Also referred as Lake Dweru, Lake George is one of the numerous Lakes in Uganda covering a Total Surface Area of 250 square kilometers (97 square miles) and extending for an altitude of 914 meters above sea level, and is part of Africa’s vast Great Lakes system much as it is not regarded a Great Lake. Lying within the Queen Elizabeth National Park, it drains south-west wards into Lake Edward through the narrow Kazinga Channel and can be seen within the western part of the East African Rift Valley showing its main catchment area within the Rwenzori Mountain ranges. Historically, it is said that Explorer Sir Henry Morton Stanley (28th January 1841 to 10th May 1904) was the first European to see the Lake in 1875 after following the course of River Katonga from Lake Victoria. Because he thought it was part of the Lake Albert, he named the Lake the “Beatrice Gulf” but on his second visit from 1888 to 1889, he realized that they were actually two different Lakes hence giving it its current name.
Like most Lakes within the region, Lake George was named after a member of the British Royal family-Prince George who eventually became King George V of the United Kingdom. With a boat ride conducted by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, tourists are able to spot different wildlife species such as Hippos, Crocodiles and a number of aquatic bird species.
This Ramsar wetland (since 4th March 1988) and its surrounding areas experience both rainy and dry season with the rainfall peaks being in May and October but the mean rainfall ranges are from 3 to 194 millimeters. Lake George features three main Islands known as Kankuranga, Akika and Iranqara and its inflows are Mpanga and Dura in the north-east, Rumi, Nsonge and Mubuku (from Rwenzori Mountains) but the primary outflow is the Kazinga Channel where it drains to the adjoining Lake Edward.
Things to see and do within Lake George
There are several wildlife species within the Lake such as Hippos and at the shores of the Lake like buffaloes, elephants, Uganda Kobs and elephants in addition to numerous aquatic bird species such as yellow ox-pecker, Pelicans, Black crakes, yellow-billed storks, Saddle-billed storks, African Jacanas, Little egret, African fish eagles and Kingfishers among others. Also, several species of fish are said to be found within the Lake and some of them include the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), cyclopoid copepod, Haplochromis nigripinnis and Thermocyclops hyalinus among others.
Therefore activities to enjoy within the Lake and surrounding areas include boat rides, nature walks, bird watching, canoeing and sightseeing among others. The surrounding Papyrus swamps of this Ramsar wetland area are home to the elusive sitatunga antelopes (the swamp-dwelling antelope) in addition to the extraordinary shoebill storks and other locals birds along the shores of the Lake.
Besides Lake George, other Lakes you can actually explore within Uganda include Victoria, Bunyonyi, Albert, Nabugabo, Edward, Katwe, Wamala, Mutanda, Kyoga and the Kabaka’s Lake (largest and commonest man-made Lake in Kampala and Uganda in general).