Animal Crossing: New Horizons is here at long last and the game's passionate fanbase has already set out aiming to complete their museums by cataloging the world's inhabitants. However, in order to satisfy Blathers, the museum's curator, players will be searching far and wide for the incredible amount of animals in the game.
Many fishing rods will be broken, in particular, when it comes to hunting for the world's rarest fish. Some of them can only be caught at particular times of day, others in specific areas, and some only when certain conditions are met. Without further ado, here is a list of some of the hardest fish to catch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (and where to catch them).
Updated January 4th, 2021 by Meg Pelliccio: Fishing a favorite pastime of many Animal Crossing players, and while most of the time the hobby can be pretty relaxing, if you happen to be hunting down a specific specimen without any luck, then it can be particularly frustrating.
There are a number of fish that are super hard to catch and you'd best hope to have luck on your side in landing them so they can take pride of place in your museum. Many fish in New Horizons only appear when a set threshold of fish is caught beforehand, though most vary between 0 - 50 catches, some are significantly higher. Arm yourself with some top tips for fishing, grab your rod, and then check out the most challenging fish to catch just below.
15 Whale Shark
Whale Sharks aren't as rare as some of the fish further down this list, but they're still pretty scarce. In fact, all sharks in the game are generally hard to find. If luck isn't on your side, you could find your museum lacking one of these beauties for a long time.
They can be found in the ocean all day long between June to September for the northern hemisphere and between December and March for the southern hemisphere. They are the largest fish in the game and so will always be a winner during fishing tournaments.
Value: 13,000 Bells
14 Dorado
The Dorado lives in rivers and can only be found during the day between the hours of 4 AM - 9 PM. Furthermore, it's only available for a few months each year, appearing in the summer months between June and September.
It's no surprise that this is one of the most valuable fish, considering it is a lovely gold color (hence its name which means "gold" in Spanish) and the fact that it is classed as a scarce catch. Additionally, this is one of the fish that will only appear after you have caught a total of 100 fish.
Value: 15,000 Bells
13 Hammerhead Shark
The next shark that might plague your fishing dreams for lack of catches is the Hammerhead Shark. As with other sharks, it is only found during the summer from June until September, between the hours of 4 PM - 9 AM.
Though sharks don't appear as often as others in Animal Crossing, they can be more easily identified prior to catching as their shadows have fins. However, there is one fish that isn't a shark that also has a fin and that's the Ocean Sunfish.
Value: 8,000 Bells
12 Mahi-mahi
Mahi-mahi is one of the new fish that was introduced with the release of New Horizons and is one of a select few that can only be caught from the pier on your island. This fish can be tricky to catch, but using bait made from manila clams can help speed up the process.
Additionally, this fish can only be found during certain months of the year, with it appearing from May until October in the northern hemisphere and November to April in the southern hemisphere. Luckily, when it is around, it appears all day, so you don't have to worry about the time.
Value: 6,000 Bells
11 Char
The Char can be a particularly hard fish to catch as it only appears during certain months of the year and at certain times, but it's also very selective in where it roams and can only be found close to waterfalls. Confusingly, in New Horizons it is found at the top of waterfalls, whereas in previous games it was found at the bottom of waterfalls.
It can be found from March until June between the hours of 4 PM - 9 AM and from September until November between the hours of 4 AM - 9 PM. Unfortunately, like most fish, it has an awful pun when caught.
Value: 3,800 Bells
10 Barreleye
Another fish that newer players may not have spotted yet is the Barreleye, a rare tropical fish with a transparent head. This catch can only be caught at night, between the hours of 9 PM- 4 AM.
Those who can't play late into the night may struggle to find the Barreleye, but thankfully it's able to be caught all year round. Consider changing your Nintendo Switch time to a few hours ahead if you're not able to play late at night, or this is one fish that might never enter your museum. This fish also requires over 100 catches before it will appear.
Value: 15,000 Bells
9 Stringfish
This fish is giving players a particularly frustrating time at the moment, not only due to its rarity but also because of its exclusiveness. The Stringfish is a rare catch that can be found in clifftop rivers, meaning that you'll need access to the ladder tool in order to find it.
