- Fishing in Stardew Valley - this is the main guide to the Fishing skill. Learn all about crab pots, fishing spots, bait and tackle here as well as other perks to using the fishing skill.
Stardew Valley: Fishing
Fishing Spots, Mechanics, and Crab Pots
This is perhaps the best fishing spot in Pelican Town. There are even more spots spread around the map, though you can fish anywhere with water. You're less likely to catch junk in a good fishing spot.Stardew Valley's Fishing Skill is one of the most profitable and engaging in the game. Players who advance this skill can find plenty of money through catches, complete bundles, and even locate artifacts to donate to the museum. This guide to fishing will direct you toward learning how to fish and use bait, describe what makes a good fishing spot, and help you to succeed in completing bundles.
Get Started Fishing
Willy will give you your first pole. He also runs the fish shop, where you can buy bait later on when you've got the fiberglass fishing rod.Visit Willy on the Docks to get a pole. He will give you a Bamboo Fishing Pole which lets you start fishing, and one can be bought from him for 500G. This rod cannot use bait, but at fishing level 2 you will learn the bait recipe so you can craft your own, and also be able to buy it from Willy for 5G each - very cheap. At that point Willy will sell you a rod for 1500G that can use bait, and your ability to catch bulk fish will greatly improve.
How to Fish & How to Use Bait
The fishing mini-game is how fish are caught. So long as the green rectangle is behind the fish, the right bar will fill up. Read the guide linked below for more detailed info on how to fish.I've written two guides that help with these common questions, so see no reason to repeat it in great detail here. To fish you step up to the shore, use the fishing rod to cast a line (closer to max is better) and then play the fishing mini-game. The goal is to keep the fish inside the green rectangle (which is what you control by clicking and holding the button). Learning when to click quickly to keep it stable and when to hold it for a fast shot upward are essential. If you've having trouble fishing, see How to Fish in Stardew Valley. As for how to use bait, it is equipped by 'picking up' the bait in the inventory screen, hovering over the pole and right-clicking. You'll do something similar with an Xbox controller. For more information on this, see: How to Use Bait and Tackle. The differences in bait and tackle are explained below.
Fishing Skill Experience & Proficiency
Fishing Skill XP is gained by catching fish only. Re-casting the line does nothing. The more successful your catch, the more skill experience you'll get. So it's a bit of a grind, but there are things that can help. You'll get better fishing poles, bait, and eventually tackle that make fishing easier. With each level gained, you gain proficiency with the pole. This helps reduce the energy consumption of casting the line. This doesn't matter much early on, but when you're using bait and in a good spot fish do bite rather frequently and energy drain becomes more of a problem. Proficiency offsets that drain.
Fishing poles cannot be upgraded like other tools. Rods are bought from Willy when your level is high enough to use them. There are three in total - Bamboo, Fiberglass, and Iridum Rods.As you level up fishing, you'll unlock more craftable recipes - both new structures that can help you (such as the recycling station) and new types of bait and tackle. Most of the baits and tackle will become available for purchase at Willy's Fish Shop on the beachside dock when you learn to craft them.
Finally, another benefit of leveling fishing is that the fishing mini-game itself becomes easier. Fish move less frantically (you have more control) and the green bar becomes longer, making it easier to keep the fish inside it. This makes it very easy to catch average fish, especially with tackle attached to the rod.
Fishing by Season
Different fish are available based upon the time of day and the current season. There are a number of spots that rotate through different fish offerings, as well as a few secret fishing spots. See these guides for information on Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Fish.Fishing Skill Crafting Unlocks
Fishing skill experience is gained by catching fish. As you level, you learn to craft bait and tackle as well as few unique things that help make the most of fishing. Any bait you unlock can be bought from Willy once it's available.
- Level 1 - None (just +1 Rod Proficiency)
- Level 2 - Bait is able to be bought and craftable. You can buy the Fiberglass Fishing Pole from Willy at the Fish Shop by the Docks
- Level 3 - Can build and buy Crab Pots. Dish O' The Sea is available as a cooking recipe (raises fishing level)
- Level 4 - Recycling Machine can be crafted (turns junk like trash and glasses into crafting materials)
- Level 5 - Choose between Fisher and Trapper Professions
- Level 6 - Spinner and Trap Bobber types of tackle both craftable and can be bought. You can also buy the Iridum Fishing Rod from Willy at the Fish Shop
- Level 7 - Cork Bobber and Treasure Hunter tackle now craftable and buyable
- Level 8 - Worn bin now craftable, as well as the Barbed Hook and Dressed Spinner tackle.
