How to fish in Stardew Valley: Seasonal & legendary fish, rod guide, more

Catching fish is one of the quickest ways to make money in Stardew Valley. Fishing is a crucial skill you need to learn if you want your farm to thrive in the game. 

Activities like mining and fishing are extremely important in Stardew Valley, especially if you’ve taken the Community Center route and need to complete the bundles.

Catching fish is one of the most popular features in the life-simulation title as it’s highly addicting and also makes a good chunk of cash fairly swiftly. Here’s everything you need to know, from how to throw a line to the rarest water-dwelling creatures in the game.

Contents

• How to fish in Stardew Valley
  • Casting
  • Fishing mini-game
  • How to get a perfect catch

• Types of fishing rod in Stardew Valley
  • Bait types
  • Tackle types

• Where to fish in Stardew Valley
• Fishing Skill in Stardew Valley
  • Levels & rewards

• All fish & locations in Stardew Valley
  • Legendary fish
  • Crab Pot fish
  • Night Market fish

How to fish in Stardew Valley

First thing’s first: to fish in Stardew Valley, you’re going to need a rod. Head to the beach and then speak to Willy on the pier. He’ll tell you that it’s important to him to carry on the skill into the next generation and gift you the Bamboo Pole.

To start fishing, you need to equip the rod, stand by a body of water and press the Use Tool button (square on PlayStation, X on Xbox, Y on Nintendo Switch, left mouse button on PC).

How to cast your line

When first throwing the line out, a meter will show up by your character’s hand: this determines how far it’ll go across the water, with red being close and green further away. In most cases, you’ll want it to go as far as possible.

Once a fish has bitten, an alert sound will play and “HIT!” appears on-screen. Quickly press the Use Tool button again to hook it and initiate the catching mini-game.

Fishing mini-game

When throwing your line, you’ll notice a moving green bar with a fish inside appear in the middle of the screen. The aim is to keep the fish inside the green section at all times until the progress bar fills up and it’s caught. If it swims out of the area, the bar decreases and if it drains completely, you lose.

To move the bar, you can either tap the Use Tool button or hold it: tapping keeps it in place while holding raises it upwards quickly. Different types of fish have different movement patterns, so stay on your toes. The mini-game can take a few tries to get used to – don’t get discouraged!

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Different fish show up in varied locations.

How to get a perfect catch

To get a perfect catch when fishing in Stardew Valley, you need to make sure the fish doesn’t leave the green bar at all when reeling it in. If it goes outside the box for even a split second, it’s impossible to achieve one.

If successful, you’ll get a higher quality fish as well as increased experience points towards your Fishing Level, so it’s worth trying to get the best catch, especially when you’re at a lower level.

Types of fishing rod in Stardew Valley

There are four types of rods in the game, each with its own improvements. All of them can be bought from Willy’s Fish Shop, though you’ll need to reach a certain Fishing Level to use the better ones. You can also buy a Crab Pot that catches shells and crustaceans overnight.

Type of fishing rod	Improvements	Fishing Level requirement
Training Rod	Easier to use than other rods	None, but only catches common fish
Bamboo Pole	None	None
Fiberglass Rod	Can use bait	Fishing Level 2
Iridium Rod	Can use bait and tackle	Fishing Level 6
Crab Pot	None	Fishing Level 3

Types of bait

Bait is used in Stardew Valley to catch the highest-quality fish. The Fiberglass and Iridium poles can both hold bait, which is used to attract fish quickly. Some baits have additional benefits, too.

Type of bait	Additional benefit	Price	Recipe
Bait	Causes fish to bite faster and reduces the delay before a bite by 50%.	5g	Can be crafted at Level 2: 1x Bug Meat
Magnet	Increases the chances of finding treasure by 15%. Does not affect the bite rate for fish.	1,000g	Can be crafted at Level 9: 1x Iron Bar
Wild Bait	Craftable bait that enables the user to catch two fish at once.	N/A	10x Fiber, 5x Slime, 5x Bug Meat
Magic Bait	Magic-enhanced bait enables players to catch fish from any season no matter the weather condition or water type.	5 Gems	1x Radioactive Ore, 3x Bug Meat
Deluxe Bait	Increases the size of the fishing bar and causes the fish to bite faster.	100g	x5 Bug Meatx2 Moss

Types of tackle

Like bait, the tackle is attached to the Iridium Rod. It also makes fish easier to catch, and each type has its own additional benefit. They last for 20 uses before breaking.

