Kumisi Lake

About Kumisi Lake

Kumisi Lake has one of the strangest backstories in Georgian fishing. Back in the 1960s, this was nothing more than a tiny, hyper-saline puddle half a meter deep – useless for fish but prized by locals for its therapeutic mud baths. Then in 1967, Soviet engineers drained the salt water and pumped in massive volumes of freshwater from the Mtkvari and Algeti rivers. What was once a fishless salt pan became a warm, nutrient-rich lake covering over 5 square kilometers.

Today, Kumisi operates as a commercial recreational fishery. It’s the closest thing Georgia has to a managed pay-lake, and it delivers exactly what casual anglers want: reliable action, big stocked carp, and clean facilities.

Fishing Tips

• This is a put-and-take fishery heavily stocked with common carp, grass carp, and silver carp. Expect steady bites rather than wild challenges.
• Standard feeder tactics with corn or boilies work reliably.
• Catfish can be targeted in the deeper central areas during summer nights.
• Check current pricing at the entrance – this is a paid venue, and rates change seasonally.

The Story

The lake’s transformation is remarkable. Soviet planners literally terraformed a desert salt pan into a thriving freshwater ecosystem in a matter of months. The irony is that while most of Georgia’s wild fisheries are declining from overfishing and invasive species, this completely artificial lake has become one of the most consistently productive fishing spots in the country. It’s a strange success story built on engineering rather than ecology.