Lake Kisale, Lake near Bukama, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Lake Kisale is a broad body of water near the town of Bukama in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, set within the flat, marshy Upemba Depression. It is fed by the Lualaba River, which enters from the east and connects the lake to other water bodies in the region through narrow channels.

In 1957, pottery and metal objects were excavated from an Iron Age cemetery at Sanga on the northern shore. The site documents the origins of the Luba people, one of Central Africa's earliest iron-working groups, living in permanent settlements by 800 CE. Grave goods include copper obtained by trade with the copper belt to the south.

The Sanga site on the northern shore of Lake Kisale has yielded pottery and copper objects from old graves, offering a rare window into early iron-working communities. These finds show that the people who once lived here traded metals with groups far to the south.

The lake is accessible from Bukama, but there are no tourist facilities on site, so visitors should bring everything they need with them. A morning visit offers the best chance of seeing local fishermen at work on the water.

Lake Kisale is one of about fifty lakes in the Kamalondo Depression, and the Lualaba River flows through it and neighbouring Lake Kabwe, so the two can be seen as expansions of the river bed rather than separate basins. The lake lies in Bukama Territory, Haut-Lomami.