Rednose Labeo
The rednose labeo is a native cyprinid of South Africa's Lowveld river systems — the Limpopo, Incomati, and Pongola basins. A bottom-grazing schooling fish, it's targeted by bait anglers fishing the warm lowveld rivers and impoundments like Flag Boshielo Dam.
Its seasonal aggregations make it a locally important subsistence and recreational target in the northeast.
Scientific Name: Labeo rosae
Also known as Red-nose mud-fish, rednose mudsucker
- Silvery-grey body with a distinctively reddish or pink snout — the feature that gives it its name and separates it from other labeo species at a glance.
- Underslung, fleshy mouth adapted for scraping algae and organic material off rocks and substrate — typical of the labeo group.
- Mature fish average around 27 cm; large individuals reach 49 cm and close to 3.6 kg, though most rod-caught fish are well under 2 kg.
- High dorsal fin profile distinguishes it from the similar-looking leaden labeo found in some overlapping drainages.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to South Africa's east-coast lowveld drainages — the Limpopo, Incomati (Komati), and Pongola river systems, including their tributaries.
- Also present in Flag Boshielo Dam on the Olifants River, a major impoundment in Limpopo Province where it supports a managed fishery.
- Favours warm, slow to moderately flowing rivers and large impoundments; moves through both deeper open water and shallow margins depending on season.
- During high-water periods it pushes into flooded shallows and tributary mouths — a potamodromous migrant that follows rising water to spawn.
Key Locations
- Flag Boshielo Dam, Limpopo — a major impoundment on the Olifants River with a documented rednose labeo population and active management research.
- Limpopo River system — the core of the species' South African range, including the main stem and its lowveld tributaries.
- Incomati (Komati) River basin, Mpumalanga — east-coast drainage where the species is native and regularly encountered.
- Pongola River basin, northern KwaZulu-Natal/Mpumalanga border — the southern extent of its confirmed South African distribution.
Specific Spots
- Rocky runs and boulder-strewn stretches where algae and biofilm accumulate on hard substrate — prime feeding ground for bottom-grazing schools.
- Tributary mouths and shallow floodplain margins during and after summer rains, when fish move in to spawn and feed on fresh organic material.
- Deep holes and channel edges in impoundments like Flag Boshielo during cooler, lower-water periods — fish hold deeper when not actively migrating.
- Muddy-bottomed bays and dam walls where detritus settles and invertebrates concentrate near the bottom.
Rednose Labeo FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Rednose Labeo?
Corn (whole kernel or fake corn on a hair rig) is the standout bait, consistently effective across different water types and seasons. Dough balls, bread paste, and boilies work well in slower dam water where fish have time to locate a stationary bait by smell and taste.
When is the best time to fish for Rednose Labeo?
Summer (October–March): peak activity as warm rains raise river levels and trigger spawning migrations; fish move into shallows and tributary mouths and are most catchable in aggregations.
How do you catch Rednose Labeo?
Most anglers fish for rednose labeo from the bank using bottom rigs with corn or dough bait, targeting rocky runs and dam margins in the lowveld. Locating a feeding school, often visible as fish working the bottom in clear shallows, and presenting a bait directly in their path is the most reliable method.
What do Rednose Labeo eat?
Feeds primarily by grazing algae and biofilm (aufwuchs) from rocks and hard substrate, a scraper by design. Bottom baits that sit on or near the substrate work best: corn, dough balls, and bread paste mimic the soft organic material it roots through.
Where do Rednose Labeo live?
Native to South Africa's east-coast lowveld drainages, the Limpopo, Incomati (Komati), and Pongola river systems, including their tributaries. Also present in Flag Boshielo Dam on the Olifants River, a major impoundment in Limpopo Province where it supports a managed fishery.
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