Lake Victoria Depth, Size, Activities and Location

Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake and the Nile’s primary reservoir, mainly spans Tanzania and Uganda, with a border touching Kenya. Covering an area of 26,828 square miles (69,484 square kilometers), it ranks second in size among the world’s freshwater lakes, surpassed only by North America’s Lake Superior. The lake has an irregular quadrilateral shape, with deeply indented shores except on the west. Its maximum length is 210 miles (337 kilometers) from north to south, and its widest point measures 150 miles (240 kilometers). The coastline stretches beyond 2,000 miles (3,220 kilometers). Lake Victoria’s waters occupy a shallow basin in the center of the vast plateau lying between the Western and Eastern Rift Valleys. (Refer to the East African Rift System.) The lake’s surface elevation is 3,720 feet (1,134 meters) above sea level, with a maximum confirmed depth of 270 feet (82 meters). It encompasses many archipelagos and reefs, often just beneath the clear water’s surface. Home to over 200 fish species, the economically significant Tilapia stands out. The lake’s basin spans 92,240 square miles (238,900 square kilometers).

The lake’s shoreline presents diverse landscapes. Its southwestern edge features cliffs rising 300 feet (90 meters), transitioning to papyrus and ambatch swamps along the western shore, indicative of the Kagera River’s delta. The northern shore is deeply indented and stark. A slender channel opens into the Kavirondo Gulf, averaging 16 miles (25 kilometers) in width and stretching eastward for 40 miles (64 kilometers) towards Kisumu, Kenya. The Ugandan cities of Kampala and Entebbe are situated along or near the northern coast. Speke Gulf lies at the lake’s southeastern edge, while Emin Pasha Gulf is at the southwestern tip. Among the lake’s numerous islands, Ukerewe, just north of Speke Gulf, is the largest, with forested hills ascending 650 feet (200 meters) above the lake’s level, supporting a dense population. The Sese archipelago, comprising 62 islands, is located at the lake’s northwestern corner.