Quick Links

Fishing serves several purposes in Black Desert Online. We've all heard the "If you teach a man to fish..." proverb. But outside of feeding yourself for life, you can also use various species of fish in alchemy formulas and trade. That is, if you've hooked a rare enough find.

Related: Black Desert Online: Best Ways To Make Silver

As with life skills such as bartering, it's possible to make a fair living wage as a fisherman as well. In this guide, we'll go over how and where to fish in Black Desert Online for the best catch of the day.

Updated May 4, 2023, by Sean Murray: There sure are a lot of fish in Black Desert Online, so we've reformatted this guide to make it a little easier to find the fish that you want.

Fishing Equipment

Black Desert online fishing rod equipment guide
Via grumpygreen.cricket

Obtaining A Fishing Rod

You can obtain a fishing rod by earning, buying, or building one. Buy fishing rods from fisher merchants. Many of the Otters near the shorelines will sell fishing gear. You can also check at markets and with material merchants. You can also earn them as quest rewards or have your workers build one in a tool workshop.

Other Equipment

Floats provide additional aid in securing big and rare catches. They are classified as a secondary weapon, as far as equipping is concerned, and come in two varieties:

  1. Ash Tree Float, with an extra 1% chance to reel in big fish catches, requires a Professional level 1 to equip.
  2. Maple Tree Float, with an extra 1% chance to reel in rare catches, requires Artisan level 1 to equip.

Proper fishing attire can protect against monster attacks while wading in the water and, as they say, dress for success. Wearing the appropriate outfit will also help you level up your fishing skill.

Boats are the next step when you're ready to take your fishing off of the shoreline. Boats allow you to traverse into the open waters rather than sticking to coastal locations. Additionally, they expand your inventory for longer fishing expeditions and can be rigged with additional gear to encourage certain species to bite.

Harpoons are needed to catch certain (usually rarer) species of fish. They can be obtained through leveling your fishing skill or crafted at Tool Workshops in port towns or seaside lodgings.

RELATED: Black Desert Online: Top Classes For PVE

How To Fish

Black Desert online fishing rod fish guide how to
Via ag.hyperxgaming.com

Finding A Fishing Spot

Equipping a fishing rod while approaching an adequate fishing spot (all save the shallows) will show you the fish population in that body of water. Sometimes this will be displayed graphically, too, through schools of fish appearing in the water.

Conversely, the pop-up may tell you the population has been exhausted, in which case fat chance you'll catch anything more than a manky old boot.

Active Fishing

To cast your line, settle up to the water's edge and press the space bar. Once you've baited a fish onto the hook, you'll need to press the space bar when the meter is in the blue zone to hook the fish.

You'll then mimic some sequence of WASD as it appears on the screen within a limited time in order to reel in the catch.

Auto-Fishing

Auto-fishing begins automatically when you snag something but do not begin to reel it in manually. This function allows you to go AFK while still grinding for some extra coin.

If you plan to be away for an extended amount of time, you should mark the "Throw away useless items while auto-fishing" checkbox. This will automatically clear out any scraps and debris you reel in, saving room for more fish.

RELATED: Black Desert Online: Best Ways To Make Silver

Freshwater Fish Species And Their Locations

Black Desert online fresh water fishing spots map guide
Via guidescroll.com

Ironically, Black Desert Online is teeming with a slew of fish species. You're sure to hook something if you cast your line into any body of water by chance. But if you're looking to snag a certain, more elusive species, check the lists below to scout out the best fishing hole for your purposes.