- Level 9 - Magnet bait (increases treasure chest chance) can be crafted and bought
- Level 10 - Choose based on your level 5 pick - Fisher can select between Angler and Pirate professions, Trapper can choose between Mariner and Luremaster professions
Crab Pots - Passive Fishing for Lobster & Crab
Placing Crab Pots along the beach. To complete the Crab Pot Bundle at the Community Center, I'd need to catch fish from the river and lake as well.Crab Pots can be crafted starting at level 3. Place these next to the shore, bait them, and come back the next day to see if they've caught anything. The best thing about these is that the catches do contribute to your fishing skill experience. Additionally, they're passive income and you can turn some of the catches in for the Crab Pot Bundle at the Community Center.
Crab Pots catch items based upon the zone they're in, not specific locations on the beach. There's no right place to put them.A player on Reddit tested whether the better baits affect crab pots, and it would seem the answer is no - not in any measureable way. You can see the results here. Baits reduce bite time, so it's not too surprising (they are not supposed to affect quality of catches). Additionally, it is worth noting that with crab pots there's no bad place to set them. Try to put them in a line so they're easy to collect. Place them on the beach, lake, and river, and you'll catch different types of fish. Some are found in only one type of location, but the physical spot the crab pot is in does not otherwise matter.
Good Fishing Spots
A great fishing spot in the Mountains of Stardew ValleyA good fishing spot is an area where you can cast the line far from any land where you're able to walk. So the center of a skinny river is bad (if you can walk on both sides), and right next to the beach isn't very good. Instead, look for places like those pictured below. Wider areas in rivers, on the docks, and up near the mountain, you can find spots where you can hit deep water with the fishing line and catch more fish and less trash. In general if half of your catches are trash, you're not in a good fishing spot. Good fishing spots are also where you will catch legendary fish. As long as the spot you've picked is average you will catch a lot more fish than trash and also avoid some of the harder fish you can't catch until you're level 6+.
Fishing Spots Map
Click to Enlarge. This map of fishing spots gives you a good idea where you can catch all the fish in Stardew Valley. Look for areas that are similar to what I've described above.
Controlling When Casting the Line
When you cast the fishing line, you actually have control over where it lands. This can let you hit awkward locations that are actually better fishing spots. Right after you hit the button to lock the bar and begin the cast, hold one of the buttons - mainly left or right, though diagonal may be possible as well. This actually makes a huge difference in some fishing spots, as you can get just a tiny bit further away from land!
Play the fishing game at the Stardew Valley Fair (in Fall) to get a Stardrop, which raises your maximum energy. Come with a thousand or two gold so you can afford to do it a number of times as you've got to grind star tokens.
Bait and Tackle
While normal bait increases the rate that fish will bite, speeding up the process, tackle has varied effects. Tackle is equipped just like bait - the Iridium Rod has slots for both bait and tackle.- Spinner (Fishing Level 6) - Increases the rate that fish will bite.
- Lead Bobber (Fishing Level 6) - Stops the bar bouncing when it hits the bottom of the frame during the fishing minigame. Not useful very often.
- Trap Bobber (Fishing Level 6) - Makes the fishing minigame bar drop slower, meaning you don't have to click as fast to keep it steady on one level. One of the best.
- Cork Bobber (Fishing Level 7) - Increases the size of the bar in the fishing minigame by a bit, varies depending on your fishing level. Others are better. Remember, more fishing levels increases the size of the bar as well!
- Treasure hunter (Fishing Level 7) - Increases the chance of treasure chests appearing by 1/3 (meaning 20% total chance). Great for finding artifacts. These are crafted for 2 gold bars or bought for 750G from Willy.
- Dressed Spinner (Fishing Level 8) - Further increases the rate fish will bite.
