Pro Tips For Catching Fish

Summary

• Different fish are active at different times, locations, and seasons.
• Upgrading fishing rods can make fishing easier and more efficient.
• Look out for fish frenzies, use special bait, and choose the right tackle for advantages.

Fishing is one of the trickier mechanics in Stardew Valley, often taking new players a great deal of time and practice to master. Whether trying to cook dishes in the kitchen or complete the community center, plenty of farmers have spent far too long trying waiting for a bite, only for the fish to slip away.

With the right materials and a little patience, players can eventually start reeling in bigger, rarer, higher-quality catches. These can be instrumental in completing certain objectives, obtaining achievements, and even raising money for the farm. Here are some tips and tricks on how to catch fish.

Updated December 15, 2024, by Demaris Oxman: Stardew Valley‘s 1.6 update is now available for all consoles, making it the perfect time to dive back into everyone’s favorite farming sim. This charming, cozy game lets players build a variety of skills, including the art of reeling in fish from rivers, lakes, and seas. Version 1.6 has added several items, balancing tweaks, and quality-of-life changes, many of which affect the Fishing skill. This guide has been updated to keep up with these changes, and help players become more successful at fishing than ever before.

9 Pay Attention To Time, Weather, Location, & Seasons

Available Fish Depend On Many Factors

As most Stardew Valley players know, different fish are active at different times. Some only come out in the rain; others can only be caught during certain seasons. Oceans, lakes, and rivers are all home to different creatures. If players are looking for a specific species, it’s important to understand their patterns and know when and where. they will appear.

Certain fish are required for specific quests, recipes, and bundles for the Community Center. To learn when and where to catch them all, check out this handy chart from Steam user kraviz.

8 Upgrade The Fishing Rod

Better Tools Make Fishing Easier

Unlike other tools such as the axe or watering can, the fishing rod isn’t upgraded by having an expert work on it. Rather, players can simply buy a higher-tier rod once they reach certain levels in the Fishing skill. Each of these are available at Willy’s shop by the ocean.

• Bamboo Pole: Willy will give this to the player for free a few days into the game.
• Fiberglass Rod: Available for 1800g starting once the player reaches Fishing level 2, this option allows the player to add bait.
• Iridium Rod: Willy will stock this rod once the player reaches Fishing level 7. It allows players to use both bait and tackle.

The final fishing rod, the Advanced Iridium Rod, is only available when players achieve Fishing Mastery. This rod allows players to use two kinds of tackle at once.

7 Watch For Fish Frenzies

Catch A Specific Fish Rapidly

After spending at least 15 days in-game, players may occasionally get a notice in the bottom right corner of their screen that reads: “A [fish species] frenzy has begun in [location].” This means that, if the player goes to that location, they will find an abundance of that specific fish.

A Fishing Frenzy can happen on any day that isn’t a festival day, at any time before 11pm. During a Frenzy, players will only be able to catch the designated fish, and bite time will be halved from its normal rate. This allows players to catch lots of fish faster, giving players the chance to increase their fishing level quickly. Check out this guide for some other tips on making the most of a fishing frenzy.

6 Craft Special Bait

Wild & Deluxe Bait Help Players Catch More Fish

Once players have upgraded from the Basic Rod, it’s always a good idea to use bait when fishing. However, there are better options available than the basic bait crafted from Bug Meat.

If players befriend local nature man Linus, he’ll teach them his recipe for Wild Bait. Wild Bait has a higher bite rate than regular bait, cutting down on the time that players spend waiting for a tug on their fishing line. Even more impressively, it gives players the chance to catch two fish at once. It’s crafted from slime, fiber, and bug meat, so save these materials to make tempting treats for the fish.

At Fishing Level 4, players learn the crafting recipe for Deluxe Bait. Made with moss and standard bait, Deluxe Bait decreases the delay before a bite by 67%. This makes fishing go much faster, allowing players to catch more fish (and thus gather more Fishing XP) in a shorter period of time. It also increases the size of the fishing bar by 12 pixels, making it a tiny bit easier to reel those catches in.

5 Choose The Right Tackle

Gain An Array Of Advantages

Once players obtain the Iridium Rod, they can attach tackle to their fishing rods in addition to bait. However, not every tackle option is equally useful. The Barbed Hook is among the least effective, as it only works with fish that are already easy to catch. Some of the better options include the ones below:

• Cork Bobber: This increases the size of the fishing bar, essentially raising the player’s fishing level. This is especially useful at lower fishing levels, when the bar is smaller.
• Trap Bobber: One of the best tackle options, this handy gizmo will decrease the speed at which a fish escapes. In other words, when the fish is not inside the green bar, the rate at which the catch meter drops will be slower. This allows the player a better chance at catching the fish before the meter runs out.
• Quality Bobber: For players with a high fishing skill who don’t need much assistance reeling one in, the quality bobber is a good choice. It doesn’t make it any easier to catch fish; however, it does increase the quality of whatever the player reels in. For players looking to make money off of fishing, it’s a godsend.

4 Cook Skill-Boosting Recipes

Increase The Fishing Level Up To 14

Several recipes including fish, particularly those that Willy sends the player in the mail, can be used to temporarily raise the player’s Fishing skill. This increases the size of the fishing bar, making it easier for players to reel in their catch.

Even players who have maxed out their Fishing skill can benefit from taking these along on their fishing expeditions — especially if they’re hoping to catch tougher fish (or perhaps even Legendary ones). Cook up these dishes in bulk:

3 Control Casts With The Movement Keys

Fine-Tune Where The Line Lands

Most Stardew Valley players know the basics of casting their fishing line: highlight the fishing rod, hold down the Use Tool button, and release it to cast. However, not everyone knows that it’s possible to curve the cast slightly to the right or left.

Players can use the movement keys during the brief moment between releasing the button and the moment the line lands in the water. This will skew the cast slightly in the respective direction, allowing players better control over where their line ends up. Such control comes in especially handy considering the next tip.

2 Look For Bubbles

Prime Fishing Spots

Occasionally, a patch of bubbles will appear in the ocean, lake, or other water in which players can fish. Whenever these appear, players should try their best to cast their line into these bubbles. Doing so provides a number of benefits: fish bite faster, trash is less likely to appear, and higher-difficulty fish are more common.

Players will know they’ve cast into the right spot when they see blue sparkles appear above where their line lands in the water. Using the above method of directing a cast is especially helpful when trying to land these bubbles.

1 Be Patient

It’s Called Fishing, Not Catching

One doesn’t become a great fisherman overnight. Many players won’t be able to catch lingcod or sturgeon right away; rather, they’ll work their way up by reeling in sunfish and herring. Most skills in Stardew Valley require some amount of grinding to become truly useful, and fishing is no exception.

For players to really improve their fishing skills and reel in valuable catches, they’ll need to dedicate several in-game days to standing at the edge of the water, fishing rod in hand. Though it may be one of the slower-moving skills to raise in Stardew Valley, fishing will pay off eventually.