Common

Barbel Steed - Serendia

Bitterling - Serendia

Bleeker - Mediah, Valencia

Bluegill - Balenos

Bubble Eye - Serendia

Catfish - Balenos, Valencia

Crawfish - Mediah, Valencia

Crucian Carp - Balenos

Dace - Calpheon

Goby Minnow - Mediah, Valencia

Grayling - Serendia

Kuhlia Marginata - Mediah, Valencia

Mudfish - Calpheon

Notch Jaw - Calpheon

Perch - Mediah, Valencia

Rosy Bitterling - Balenos

Roundtail Paradisefish - Calpheon

Salmon - Calpheon

Smelt - Calpheon

Soho Bitterling - Balenos

Sweetfish - Mediah, Serendia

Terrapin - Serendia

Yellowfin Sculpin - Serendia

Big

Arowana - Balenos, Calpheon, Mediah, Serendia, Valencia

Carp - Balenos, Calpheon, Mediah, Serendia, Valencia

Cherry Salmon - Balenos, Calpheon, Mediah, Serendia, Valencia

Freshwater Eel - Balenos, Calpheon, Mediah, Serendia, Valencia

Lenok - Balenos, Calpheon, Mediah, Serendia, Valencia

Striped Shiner - Balenos, Calpheon, Mediah, Serendia, Valencia

Yellow-Head Catfish - Balenos, Calpheon, Mediah, Serendia, Valencia

Rare

Leather Carp - Mediah, Serendia

Mandarin Fish - Serendia

Pacu - Balenos, Valencia

Piranha - Mediah

Snakehead - Calpheon

Kamasylvia

Black Desert Mobile Kamasylvia landscape fishing spots locations fish guide

Located south of Calpheon, this territory hosts a variety of species pools unique to each of its fresh bodies of water. While each location may play home to different common and rare fish species, they all share a common species pool of big fish.

The only exception to this is the inland coastal waters which have only a small pool of common species they share with Atanis Pond.

Kamasylvia Big Fish Species

Arowana

Cherry Salmon

Diamond Minnow

Lenok

Striped Shiner

Yellow-head Catfish

Atanis Pond

Amur Minnow (Common)

Bass (Common)

Mandarin Fish (Rare)

Spotted Barbel (Rare)

Yellowfin Sculpin (Common)

Grána

Granges D'or (Rare)

Miho Spine Loach (Rare)

Spotted Barbel (Rare)

Lake Flondor & Navarn Steppe

Pacu (Rare)

Swiri (Rare)

Okiara River

Bleeker (Common)

Common Minnow (Common)

Grayling (Common)

Leather Carp (Rare)

Miho Spine Loach (Rare)

These species are all shared across Grána, Lake Flondor, and the Navarn Steppe.

Goby Minnow (Common)

Stumpy Bullhead (Common)

Sweetfish (Common)

Seawater Fish Species And Their Locations

Black Desert Online open seas ocean water fishing guide ship

Balenos, Calpheon, Mediah, and Valencia all have saltwater access and therefore have a separate pool of native seawater species.

If you ever see a flock of seagulls gathering around a certain point, that is known as a 'hotspot' and indicates the appearance of a rare fish species in the vicinity.

Balenos

Common

Ray (Harpoon exclusive)

Arsha Sea, Eltro Islands, Nox Islands

These common Seawater species can be found across the entire Balenos region.

Bluefish

Butterflyfish

Clownfish

Dolphinfish

Filefish

Flatfish

Saurel

Skipjack

Squid

Striped Catfish

Surfperch

These common species can be caught along the primary sea channel in the Balenos region.

Beltfish

Mackerel

Mudskipper

Rock Hind

Sandeel

Sandfish

Trout

Big

Angler - Nox Islands

Checkerboard Wrasse - Arsha Sea, Olvia Sea (Harpoon only)

Golden-Thread - Arsha Sea

Maomao (Harpoon Exclusive) - Cron Islands

Marlin - Eltro Islands

Octopus - Eltro Islands

Pomfret - Arsha Sea, Balenos Islands (Harpoon only)

Siganid - Balenos Islands (Harpoon only), Eltro Islands, Nox Islands

Swellfish (Harpoon Exclusive) - Cron Islands

Swordfish - Arsha Sea, Olvia Sea (Harpoon only)

Tapertail Anchovy - Eltro Islands, Olvia Sea (Harpoon only)

Yellow Swordfish - Nox Islands

Rare

lbacore (Harpoon Exclusive) - Nox Islands

Bigeye Tuna (Harpoon Exclusive) - Cron Islands

Bluefin Tuna (Harpoon Exclusive) - Eltro Islands

Grunt - Balenos Islands, Cron Islands

Killer Whale (Harpoon exclusive) - All seaways of the Balenos region

Moray - Balenos Islands, Cron Islands

Nibbler - Balenos Islands, Cron Islands

Smokey Chromis - Olvia Sea

Yellowfin Tuna (Harpoon exclusive) - Arsha Sea

Calpheon

Common

Amberjack (Harpoon Exclusive) - Banto Sea

Beltfish (Harpoon Exclusive) - Zenato Sea

Flounder (Harpoon Exclusive) - Peyon Sea

Gurnard - Peyon Sea

Ray - Ahrmo Sea

These common Seawater species are available throughout the Calpheon region.