- Barbed Hook (Fishing Level 8) - Helps the bar stick to the fish during the fishing minigame, making it easier.
The Recycling Machine - Save that Junk!
Crafting 25 wood, 25 stone, and one iron bar gets you a recycling machine. As you fish, save up all the trash, eyeglasses, cds, newspapers, driftwood, and store it in a treasure chest. You can use the fishing skill's recycling machine to convert these into very helpful items, like coal, refined quartz, cloth, wood and stone. They're far more valuable broken down than sold directly. Joja Cola and Rotten Plants cannot be recycled.Fishing Professions
Choosing between fisher and trapper can be tough if you don't know what the level 10 choice will be! Read below and form your own opinion.
Fisher vs Trapper
Fisher (Level 5)The fisher profession offers a 25% boost to all fish value. This is a nice, flat boost that affects both reel and crab pot fishing.
- Angler (Fisher Level 10) - Fish are now worth 50% more.
- Pirate (Fisher Level 10) - Chance to find treasure is doubled (around 30% chance, more with higher luck).
Trappers get reduced resource requirements to make crab pots. The original requirement is 40 wood and 3 iron bars. This is greatly reduced to 25 wood and 2 copper bars. As easy as copper is to get, this allows you to make many, many more crab pots.
- Mariner (Trapper Level 10) - Crab Pots never catch trash
- Luremaster (Trapper Level 10) - Crab pots no longer need to be baited
- How to Fish in Stardew Valley - A tutorial explaining the fishing mini-game in detail for players new to the game.
How to Play the Fishing Mini-Game
Learning how to catch fish in Stardew Valley will help you make gold from catching fish, and provide ingredients for cooking recipes.Fishing is probably the single hardest aspect of Stardew Valley, because it's not immediately obvious how it works. Worse, players may get discouraged because a hard-to-catch fish appears on their line, and they were never meant to be capable of catching it so early in the game. This tutorial explains the basics of the fishing minigame so that you can actually catch fish.
How to Catch Fish
Cast a LineHead to the ocean or a river with your pole equipped. Press the action button and a meter will pop up. The fuller the bar when you hit the button a second time, the further your line will be cast. The bobber will attract different fish based upon where it lands. Further out from land is better and usually has better catch rates. That's a good rule of thumb, and finding spots where you can cast far from land will serve you well. An example of this is the left side of the docks on the beach.
An exclamation mark appears over the character's head as the bobber goes under. Time to begin Stardew Valley's fishing mini-game.
Wait for a Hit
Now you'll usually have a hit within 10 seconds. Wait for the sound and visual indication (an alarm of sorts) and press the button once more. You'll begin the fishing minigame if you've got an actual fish on the hook. Sometimes, you'll just reel in some seaweed.
This shot shows you the green bar behind the fish, as well as the bar to the right which is almost filled. With the meter nearly full and the fish in the right spot, it will be caught momentarily.
Fishing Mini-Game Objective: Keep the Bar Behind the Fish
The fish will go up and down on the bar, and you've got this green box you can control by pressing the action button. Your goal is to keep the fish inside the green box. While it's in these boundaries, the main meter will fill up indicating you're catching the fish. Should the fish leave, the meter will begin to drain, you'll hear a sound and the box will dim until it's behind the fish again. When the fishing meter is full, you've caught the fish.
Here's the main problem though - the fish is going to move, meaning you have to apply the right amount of virtual 'pressure' to the line. It may move up or down and maybe even trick you by bouncing around rapidly and erratically. These movements will come to indicate different types of fish. This is why newcomers shouldn't get too discouraged when a fish seemed impossible to catch - it may have been a legendary fish, and you're a newbie fisherman!
Moving the Green Box
Moving the bar upward means pressing left-click on the mouse or hitting the action button on the Xbox controller. Holding the button will make it rise rapidly, and letting go will cause it to fall. So how do we keep it in one spot? We click or press the button repeatedly in a rhythm so that the bar is neither rising nor falling. Click a little faster, it'll go up. Click a little slower, it'll go down. So hold to get it to rise a bit, then begin clicking to keep it in the correct spot and adjust accordingly!
