The Best Food For Fishing

Summary

• Seafoam Pudding offers the highest fishing level boost of +4 and is great for catching challenging fish.
• Lobster Bisque provides a +3 fishing boost with +50 max energy and is simple to make.
• Fish Stew has a long duration and offers a +3 fishing buff, making it useful for a whole day.

Fishing in Stardew Valley tends to divide players: some love it, while others would rather take on the Skull Cavern without a weapon. But regardless of opinion, fishing does get easier with experience, and food can help speed up the process.

The following items are listed based on their effect on fishing level, taking into account both how long they last and how easy they are to acquire. Items not included on this list are Chowder and Trout Soup, which while providing +1 fishing, are not the most effective options for improving catches.

1 Seafoam Pudding

The Highest Boost To Fishing Level

Seafoam Pudding has the largest fishing level boost, with a +4 increase. It is highly effective for catching more challenging fish, such as the Legendary Fish, and when paired with a good tackle, it can greatly ease the fishing process.

The recipe for Seafoam Pudding is sent to the player via mail once they achieve level 9 fishing, though it can be won or purchased before then elsewhere. One Seafoam Pudding can be purchased at The Dance of the Moonlight Jellies for 5,000g, and one can randomly appear at the Traveling Merchant for 900-1,500g. Furthermore, players can win the dish as an iridium-tier prize at SquidFest on both days or be gifted one by a pet turtle with maximum friendship.

2 Lobster Bisque

Offers An Increase To Max Energy

• Buff(s): +3 Fishing, +50 Max Energy
• Duration: 16m 47s
• Ingredients: 1 Lobster, 1 Milk

Lobster Bisque has a long duration and is fairly simple to make, making it one of the best options for food to use while fishing. The recipe can be acquired either from reaching 9 hearts with Willy or from the Queen of Sauce on Winter 14 of year 2.

It can randomly appear in the Traveling Cart for 615-1,025g or can be found inside a Mystery Box. Also, five Lobster Bisques can be purchased from Gus‘ shop at the Desert Festival for 30 Calico Egg each, which is worth stocking up on if players wish to tackle some of Willy’s fishing challenges at the festival.

3 Fish Stew

A Strong Boost With Long Duration

The recipe for Fish Stew can be accessed once players have reached 7 hearts with Willy, but the dish itself is available in other ways. Like many other dishes, one can randomly appear in the Traveling Cart for 525-1,000g.

Fish Stew has a 7% chance of appearing in a Golden Fishing Treasure Chest and can also be found inside a Mystery Box when opened at Clint‘s shop. An average day in Stardew Valley lasts around 12 minutes, so eating this dish at the beginning of the day allows players to experience the buff for the whole 20 in-game hours.

4 Dish O’ The Sea

Easy To Acquire And Simple To Make

Dish O’ The Sea is one of the easiest recipes to make on this list, as Sardines can be caught at the beach in Spring, Fall, and Winter, and Hashbrowns only require 1 Potato and 1 Oil. Additionally, the recipe can be obtained fairly early in the game, as it becomes available at fishing level 3.

The dish can be obtained in several ways. Five can appear in the Skull Cavern treasure room and are rewarded for completing the Specialty Fish Bundle in the Community Center (or the Master Fisher’s Bundle/Quality Fish Bundle in the remixed version). Both Mystery Box and Golden Mystery Box have a chance to hold two Dish O’ The Sea, with one guaranteed as the silver tier reward at SquidFest.

5 Escargot

A Long Duration And A Simple Recipe

• Buff(s): +2 Fishing
• Duration: 16m 47s
• Ingredients: 1 Snail, 1 Garlic

Escargot is not as easy to find as Dish O’ The Sea, as it can only be obtained in two ways without cooking. One option is inside a regular Mystery Box, and the other is available for 30 Calico Eggs at Gus‘ shop during the Desert Festival.

Like many dishes on this list, Willy will send this recipe via mail, once the player has reached 5 hearts with him. The recipe has only two ingredients, making it fairly simple to prepare around mid-game once the Crab Pot has been unlocked.

6 Fish Taco

A Good Boost For Seven Minutes

Fish Taco has quite a complex recipe, including four ingredients with one only available from Summer, Year 2. The recipe is sent via mail from Linus at 7 hearts, but the dish is fairly easy to acquire before then.

A Fish Taco can be found randomly in Gus‘ rotating stock at the Saloon for 1,000g, in Krobus‘ shop on Saturdays for 50-500g, and in the Traveling Cart for 1,500-2,500g. It also has a 7% chance of appearing in Golden Fishing Treasure Chests.

7 Shrimp Cocktail

Offers A Boost To Both Fishing And Luck

Shrimp Cocktail becomes available on Winter 28 of Year 2, so it takes some time to acquire. However, the luck and fishing buffs make it a fantastic recipe, as by that point, players typically have a high enough fishing level that the +1 boost is all they need. There are only two ways to obtain the recipe in Stardew Valley other than cooking it, which is either via a Golden Fishing Treasure Chest or a Mystery Box.