Type of tackle	Additional benefit	Price	Recipe
Spinner	Reduces delay before a fish bite	Purchased from Willy’s Fish Shop for 500G	2x Iron Bar
Dressed Spinner	Further reduces delay before a fish bite	Purchased from Willy’s Fish Shop for 1,000G	2x Iron Bar, 1x Cloth
Trap Bobber	Fish escape slower when not reeling	Purchased from Willy’s Fish Shop for 500G	1x Copper Bar, 10x Sap
Cork Bobber	Increases the size of the fishing bar	Purchased from Willy’s Fish Shop for 750G	10x Wood, 5x Hardwood, 10x Slime
Lead Bobber	Stops the fishing bar from bouncing when it hits the bottom	Purchased from Willy’s Fish Shop for 200G	N/A
Treasure Hunter	Increases treasure chance and stops fish escaping when there’s treasure	Purchased from Willy’s Fish Shop for 750G	2x Gold Bar
Barbed Hook	Makes the fishing bar stick to the fish	Purchased from Willy’s Fish Shop for 1,000G	1x Copper Bar, 1x Iron Bar, 1x Gold Bar
Curiosity Lure	Increases rare fish chance	Random drop in the Quarry Mine, Skull Cavern, Volcano Dungeon	N/A
Quality Bobber	Increases fish quality	N/A	1x Copper Bar, 20x Sap, 5x Solar Essence

Where to fish in Stardew Valley

You can fish in 14 locations in Stardew Valley. Some creatures only show up in certain places so it’s important to know where each fishing spot is if you’re wanting to complete your Collections menu.

Fishing location	Best fishing spot
Pelican Town	Anywhere along the river that runs in the south part of town
Beach	On the pier
Cindersap Forest	The pond in the middle of the forest
Mountain	The lake outside of the Mines
The Mines	Floors 20, 60, 100
Secret Woods	In the pond
The Desert	In the oasis
Sewer	Anywhere in the green water
Mutant Bug Lair	Anywhere in the purple water
Witch’s Swamp	Anywhere in the water
Ginger Island North	North of the docks at Ginger Island South
Ginger Island South & Southeast	Anywhere in the water
Ginger Island West	In both the ocean and the river
Pirate Cove	At the dock

Fishing Skill in Stardew Valley

The Fishing Skill tree has 10 levels, each with its own rewards and unlocks. It is increased by using a fishing rod or the Crab Pot, and raises your Proficiency, bobber height, and fish size, and decreases bite delay.

Levels & rewards

All fish & locations in Stardew Valley

There are almost 100 fish in the game, all with various locations, times, seasons, and weather conditions. Some even require you to be a certain Fishing Level before they start spawning.

