Early in 2023 we were in the Magaliesburg area for a weekend and decided to visit Koster Dam since we were so close, and we’ve been meaning to go there for a long time. Friends of ours always raved about the dam, and told fantastic tales of clean water and lots of huge bass. We didn’t find either.
We blanked solidly. But there were reasons for that…
Fishing
We were there just for the day and arrived not knowing where to go and where we could launch our little rubber duck. We firstly tried Koster Dam Nature Resort but they were way too busy. Launching there may have been an issue in between all the carp lines in the water. We then carried on down the road to a lesser known venue called Apache Resort. This place suited us perfectly and seemed to be better located for bass fishing as it was much closer to the river (where the big bass were apparently).
The dam itself was basically flooded during this time which meant the water was a lot dirtier than usual. It also meant that there was lots of submerged trees and grass adding lots of structure for bass. This looked really promising as we left on our inflatable towards the river mouth.
Unfortunately we quickly realised that it was going to be a tough day. We didn’t get any action in any of the spots we were convinced there should be fish. This could have been a combination of the murky water, and the fact that the submerged foliage added lots of food to the water and the bass just weren’t that hungry. It also didn’t help that it was a scorchingly hot windless day which possibly drained oxygen from the water as well.
Either way we ended the day with one single bite, a small bass that we lost in the grass anyway. Here’s some of the scenes from our day…
Koster Dam venues
We ended up at Apache Resort which actually has a lot to offer, and is possibly the only Koster Dam venue which has accommodation (rondawels) and not only camping. There is also a big lapa, swimming pool and play area for kids. While we were there the bank was around 200m but that was just because of the high water level, normally they have a 1km stretch to fish from and lots of shady trees.
Other spots include Koster Dam Nature Resort where we stopped first. This place also looked pretty good with lots of trees and a big fishing area. Waterkloof Hengeloord is on the opposite side and they have camping and caravan stands available. And lastly opposite Apache Resort is Millvale Angling club which we couldn’t find much information about.
Here’s a map of the dam with the areas \ venues mentioned…
Summary
A tough day out on the water in sweltering conditions. We didn’t catch anything but it was a good experience and we were very impressed by Koster Dam in general. We’ll definitely need to return and redeem ourselves. And we’ll definitely choose Apache Resort again and probably overnight in one of the rondavels…
What worked
The only thing we got any action on was this.
(1 day)
nothing, just one bite
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