Lake Rweru is a shallow freshwater lake covering an area of 100 km² shared by Rwanda and Burundi, with the majority of the lake situated in Burundi.
To many, the lake is considered the furthest source of the mighty River Nile.
Lake Rweru at a Glance
- Lake Rweru covers an area of 100 km², with 80 km² in the northernmost part of Burundi and 20 km² in the southeast of Rwanda.
- The lake’s shoreline measures up to 76 km.
- Lake Rweru is fed by the Nyabarongo River in Rwanda and drained by the Kagera River from its northern part in Rwanda.
- The freshwater lake is very shallow, with its maximum depth being 3 meters on the Burundi side. Floating islands, papyrus, and marshes surround Lake Rweru, providing good habitats for aquatic life, including hippos and various waterbird species.
Fishery management restrictions are set on Lake Rweru as a conservation measure, with the maximum fish caught from Lake Rweru per year set between 200-250 tons.
Attractions on Lake Rweru
What attracts people to Lake Rweru? Well, the lake is surrounded by beautiful vegetation characterized by forests and rolling hills, which can be explored through established trails leading to viewpoints for an elevated view of the areas around Lake Rweru.
Activities like swimming, fishing, kayaking, and boat rides also attract visitors to Lake Rweru.
Activities in and Around Lake Rweru
Experience Lake Rweru by taking on any or all of the mentioned activities below for a rewarding experience:
- Boat trips and/or canoe rides to explore the different areas of the calm lake.
- Water activities like kayaking, swimming, and fishing on a catch and release basis.
- Bird-watching in the lake’s surrounding marshes and swamps.
- Go on a refreshing picnic at a shaded spot along the lake’s shores.
- Take time to visit any of the communities around the lake, engage with the locals, and get to know about their ways of living and how they benefit from Lake Rweru.
As with most tourist destinations, visiting Lake Rweru is best during the dry season, which has favorable climatic and weather conditions.
In the year 2014, a controversy occurred between Rwanda and Burundi when over 40 unidentified dead bodies in later stages of decomposition were recovered by Burundian fishermen from Lake Rweru near the Muyinga province, and neither country accepted that the deceased were citizens of their countries. But Burundi says that they were Rwandans.
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