Fish	Location	Time	Weather	Season
Anchovy	Ocean	Any time	Any weather	Spring, Fall
Catfish	Pelican Town, Cindersap Forest, Secret Woods, Witch’s Swamp	6AM – 12AM	Rain	Spring, Fall, Summer
Eel	Ocean	4PM – 2AM	Rain	Spring, Fall
Flounder	Ocean, Ginger Island ocean	6AM – 8PM	Any weather	Spring
Halibut	Ocean	6AM – 11AM  7PM – 2AM	Any weather	Spring, Winter, Summer
Herring	Ocean	Any time	Any weather	Spring, Winter
Sardine	Ocean	6AM – 7PM	Any weather	Spring, Winter, Fall
Shad	Pelican Town, Cindersap Forest	9AM – 2AM	Rain	Spring, Summer, Fall
Smallmouth Bass	Pelican Town, Cindersap Forest	Any time	Any weather	Spring, Fall
Sunfish	Pelican Town, Cindersap Forest	6AM – 7PM	Sunny, Windy	Spring, Summer
Octopus	Ocean	6AM – 1PM	Any weather	Summer
Pike	Pelican Town, Cindersap Forest	Any time	Any weather	Summer, Winter
Pufferfish	Ocean, Ginger Island ocean	12PM – 4PM	Sunny	Summer
Rainbow Trout	Pelican Town, Cindersap Forest, Mountain	6AM – 7PM	Sunny	Summer
Red Mullet	Ocean	6AM – 7PM	Any weather	Summer, Winter
Red Snapper	Ocean	6AM – 7PM	Rain	Summer, Winter, Fall
Sturgeon	Mountain	6AM – 7PM	Any weather	Summer, Winter
Super Cucumber	Ocean, Ginger Island ocean	6PM – 2AM	Any weather	Summer, Fall
Tilapia	Ocean, Ginger Island river	6AM – 2PM	Any weather	Summer, Fall
Tuna	Ocean, Ginger Island ocean	6AM – 7PM	Any weather	Summer, Winter
Albacore	Ocean	6AM – 11AM, 6PM – 2AM	Any weather	Fall, Winter
Midnight Carp	Mountain, Cindersap Forest, Ginger Island pond & river	10PM – 2AM	Any weather	Fall, Winter
Salmon	Pelican Town, Cindersap Forest	6AM – 7PM	Rain	Fall
Sea Cucumber	Ocean	6AM – 7PM	Any weather	Fall, Winter
Tiger Trout	Pelican Town, Cindersap Forest	6AM – 7PM	Any weather	Fall, Winter
Walleye	Pelican Town, Cindersap Forest, Mountain	12PM – 2AM	Rain	Fall, Winter
Lingcod	Pelican Town, Cedarsap Forest, Mountain	Any time	Any weather	Winter
Perch	Pelican Town, Cedarsap Forest, Mountain	Any time	Any weather	Winter
Squid	Ocean	6PM – 2AM	Any weather	Winter
Blue Discus	Ginger Island ponds & river	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Bream	Pelican Town, Cindersap Forest	6PM – 2AM	Any weather	Year-round
Bullhead	Mountain	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Carp	Mountain, Secret Woods, Sewers	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Chub	Cindersap Forest, Mountain	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Ghostfish	Mines – Floor 20, 60	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Ice Pip	Mines – Floor 60	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Largemouth Bass	Mountain	6AM – 7PM	Any weather	Year-round
Lava Eel	Mines – Floor 100	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Lionfish	Ginger Island ocean	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Sandfish	Desert	6AM – 8PM	Any weather	Year-round
Scorpion Carp	Desert (Fishing Level 4 required)	6AM – 8PM	Any weather	Year-round
Slimejack	Mutant Bug Lair	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Stingray	Pirate Cove	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Stonefish	Mines – Floor 20	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Void Salmon	Witch’s Swamp	Any time	Any weather	Year-round
Woodskip	Forest Farm, Secret Woods	Any time	Any weather	Year-round

All legendary fish in Stardew Valley

There are five Legendary fish, meaning you can only catch them once per save file. It’s up to you what you do with them, whether you want to keep them as trophies or display them, but they all sell for a lot of money if you’re in need of cash.

Fish	Location	Weather	Season
Angler	Pelican Town – On the wooden bridge north of JojaMart (Fishing Level 3 required)	Any weather	Fall
Crimsonfish	Beach – East Pier (Fishing Level 5 required)	Any weather	Summer
Glacierfish	Cindersap Forest – In the south, on the island shaped like an arrowhead (Fishing Level 6 required)	Any weather	Winter
Legend	Mountain Lake (Fishing Level 10 required)	Any weather	Rain
Mutant Carp	Sewers	Any weather	All seasons

Crab Pot fish

While the Crab Pot isn’t necessarily a fishing rod, you can catch certain types of sea creatures with it. Once you’re at Fishing Level 3, you can put them into any body of water and leave them overnight to see what you get. Ocean and freshwater have different fish so make sure you put a Pot in both.

Clam

Cockle

Crab

Crayfish (Freshwater)

Lobster

Mussel

Oyster

Periwinkle (Freshwater)

Shrimp

Snail (Freshwater)

Night Market fish

These three fish can only be caught at the Night Market event on Winter 15–17. You’ll go on a submarine ride and have the chance to go fishing. If you miss the opportunity, you’ll have to wait a whole year so make sure you remember!

Blobfish

Midnight Squid

Spookfish‏‏‎

So, there you have it, that’s all you need to know about fishing in Stardew Valley. Check out our other Stardew Valley guides and content:

How to use bait | Best games like Stardew Valley | How to catch Catfish in Stardew Valley | How to get garlic in Stardew Valley | How to get Iridium Ore in Stardew Valley