Indian Ocean · Tanzania

Mafia Channel fishing forecast

83 Good of 100

Mafia Channel is a saltwater fishing spot in Indian Ocean, Tanzania. Anglers here target Indo-Pacific Sailfish, Striped Marlin, Giant Trevally. The most productive months are typically September, October, November, December, January, February.

Quick answer
Best monthsSeptember, October, November, December
Top speciesIndo-Pacific Sailfish, Striped Marlin, Giant Trevally
Score now83/100
Local rulesTanzania

Today’s verdict

Ranks #90 of 437 spots FishRadar scored worldwide today

Trending up — 15 points above this spot’s 7-day average

Score confidence ±4 points, from 8 live signals

The statistical model disagrees with the physics model here today — treat this score with extra caution.

Helping the score most
Water temperature+25.0Chlorophyll+18.0Current+18.0
Pressure trend
Pressure data unavailable
Best window today
05:00 · Light wind (0 km/h) and calm seas
Next solunar peak
major 07:17

Current conditions

Sea surface temp26.5 °C
Wind26 km/h from SE
Wave height1.0 m at 4 s
Current0.34 m/s toward NNE
Pressure1020 hPa
Depth42 m
Cloud cover100%
Chlorophyll0.54 mg/m³
Salinity35.2 PSU
Mixed-layer depth22 m
UV index0
Wind sea0.5 m at 3 s
Ground swell0.7 m at 4 s from ESE
Current shear (surface vs 50 m)0.34 → 0.26 m/s

The water is running true to season — within a few tenths of the September average of 26.4 °C for this location. The water is mixed to about 30.7 m, with the thermocline below that.

Updated 1 h ago.

What the score means at Mafia Channel

Mafia Channel currently scores 83 out of 100 (Good). Water temperature is 26.5 °C. 8 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +25.0
how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Chlorophyll +18.0
plankton density — the base of the food chain
Current +18.0
moving water concentrates bait
Waves +9.0
swell energy stirring the water column
Eddy energy +5.0
mesoscale eddies trap nutrients and bait
Wind +4.1
surface chop, oxygen and bait drift

What’s biting now

The model expects today: sailfish, giant-trevally, dusky-kob, brassy-trevally, black-marlin, spanish-flag-snapper, king-threadfin, chinaman-fish

Bite windows

Moon
Waning Crescent · 14% lit
Solunar day rating
50 / 100

Best months for Mafia Channel:

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Score history at this spot

30 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-09-08, 83/100

15 day(s) at 70+ in the tracked period

+12 points vs the same day last week

About this spot

Water type
Channel

Channels concentrate moving water and strong tidal flow. The bite often picks up at slack water and through the first hour of the flood or ebb.

Approximate bottom depth: 42 m

Access & shore

Fishable from shore · offshore-only

What you can catch

Best months by species at Mafia Channel

Indo-Pacific SailfishIstiophorus platypterus
Striped MarlinKajikia audax
Giant TrevallyCaranx ignobilis

Typical months; local seasons and closures apply.

Local regulations

Tanzania

Licensing:

  • saltwater-recreational — residents A sport fishing licence is required to fish for leisure in Tanzanian (mainland) waters under the Fisheries Regulations 2009. Sport fishing licences may be issued for a fortnight, one month or one year. "Sport fishing" is legally defined as fishing for leisure and not for sale — catch may not be sold. Inside a marine park (e.g. Mafia Island), additional Marine Parks and Reserves Unit (MPRU) entry/activity fees apply, and no fishing is permitted in a marine reserve without the Director's authorisation., non-residents Visiting anglers also need a sport fishing licence (fortnight / one month / one year) under the Fisheries Regulations 2009. A sport fishing VESSEL licence is 50.0 USD per vessel for citizens and non-citizens (higher fees apply for vessels linked to shore-based processing). Non-citizens applying for a sport fishing vessel licence must provide an introduction letter from the Local Government Authority, a passport copy and a work permit. Marine-park fees (MPRU) are payable separately when fishing inside a park.
  • charter — residents Charter / sport fishing vessels are licensed under the Fisheries Regulations 2009 (sport fishing vessel licence: 50.0 USD/vessel). Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) may be used for sport fishing, capturing live aquarium finfish, training and research purposes only. Deep-sea fishing beyond 12 nautical miles in the EEZ is licensed separately by the Deep Sea Fishing Authority (DSFA).

Check Mafia Channel before you go

Live scores update through the day. Get the full forecast, bite windows, and your own saved spots in the FishRadar app.

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Nearby spots

Explore 4 more fishing spots within 320 km of Mafia Channel.

Frequently asked questions

What fish can you catch at Mafia Channel?

Anglers at Mafia Channel target Indo-Pacific Sailfish, Striped Marlin and Giant Trevally.

When is the best time to fish Mafia Channel?

The most productive months at Mafia Channel are typically September, October, November, December, January, February.

What is the fishing forecast for Mafia Channel right now?

Mafia Channel currently scores 83 out of 100, based on live ocean and weather conditions — see the full breakdown on this page.

Can you fish Mafia Channel from shore?

Yes — Mafia Channel is fishable from shore (offshore-only).

Is the thermocline set up at Mafia Channel right now?

Not strongly right now — the water column is fairly mixed, so fish are less depth-locked.

How deep is the water at Mafia Channel?

The scored point sits over roughly 42 m of water. Depth shapes which species hold here and how the thermocline forms.

Fishing guides for this spot

Forecasts, not guarantees — check local rules before you fish.