Bigeye

Dolphinfish

Flying Fish

Fourfinger Threadfin

Mackerel Pike

Mullet

Pintado

Saurel

Surfperch

Big

Atka Mackerel - Peyon Sea

Black Marlin - Zenato Sea

Cero - Peyon Sea, Zenato Sea

Herring - Banto Sea

John Dory (Harpoon Exclusive) - Epheria Sea

Maomao - Epheria Sea

Sailfish - Banto Sea

Swellfish - Ahrmo Sea

Rare

Galeocerdo Cuvier (Harpoon Exclusive) - Ahrmo Sea, Banto Sea

Hammerhead (Harpoon Exclusive) - Peyon Sea

Nibbler - Peyon Sea

Porcupine Fish - Ahrmo Sea

Porgy - Epheria Sea

Saw Shark (Harpoon Exclusive) - Epheria Sea

Sea Bass - Ahrmo Sea

Smokey Chromis - Epheria Sea

Tuna - Epheria Sea

Whale Shark (Harpoon Exclusive) - Available by harpoon in all of Calpheon's regional seas

White Shark (Harpoon Exclusive) - Zenato Sea

Mediah

Common

Croaker (Harpoon Exclusive) - Mediah Sea

Flyingfish (Harpoon Exclusive) - Altinova Sea

Ray (Harpoon Exclusive) - Sausan Islands

These common species are available across the entire Mediah region.

Blue Tang

Clownfish

Flatfish

Rockfish

Round Herring

Sandeel

Starfish

Surfperch

Whiting

Big

Sea Eel (Harpoon Exclusive) - Altinova Sea, Mediah Sea

Rare

Giant Grouper - Altinova Sea (Harpoon only), Mediah Sea

Grouper (Harpoon Exclusive) - Mediah Sea

Grunt - Sausan Islands

Moray - Mediah Sea

Hammer Whale (Harpoon Exclusive) - Altinova Sea

Humpback Whale (Harpoon Exclusive) - Mediah Sea

Porcupine Fish - Altinova Sea

Tilefish - Altinova Sea

Valencia

Valencia has a regional species pool where all fish can be caught throughout Valencia in Al Halam and the Valencia sea.

Common

Cuttlefish

Flounder

Gurnard

Ray

Rock Hind

Rosefish

Sandeel

Seahorse

Surfperch

Big

Black Marlin

John Dory

Maomao

Marlin

Sea Eel

Rare

These rare species can be hunted throughout the Valencia region exclusively with a harpoon.

Beluga Whale

Bottlenosed Dolphin

Narwhale

These species can be found in both Valencian seas on rare occasions.

Porcupine Fish

Tilefish

Margoria Ocean

Black Desert Online Margoria Ocean region fishing guide
Via blackdesertfoundry.com

The Margoria Ocean is split into regions of its own, each with its own species pool. However, the rare species throughout the Margoria Ocean are ubiquitous throughout every region.

Rare Margorian Species

Blackfin Sea Perch

Cuvier

Goliath Grouper

Greater Amberjack

Nibbler

Porgy

Sea Bass

Skate

Smokey Chromis

Striped Bonito

Striped Jewfish

Sunfish

Tilefish

Tuna

Juur Sea

Beltfish (Common)

Dolphinfish (Common)

Mackerel Pike (Common)

Sailfish (Big)

Striped Catfish (Common)

Surfperch (Common)

Swordfish (Big)

Harpoon Exclusive

Bluefin Tuna (Rare)

Sturgeon (Rare)

Cuttlefish (Common)

Margoria (Central)

Butterflyfish (Common)

Filefish (Common)

Mackerel (Common)

Marlin (Big)

Sailfish (Big)

Seahorse (Common)

Surfperch (Common)

Harpoon Exclusive

Cuttlefish (Common)

Killer Whale (Rare)

Yellowfin Tuna (Rare)

Margoria (North)

Black Marlin (Big)

Flounder (Common)

Sailfish (Big)

Scorpion Fish (Common)

Squid (Common)

Surfperch (Common)

Tongue Sole (Common)

Harpoon Exclusive

Albacore (Rare)

Cuttlefish (Common)

Hammer Whale (Rare)

Margoria (South)

Jellyfish (Common)

Marlin (Big)

Rock Hind (Common)

Rockfish (Common)

Sandeel (Common)

Yellow Swordfish (Big)

Harpoon Exclusive

Bigeye Tune (Rare)

Humpback Whale (Rare)

Ross Sea

Cuttlefish (Common)

Mudskipper (Common)

Sandeel (Common)

Saurel (Common)

Squid (Common)

Swordfish (Big)

Yellow Swordfish (Big)

Harpoon Exclusive

Mackerel Tuna (Rare)

Minke Whale (Rare)

Vadabin Sea

Flying Fish (Common) - Open waters, coast

Marlin (Big) - Open waters

Rosefish (Common) - Open waters, coast

Sandeel (Common) - Open waters

Shellfish (Common) - Open waters, coast

Starfish (Common) - Open waters, coast

Swordfish (Big) - Open waters

Harpoon Exclusive

Cuttlefish (Common)

Beluga Whale (Rare)

Giant Grouper (Rare)

Ports

Black Desert Online Drieghan port fishing guide
Via mmoculture.com

Ancado Inner Harbor and Arehaza ports share the same species pool.

