Farming sim Stardew Valley is a game that has a lot going on. Although it may look like a simple farming game on the surface, any serious fans of this game will know that there's a lot in the game to do. from running your farm to building relationships with the people in Pelican Town, there's a lot of things in the game that make it easy for players to really immerse themselves in the game for hours and hours.
One important part of the game is fishing. Fishing in Stardew Valley is an important aspect of the game for multiple reasons from cooking to filling the Community Center and even making money and friends. To learn everything you need to know about how to fish in Stardew Valley, keep reading!
Updated on April 12, 2021 by Michael Christopher: Stardew Valley recently received a huge update, adding a ton of new content. Some of this new content is related to fishing, including some new fish. We've updated this guide to include the new information that you need to know about fishing.
Get Your Rod
The first thing that you need in Stardew Valley in order to start fishing is a fishing rod! While most tools are automatically given to you when you arrive on the farm, players will notice that the fishing rod is missing. So, how do you get a fishing rod in Stardew Valley?
On the second day on the farm, you'll receive a letter in the mail from Willy, the owner of the Fish Shop on the beach. If you go to talk to him before 5:00 PM, he'll give you a Bamboo Pole, the most basic fishing rod, for free. Thanks, Willy!
How To Fish
After you've received your Bamboo Pole, it's time to learn how to fish in Stardew Valley. Fishing involves a really unique minigame that becomes easier as your Fishing skill develops and as you upgrade your fishing rod.
In order to fish, simply cast your pole out into any body of water — either the ocean, one of the rivers, the mountain lake, or a pond. Then, when you see the word "HIT!" appear on your screen, press the Use Tool button. By default, this is the left mouse button on PC, square on PlayStation, Y on Nintendo Switch, and X on Xbox. Keep pressing and releasing that button to keep the green rectangle behind the fish until the progress bar fills completely.
Many people struggle with this minigame, especially in the beginning when your Fishing skill is low and the bar is small. Luckily, Willy sells a training rod that makes it much easier. The only downside is that this rod cannot catch rare fish. But, it's great for helping you learn the ropes.
How To Make Bait
Fishing in Stardew Valley can be a really fun way to pass the time and make some money to help you upgrade your farm. It may seem like the fish just don't bite as often as you'd like sometimes, but there's a simple solution for that! After reaching Fishing skill Level 2, Willy will sell you a Fiberglass Rod for 1,800g. This Fiberglass Rod is special because it can use bait. But, how do you make bait in Stardew Valley?
Craft it with Bug Meat that you got by slaying monsters in the mines! Bait will make fish bite faster when you're fishing. You can also find bait in many places in the game, including from the Worm Bin, which can be crafted after earning the recipe at Fishing Level 8.
If you befriend Linus, he'll send you a recipe for an even better bait that appeals to all fish. This is Wild Bait, which Linus will teach you as part of his four-heart event. It not only makes fish bite faster, but it occasionally causes you to catch two fish at once. It's made from 10 fiber, five Slime, and five Bug Meat.
Another type of bait was added with the 1.5 update, as well. this is Magic Bait, and you can purchase it from Qi's Walnut Room on Ginger Island once you access it. You can also buy the recipe for it here, allowing you to craft it from three Bug Meat and one radioactive ore. Magic Bait allows you to catch any of the possible fish of a body of water, regardless of season, time, or weather.
How To Use Bait
Do you want to know how to use all that bait you crafted? Luckily, Stardew Valley makes learning how to use bait in the game to up your fishing game really easy.
After purchasing the fiberglass rod from Willy's Fish Shop, simply get the bait and your fiberglass rod in your inventory. Left click on the stack of bait (or right click if you only want to load your rod with a single piece of bait) and then right click on the fishing rod. The rod will automatically use the bait until it's completely gone each time you cast your rod.
The Magnet, though it looks like a fishing lure, actually functions as bait, not tackle. It will double the chance that you find treasure when fishing.
Different Types of Tackle
Bait isn't the only way to improve your fishing game. Once you've upgraded to an iridium rod, you'll be able to attach various types of tackle to it for different effects.
Here is every type of tackle and what it does:
- Barbed Hook: Causes the fishing bar to "cling" to the fish as it jumps around. It works better on slower fish, as it makes it harder to manually control the bar.
- Cork Bobber: Increases the size of the fishing bar, making fishing a bit easier.
- Curiosity Lure: Increases your chances of finding rare fish, including the Legendary Fish. However, the Glacier Fish (and Glacier Fish Jr.) are, strangely, not included.
- Spinner: Reduces the maximum amount of time before a fish bites by 3.75 seconds.
- Dressed Spinner: An upgraded version of the Spinner; further reduces the maximum time until a fish bites by 7.5 seconds.
- Lead Bobber: Stops the fishing bar from bouncing on the bottom.
- Quality Bobber: Increases the quality of the fish that you catch by one level.
