfish reaching substantial size.
The Kwando, Linyanti, Okavango and Zambezi all fish. Most river lodges arrange guided trips with tackle included, and houseboats operate on the Zambezi and Chobe stretches as floating fishing bases.
A permit is required for freshwater fishing and lodges normally handle it as part of the booking.
When to Fish
The two fisheries run on different calendars and it is worth planning around.
On the coast, shore angling works year round. The December and January holidays bring competitions and crowds, along with Namibian and South African families. May to September is quieter and the weather more settled.
Fog is the daily variable on the coast in any season, and afternoon wind picks up reliably, which affects casting and comfort.
In the Zambezi Region, the dry season from June to October is the practical window, when roads are passable, floodwaters have receded and malaria risk is at its annual low.
Tiger fishing is often reported as strongest as water levels drop and clarity improves through the dry months, with the period around September and October frequently singled out.
The rains from January to March flood the roads in the northeast and raise malaria risk considerably.
Guided Trips and Tackle
Both fisheries can be done independently or guided, and guiding is worth more on the coast than people expect.
Coastal operators from Swakopmund and Henties Bay supply rods, bait and, most usefully, knowledge of which stretch is producing. On a shoreline this long, local knowledge matters more than tackle.
Shore angling equipment is heavy: long rods for distance casting, sturdy reels and strong line for the sharks. Bringing your own is possible and hiring locally is simpler.
In the northeast, lodges arrange guided boat trips with tackle included, and going guided is close to standard since you need a boat.
Fly fishing for tiger fish has a following and specialist guides operate in the region.
Catch and release is standard practice for sharks on the coast and increasingly for tiger fish, and reputable operators handle fish accordingly.
Fishing and Conservation
There is a tension worth being aware of here.
Namibia’s commercial fishery is substantial, employing around 16,800 people directly and contributing a large sum to the economy, with catch quotas running to hundreds of thousands of tonnes annually.
The same sardines and anchovies that support that industry support the seabirds of this coast, and declines in African penguin, Cape gannet, Cape cormorant and bank cormorant populations have been linked in part to that competition. Sardine stocks collapsed after heavy fishing last century and have not recovered to former levels.
Recreational shore angling is a very small part of that picture, and the permit system, bag limits and closed areas exist because even small pressures matter on a coast this particular.
Practically, follow the bag limits, release what you are not eating, take your line and tackle away with you, and stay off the closed areas including the Damara tern breeding grounds, which is why driving is restricted across Dorob.
The Orange River and the South
The third Namibian fishery gets almost no attention and it runs along the entire southern border.
The Orange River forms the boundary with South Africa from the interior to the Atlantic at Oranjemund, and it is the only permanent river in southern Namibia. Along its Namibian stretch it runs through severe desert, and the contrast between the green ribbon of the bank and the barren rock either side is abrupt.
Largemouth and smallmouth yellowfish are the target species, and they are strong fighters that have built a following among fly anglers in particular. Barbel and carp also occur.
Multi day canoe and rafting trips run on the Orange, camping on the bank, and fishing from them is a natural combination. Several operators work out of the Noordoewer area near the South African border crossing.
Crocodiles are not present along most of the Namibian stretch of the Orange, which distinguishes it sharply from the northern rivers and makes wading and bank fishing possible.
Access is straightforward from the B1 in the far south, which puts it on the same route as Fish River Canyon and Ai-Ais.
Where to Base Yourself
Henties Bay. The shore angling capital, with a caravan park, holiday houses and a strong club culture. Permits available at the police station. Competitions over December.
Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. Guided coastal trips, boat based fishing offshore, tackle hire and Ministry offices for permits. More comfortable than Henties Bay for non anglers in the party.
Terrace Bay. Inside Skeleton Coast National Park, permit required, angling allowed to Torra Bay. Remote and the northern limit of self drive access.
Zambezi Region. River lodges on the Kwando, Okavango and Zambezi, plus houseboats. Tiger fish, bream and catfish. Guided and usually with tackle included.
Fishing in Namibia Questions
Do I need a permit to fish in Namibia?
Yes, for all recreational fishing. Coastal permits are available from Ministry of Fisheries offices in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, and from the police station at Henties Bay. Freshwater fishing in the northeast also requires a permit, which river lodges normally arrange as part of the booking. Get the coastal permit before driving north.
What can I catch on the Namibian coast?
Kabeljou is the headline species, with steenbras and galjoen the other prized fish. Sharks are the other draw and run large, including copper, cow, spotted gully and bronze whaler caught from the beach, usually on catch and release. Blacktail and smaller species fill out the list. Boat fishing from Walvis Bay targets snoek, yellowtail and offshore pelagics.
Where can I fish on the coast?
Angling is permitted from Terrace Bay to Torra Bay inside Skeleton Coast National Park, from the Ugab River to Walvis Bay in Dorob National Park, from Pelican Point to Sandwich Harbour and in the far south. It is prohibited entirely inside Cape Cross Seal Reserve, which surprises anglers used to fishing freely along this shore.
What are the bait rules?
Specific and enforced. Worms may not be used. Only red bait that has washed ashore may be collected, rather than prised off rocks. Bag limits and size limits also apply by species and change over time, so check with the Ministry or a local operator rather than assuming. The rules exist because pressures matter on a shoreline this particular.
Where is the tiger fishing?
The Zambezi Region in the far northeast, on the Kwando, Linyanti, Okavango and Zambezi rivers, a thousand kilometres from the coast. Tiger fish are fast, aggressive and hard to land, with a bony mouth that throws hooks. Bream and catfish are the other targets. River lodges arrange guided trips with tackle included, and houseboats work the Zambezi and Chobe stretches.
When is the best time to fish?
The coast fishes year round, with December and January bringing competitions and crowds and May to September quieter with more settled weather. In the Zambezi Region the dry season from June to October is the practical window, when roads are passable, floodwaters have receded and malaria risk is lowest, with September and October frequently singled out for tiger fish.
Can I fish independently or do I need a guide?
Both work on the coast, though a guide is worth more than expected on a shoreline this long, since knowing which stretch is producing matters more than tackle. Operators from Swakopmund and Henties Bay supply rods and bait. In the northeast, guiding is close to standard because you need a boat, and lodges include tackle.
Booking Your Namibia Trip
The safari companies and tour operators listed on this website put trips like this together for a living and know which camps, guides and routes actually deliver. We are an independent guide to Namibia; we do not book or sell tours ourselves.
When you are ready, arrange your safari, tour or holiday with one of the recognised operators listed here. Tell them your dates and what matters most, and a real person, not a form, will handle the itinerary, park bookings and logistics for you.