If the fish never leaves the green area, you'll get a 'Perfect!' which is mainly used during the fair to give you a better score. During normal fishing, it is just a minor accomplishment.If the fish goes down, you let up on the clicking a bit. If the fish goes up, hold and click. You'll learn to control the rhythm of the green area. It has a bit of momentum to it. If the fish goes all the way to the bottom, it can actually be hard at first because the box will 'bounce' when it hits the bottom. Applying a little pressure just before it hits the bottom will make it bounce less. When fish and box are both at the bottom it's very easy to reel it in - it happens automatically, and the fish can only go up, so you can wait on that and react accordingly.
Further Information
Hopefully this helps you catch some fish in Stardew Valley. Each level of fishing will increase the size of the green area, so it makes it a bit easier to catch the average fish. You'll have access to tackle that helps immensely once you're in the levels 6-8 and have an Iridium Fishing Pole. Eventually you'll get good enough to catch Legendary fish.
Your character will gain fishing skill experience with each successful catch. At level 2, you can start crafting/buying bait to put on the fiberglass fishing pole you can buy from the man in the shop by the docks. This increases the rate of bites, so you can catch much more fish in a day. It consequently makes fishing less boring, as there's less wait time between attempts. Have a look at the How to Use Bait page for more information on bait and the tackle you'll unlock at level 6.
- How to Use Bait & Types of Fishing Tackle - shares how to attach bait to a fishing pole and lists the different types of tackle you can attach to the iridium fishing rod.
How to Use Bait and Tackle on Fishing Poles
A fiberglass fishing rod with bait equipped. The pole technically has a slot for the bait, which is easy to miss.Using bait and tackle can be a bit confusing for players new to Stardew Valley's fishing system. Here's a quick summary of how it's done, and what they do for you when fishing. If you need help with how to fish, click here.
Bait
First know that the Bamboo fishing pole has no slots available for bait nor tackle. The better rods have these features. The ability to use bait comes with Level 2 Fishing, as it will make Will sell the Fiberglass fishing pole at his shop by the beach for 1,800G (you should receive a letter indicating he has it available). You can also buy bait cheap there, though level 2 fishing teaches you to craft your own.How to Use Fishing Bait
To use bait, highlight the bait in your inventory, then pick it up as though you're going to move it. Now go to the fishing pole and right-click. The bait will now be equipped to the pole. With an Xbox controller you select it with 'A' and equip it to the fishing pole with 'X'. You can remove the bait by right-clicking or pressing 'X' a second time.
You can attach a whole stack of bait so you only need to do this every now and then. Having bait equipped to a fishing pole will increase the speed at which fish 'bite'. This means less time sitting around, and more time reeling in the fish. It greatly increases your profit per day from fishing. Whether you catch the fish or not, you'll use up one of your bait.
Tackle
How to Use TackleTackle (spinners, barbed hooks, and bobbers) is equipped the same way. Pick up the tackle in your inventory, go over the fishing rod then right click or press 'X' on the Xbox controller to attach it to the pole.
Tackle is only available from Fishing level 6 onward and requires you to buy the Iridium Fishing Rod, which has slots for both bait and tackle. Tackle has the largest effect on your ability to catch rare fish. Unlike bait, which decreases in quantity with each use, tackle has durability. Different types of tackle do different things:
- Spinner (Fishing Level 6) - Increases the rate that fish will bite.
- Lead Bobber (Fishing Level 6) - Stops the bar bouncing when it hits the bottom of the frame during the fishing minigame. Not useful very often.
- Trap Bobber (Fishing Level 6) - Makes the fishing minigame bar drop slower, meaning you don't have to click as fast to keep it steady on one level. One of the best.
- Cork Bobber (Fishing Level 7) - Increases the size of the bar in the fishing minigame by a bit, varies depending on your fishing level. Others are better. Remember, more fishing levels increases the size of the bar as well!
- Treasure hunter (Fishing Level 7) - Increases the chance of treasure chests appearing by 1/3 (meaning 20% total chance). Great for finding artifacts. These are crafted for 2 gold bars or bought for 750G from Willy.
- Dressed Spinner (Fishing Level 8) - Further increases the rate fish will bite.
- Barbed Hook (Fishing Level 8) - Helps the bar stick to the fish during the fishing minigame, making it easier.