Black Marlin (Big)

Cuttlefish (Common)

Flounder (Common)

Gurnard (Common)

John Dory (Big)

MaoMao (Big)

Marlin (Big)

Porcupine Fish (Rare)

Ray (Common)

Rock Hind (Common)

Rosefish (Common)

Sandeel (Common)

Seahorse (Common)

Sea Eel (Big)

Surfperch (Common)

Tilefish (Rare)

At the Ancado Inner Harbor port, these species can be caught only with a harpoon

Beluga Whale (Rare)

Black Marlin (Big)

Bottlenose Dolphin (Rare)

Marlin (Big)

Narwhale (Rare)

This variety of species can be caught at the Altinova port.

Blue Tang (Common)

Clownfish (Common)

Flatfish (Common)

Porcupine Fish (Rare)

Rockfish (Common)

Round Herring (Common)

Sandeel (Common)

Starfish (Common)

Surfperch (Common)

Tilefish (Rare)

Whiting (Common)

These select species can be caught at the Altinova port only when using a harpoon.

Flying Fish (Common)

Giant Grouper (Rare)

Hammer Whale (Rare)

Sea Eel (Big)

Fish for these common species in Port Epheria.

Bigeye

Dolphinfish

Flying Fish

Fourfinger Threadfin

Mackerel Pike

Mullet

Pintado

Saurel

Surfperch

These common species can be caught in the Velia and Velia Beach ports.

Beltfish

Mackerel

Mudskipper

Rock Hind

Sandeel

Sandfish

Trout

Additionally, these species can be caught in the Velia Beach port.

Grunt (Rare)

Herring (Big)

Moray (Rare)

Nibbler (Rare)

Sea Eel (Big)

You won't always snag a fish, but rather junk, sellable loot, or on occasion, valuable items such as crystal shards and keys for unlocking treasure chests.

Fresh Vs. Drying

There are benefits and drawbacks to both variations of fish. Fresh fish spoils and loses its value gradually right up until it expires. However, the freshest of catches sell at a higher value. Fresh fish is also profitable.

Dried fish can stack in your inventory, whereas each fresh fish takes a single inventory slot to store. Dried fish fetches a lower value when trying to sell, but they don't spoil, ensuring some profit. As a cooking ingredient, one fresh fish is equivalent to two dried fish.

Drying fish manually is largely regarded as grunt work. So instead, send workers to Fish Drying Yards and collect their yields when they return.

Related: Black Desert Online: Best Life Skills To Develop, Ranked

How To Make Money From Fish

Black-Desert-online-Otter-Hojo-fish-trader-merchant-guide
Via youtube.com/pohjantikka

Some of these castaway items are necessary for various fishing quests. Baggio, Holio, Jiro, and the NPC around the West Guard Camp bridge are the quest givers of these tasks involving catches such as tattered boots or broken hooks. However, there are several other uses for the more pertinent catches outside of questing.

Perhaps the most obvious use for fishing is for cooking. Fish can be salted and preserved in several ways through the culinary arts or cooked up fresh in a variety of dishes. Various species are also required ingredients in some alchemy formulas.

Stacks of dried fish can be bundled into trade goods when using a fisherman's workbench, and there are two options for selling your catches as well:

  1. Trade Managers pay in coin for fresh fish.
  2. Imperial Fishing Delivery NPCs buy fresh fish and for a higher value. They only accept a certain number of each species they're looking for, though. Luckily there is a delivery NPC for every region (seven in total), so if one has met their quota, simply offer your wares elsewhere.

You can also wait for the imperial trade to reset, or if you're really impatient, do some channel hopping.

Imperial Fishing Delivery NPCs

Balleo

Valencia City, Valencia (Find them outside the castle in the east)

Dius

Port Epheria, Calpheon (The docks)

Falleve

Grána, Kamasylvia (In the same vicinity as the Storage Keeper)

Hirio

Splashing Point, Mediah (Check the incoming road to the town entrance)

Karon

Velia, Balenos (The docks)

Kubo

Duvencrune, Dreighan (Scan the main drag in the city center)

Rai

Glish, Serendia (In the same vicinity as the Trade Manager)

NEXT: Black Desert Online Interview - Plotting Its Future And Remembering Its Past