Because the lake is so sheltered, the surface is often mirror-flat in the mornings. Fishers set out before dawn in long dugout canoes — carved from a single tree trunk — and cast their nets to catch tilapia, catfish, and shrimp. The fish are then sold at the waterside market at the town of Togoville, where boats pull right up to the jetty.
Togoville, on the northern shore, is one of the most picturesque towns on the lake. It has colourful painted buildings and a busy Sunday market. You can reach it only by boat, which makes arriving there feel like a little adventure. The town has been an important trading place for centuries, and local artisans still make wood carvings and colourful textiles.
The lake is also popular with water-birds such as herons, kingfishers, and egrets, which perch on low branches above the water watching for fish just like the human fishers do. In the dry season, the water level drops and the flat sandy banks appear, where families sometimes come to relax in the afternoon shade of coconut palms.