- Fish by Season - Fish are available based upon the season, location, and time of day. Here are lists with fish available during the four seasons:
Stardew Valley: Spring Fishing
Where and When to Catch Fish
Fishing at the mountain lake during Spring. This actually isn't the best spot, should've gone up the bridge! Deeper water offers more bites and higher-quality fish.The following tables list the fish you can catch during the Spring season in Stardew Valley. I've broken them down this way to make it easier to look at the current season and what you can catch. This focuses mainly on four fishing spots, though there are a few more that contain exclusive fish.
The following data on fish times and weather should be helpful to you catching every fish and completing bundles. Note that for times, the 2nd number is the cutoff - 6AM to 7PM means that at 7:00 the fish will no longer be available. Fish that start with late times that end in the morning can be caught late at night or early morning.
Spring Fish List
Fish in River at Pelican Town
The best place to fish in Pelican Town is the bottom left corner of the area, just before the exit. There's a river there, where you can hit the deep spot south of villagers' homes.Cindersap Forest River Fish
There are both a river and lake in Cindersap forest. For this fishing spot, I've focused on the river as it is the one that contains exclusive fish. The lake has fish that can be caught elsewhere and is nothing special.Fish in the Mountain Lake
Ocean Fish: The Beach
Stardew Valley: Summer Fishing
Where and When to Catch Fish
Fishing at the Beach during Summer. The mouth of the river is one good spot, as are the longer docks. The best is probably across the eastern bridge at the long dock.The following tables list the fish you can catch during the Summer season in Stardew Valley. I've broken them down this way to make it easier to look at the current season and what you can catch. This focuses mainly on four fishing spots, though there are a few more that contain exclusive fish.
The following data on fish times and weather should be helpful to you catching every fish and completing bundles. Note that for times, the 2nd number is the cutoff - 6AM to 7PM means that at 7:00 the fish will no longer be available. Fish that start with late times that end in the morning can be caught late at night or early morning.
Summer Fish List
Fish in River at Pelican Town
The best place to fish in Pelican Town is the bottom left corner of the area, just before the exit. There's a river there, where you can hit the deep spot south of villagers' homes.Cindersap Forest River Fish
There are both a river and lake in Cindersap forest. For this fishing spot, I've focused on the river as it is the one that contains exclusive fish. The lake has fish that can be caught elsewhere and is nothing special.Fish in the Mountain Lake
Ocean Fish: The Beach
Stardew Valley: Fall Fishing
Where and When to Catch Fish
Fishing at one of the best fishing spots during Fall. This is where you want to fish in Pelican TownThe following tables list the fish you can catch during the Fall season in Stardew Valley. I've broken them down this way to make it easier to look at the current season and what you can catch. This focuses mainly on four fishing spots, though there are a few more that contain exclusive fish.
The following data on fish times and weather should be helpful to you catching every fish and completing bundles. Note that for times, the 2nd number is the cutoff - 6AM to 7PM means that at 7:00 the fish will no longer be available. Fish that start with late times that end in the morning can be caught late at night or early morning.
Fall Fish List
Fish in River at Pelican Town
The best place to fish in Pelican Town is the bottom left corner of the area, just before the exit. There's a river there, where you can hit the deep spot south of villagers' homes.Cindersap Forest River Fish
There are both a river and lake in Cindersap forest. For this fishing spot, I've focused on the river as it is the one that contains exclusive fish. The lake has fish that can be caught elsewhere and is nothing special.Fish in the Mountain Lake
Ocean Fish: The Beach
Stardew Valley: Winter Fishing
Where and When to Catch Fish
Fishing at the lake by the mine during Winter in Stardew ValleyThe following tables list the fish you can catch during the Winter season in Stardew Valley. I've broken them down this way to make it easier to look at the current season and what you can catch. This focuses mainly on four fishing spots, though there are a few more that contain exclusive fish.
The following data on fish times and weather should be helpful to you catching every fish and completing bundles. Note that for times, the 2nd number is the cutoff - 6AM to 7PM means that at 7:00 the fish will no longer be available. Fish that start with late times that end in the morning can be caught late at night or early morning.