Cahora Bassa Dam and Lake

Cahora Bassa was completed in 1974 across a Zambezi gorge in Tete province, and the lake behind it stretches around two hundred and fifty kilometres, making it one of the largest reservoirs in Africa. It supplies power across the region. The lake is deep, steep-sided and known for tigerfish, and camps along the shore run fishing boats. The dam itself sits below the company town of Songo and can be visited with permission arranged in advance.

History

The name comes from the Nyungwe Kahoura-Bassa, "finish the job", and the project began in the late 1960s, with the electricity to be carried by a high-voltage line to South Africa; the lake is the fourth-largest artificial lake in Africa (Wikipedia, Cahora Bassa).

What you'll find

• The lake - around 250 kilometres of water in a steep-sided gorge system.
• The dam - the 1974 structure across the Zambezi below Songo.
• The tigerfish - the lake's best-known fish, targeted from shoreline camps.
• The gorge - steep hills falling directly to the water on both sides.

When to go

May to October is the cooler dry season and the most comfortable. Tigerfish fishing is best from September to December. Summer here is extremely hot.

What to expect

Dam visits require permission arranged in advance and are not always granted; photography near the installation is restricted. Tete province is severely hot for much of the year. Facilities at the lake are limited to a few camps.

Nearby

Songo is above the dam, and Tete is southeast on the Zambezi.

Key facts