- Trap Bobber: Causes fish to escape more slowly when your bar isn't over the fish icon. It causes the catch level to decrease 66% slower.
- Treasure Hunter: Gives you a higher chance of finding treasure. Also prevents fish from escaping while you're collecting the treasure.
How To Use Crab Pots
A fishing rod isn't the only place to use your bait or get fish in Stardew Valley! There are certain fish that can only be found in Crab Pots that you definitely need for the Community Center, to craft certain items, and to make some recipes.
In order to make a Crab Pot, you must first reach Fishing Level 3. Then, use 30 pieces of wood and 3 iron bars to craft a Crab Pot that can be baited in the exact same way as your Fiberglass Rod or Iridium Rod. They can be placed in rivers, ponds, or at the beach and will either collect one piece of trash or one creature per Crab Pot per day.
At Fishing levels 5 and 10, you'll have to choose between professions. If you choose Trapper at 5, Crab Pots will require fewer resources to craft. Then, at Level 10, you can choose between Mariner, which makes Crab Pots only produce fish (no junk), or Luremaster, which removes the need for bait in Crab Pots.
All of the Fishing Spots
There are a lot of different locations in Stardew Valley that the player can explore. Although a lot of the focus of the game involves your farm, roaming Pelican Town, the woods around it, and even the nearby desert can be a lot of fun.
For people that love to fish in Stardew Valley, the different locations in the game are important to get to know! Different fish and crustaceans spawn at different bodies of water, so it's important to know where to fish when you need a specific fish for the Community Center's different bundles.
Fish can be caught in the following places:
- The Beach (in the ocean and in the submarine during the Winter Night Market)
- Any River
- Cindersap Forest's ponds and rivers
- The Secret Woods
- The Mountains, in the lake or rivers connected to it
- Floors 20, 60, and 100 of the mines
- the Desert ponds
- The Farm
- The Volcano Caldera on Ginger Island
- Lakes, rivers, and the ocean around Ginger Island (as well as in the Pirate Cove)
- The Witch's Swamp
- The Sewers
All About Treasure Chests
Fishing in Stardew Valley is obviously a great way to catch fish to give to the people of Pelican town, complete quests, fill the Community Center, create recipes, and sell for money to buy more animals and seeds for your farm. But, fish aren't the only things that can be caught with a fishing rod!
Sometimes when fishing, a treasure chest may appear on the screen along with the fish that you're trying to catch. If you keep the green bar behind this chest until the small orange bar above it fills up, you'll get some bonus treasures when you catch the fish!
However, fail to catch the fish, and you won't receive the treasure chest, either. With particularly difficult fish, it can be hard to get both.
All About Legendary Fish
When fishing in certain locations or during a certain time of year or in a certain type of weather, there's a chance to reel in a particularly difficult fish. These fish are known as Legendary Fish and you'll know if you're reeling one in because the fish will have a mark on the top of their head.
The different Legendary Fish in Stardew Valley are the Crimsonfish, Angler, Legend, Glacierfish, and Mutant Carp. These fish are available during different seasons — except the Mutant Carp which is available all year after unlocking The Sewers — and are much more difficult than other fish to catch.
These fish sell for a nice chunk of change, but you can only catch one of each per save file. So, it's up to you if you want to display them, keep them in a chest, or sell them.
Know The Fish
This tip for how to fish in Stardew Valley may seem pretty basic, but it's definitely one that's important to keep in mind. When it comes to fishing in this game, there are a lot of different fish that can be caught. These fish aren't all available all the time or in every body of water in the game, though!
Stardew Valley operates in a world with four seasons, just like our own, and on a timer, giving your character all morning, afternoon, and evening to get things done around the farm and in Pelican Town. It's important to know the different fish in the game because there are some that are only available in certain seasons, types of weather, or locations in the game.
Luckily, with the use of Magic Bait, the only criteria for fish to be caught is the body of water where they're found. The weather, time of day, and season will no longer matter. However, this greatly increases the list of possible fish in that area, and it's expensive to craft or purchase, so use it wisely!
How To Use Fish
Now that you know all about how to fish in Stardew Valley and tips for fishing like using Crab Pots and bait, what do you do with all these fish?
Just like the rest of Stardew Valley, the options are pretty limitless. You can put the ones needed to restore the Community Center in their respective bundles, you can sell fish, you can make a ton of different recipes with them after you upgrade your kitchen to have a house, and you can create other things with them like fertilizer for your crops. If you're not into any of those options, toss them in the shipping box or sell them to Willy in his Fish Shop to get some cash for your farm!
At Fishing skill levels 5 and 10, you can choose professions that will increase the amount of money you earn for fish. At Level 5, you can choose between Fisher and the aforementioned Trapper. If you choose Fisher, you'll earn an additional 25% cash bonus for fish that you sell. Then, at Level 10, you'll be given a choice between Angler and Pirate. If you choose Angler, fish sell for 50% more.