Unfortunately, the Stringfish is also only available from December - March (June - September in the southern hemisphere). With some fish being locked to specific months, it's no wonder some players are resorting to time travel in order to complete their collections. Additionally, the Stringfish won't appear until you have caught at least 100 fish.
Value: 15,000 Bells
8 Great White Shark
The king of the tropical sea, a Great White Shark is the best part of any Animal Crossing villager's collection. This beast can, of course, only be found in the ocean, and is a distinctive shape, complete with a fin above the surface of the water.
The Great White Shark will only appear during the summer months, from June-September (December-March in the southern hemisphere), alongside its brothers the Whale Shark, Hammerhead Shark, and the Saw Shark, so those looking to get their hands on it may have to wait a while. This shark parade is certain to be worth waiting for, both in terms of their sale price, and living room aesthetic.
Value: 15,000 Bells
7 Golden Trout
At the upper heights of the clifftop rivers, Golden Trout can be found by the luckier or more dedicated island residents. They are available for much of the year, being present from March-May and September-November in both the northern and southern regions of the world.
Players looking to get their hands on one of the rare Golden Trout need only fish in the clifftop area between 4 PM - 9 AM, as the fish is not an early riser. Be sure to bring plenty of bait if you want the trip to be worthwhile, as these fish are worth quite a few bells. However, they won't appear until you have at least 100 catches.
Value: 15,000 Bells
6 Blue Marlin
What's most interesting about the Blue Marlin is that it can only be caught from your island's pier. It is one of four fish that can only be caught when fishing from the pier, so it an obvious choice for this list of rarest fish.
The Blue Marlin can be found from November-April, but it also returns from July-September if you missed out on it before then. In the southern hemisphere, it's available from January-March, and then once again during May-October.
Value: 10,000 Bells
5 Oarfish
This ridiculously long fish can be caught from December all the way to May (June-November in the southern hemisphere), exclusively in the ocean. While the fish sticks around for the whole day and night, it is still a notoriously rare catch that many players are yet to discover.
Despite its size out of the water, the Oarfish will resemble a Seabass shape when below the surface, so get that fishing rod ready. Interestingly, Oarfish are very shy creatures that reside in the deep sea, so perhaps this is why it is a rare catch in the game.
Value: 9,000 Bells
4 Sturgeon
The Sturgeon is a particularly rare fish and it is only available to catch from September-March (March-September in the southern hemisphere), and even then it can only be caught at the mouth of the river.
Sturgeons are one of the new fish species that were introduced with the release of New Horizons. If you have troubling finding it, simply try throwing your horde of fish bait at the river mouth, and eventually, the Sturgeon will show up.
Value: 10,000 Bells
3 Napoleonfish
The Napoleonfish is a creature that emerges at 4 AM and leaves again at 9 PM, giving players plenty of time to seek it out, unless you're busy until late evening. Look for it in the ocean, but don't expect to find too many. You'd be best off bringing a lot of extra fishing rods when searching for the rare creature.
This rare fish appears from July-August in the northern hemisphere and January-February in the southern hemisphere. Of course, as with any of the fish, for players willing to time travel, it can be nabbed at any time of the year.
Value: 10,000 Bells
2 King Salmon / Salmon
The Salmon isn't as rare as some of these other fish, but it's wildly exclusive. So long as you're fishing in the river mouth, you'll have no issue encountering the Salmon, as well as the more valuable King Salmon.
However, these two fish are the only ones that appear exclusive to a single month. Fishing in the northern hemisphere, you'll be waiting until September for Salmon season. If you're in the southern hemisphere, March is the month when they are available.
Value: 1800 / 700 Bells
1 Coelacanth
The difference between being a new player and a resident Animal Crossing expert is likely the existence of a Coelacanth in your museum. This ancient beast of a fish can actually be found all year round, but that doesn't make it any less difficult to catch.
Some players claim that this fish shows up more on their Nook Miles island getaways, but whether there's any truth to this or not is unclear. What is known, is that the Coelacanth can be caught exclusively in the ocean, and only when it's raining. Thunderstorms appear to increase the chances of catching one. These fish won't appear until you have caught at least 100 fish.
Value: 15,000 Bells