How to Catch Every Fish

One waypoint on the road to perfection in Stardew Valley is completing the fish collection. If you find every last one, Willy will send you a stardrop in the mail the next day. On top of that, collecting every fish is an entry in Qi’s Perfection Tracker, and it unlocks the Master Angler achievement.

However, some fish in Stardew Valley are harder to catch than others, and a few make their homes in very exotic locations. Read on to learn where and when to find all 67 fish in the game.

Updated February 25, 2025, by Usama Ali: Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update introduced a ton of new content to the game, including a new type of fish. New fish means new fishing goals to pursue. This keeps the game exciting, especially for seasoned players who might have already caught everything. For completionists, this means there are more entries to fill. Some villagers even appreciate fish as gifts, making it a great way to boost your friendships. Overall, it’s a rewarding feeling to catch them all, which is why we’ve updated this guide with all the new fish in Stardew Valley 1.6 along with details on how to catch them.

The Fish List

While the in-game fish list shows silhouettes for each fish you haven’t caught yet, it doesn’t explain what the missing fish’s name is or where to find it. The following chart shows the name of each fish in each position on the list, and the following sections explain where to find each fish (or other form of sea life).

River and Lake Fish

There are several freshwater fishing spots throughout the game map, including a large pond and river in Cindersap Forest, a lake in the Mountain region, and a river in Pelican Town. You can also find fishing spots in several of the farm types, though the standard farm only has trash in its two ponds.

Although the Community Center has separate bundles for lake and river fish, these freshwater bodies have overlapping lists. As such, you can expect to see several fish appear multiple times in the following tables.

Cindersap Pond

Cindersap River

Mountain Lake

Pelican Town River

Ocean Fish

The fish you can catch in the beach region are completely different from the ones found elsewhere in Stardew Valley, and they include some of the toughest catches in the game.

Crab Pot Fish

Many forms of sea life only appear when you bait and set out a crab pot. A few of them also wash ashore as forage items on the Beach, but most of them are exclusive to crab pot catches. Unlike fishing-line fish, seasons and the time of day don’t matter to crab pots. The only thing that makes a difference is whether you put them in saltwater or freshwater areas.

Saltwater Crab Pot Catches

• Cockle
• Crab
• Lobster
• Oyster
• Mussel
• Shrimp

Freshwater Crab Pot Catches

• Crayfish
• Periwinkle
• Snail

Exotic Fish

A variety of fish only live in bodies of water that are off the beaten path or take some effort to reach.

Secret Woods

Break the log in the northwest corner of Cindersap Forest to reach the Secret Woods. The pond is in the southwest corner of this region, and the fish found here are available year-round.

The Mines

Floors 20, 60, and 100 each have underground lakes to the right of the elevator. You can catch unique fish from each one, and since these floors are peaceful and have elevator access, you only need to bring your fishing rod. Since the lakes are underground, the fish here don’t care about the weather or the time of day.

Calico Desert

The pond northwest of the bus has a few fish that appear year-round.

Players who fish after 8pm will only catch Green Algae.

Sewer

You can unlock the sewer by donating 60 items to the Pelican Town museum. You can catch Carp in the polluted waters of the sewer, along with one of the five Legendary fish. This is also one of the few places where you can get White Algae by casting your line.

Mutant Bug Lair

The Mutant Bug Lair unlocks during the Dark Talisman Quest, which starts after finishing with the Community Center or Joja Warehouse. Speak to Krobus in the Sewer and the way to the Mutant Bug Lair will open up.

Water surrounds the Mutant Bug Lair on all sides. You can’t find the Legendary fish here, but you can find the Slimejack, along with Carp and both kinds of Algae. Like the Sewer, there are no special times or seasons in the Mutant Bug Lair.

Witch’s Swamp

After helping Krobus, you can reach the Witch’s Swamp by opening a path northeast of the railroad area. Like the Mutant Bug Lair, the Witch’s Swamp is surrounded on all sides by water.

You can catch both kinds of Algae here, along with Catfish on any rainy day. But the main reason to fish here is to get a Void Salmon, which appears in no other areas.

The Night Market

One attraction at the Night Market is a submarine with an open bottom. Once it sets down, you can cast your line and try to catch Blobfish, Midnight Squid, and Spook Fish. There are no time limits involved aside from needing to visit while the Night Market is open.

Cindersap Forest Waterfall

Added in 1.6, Goby

is a unique type of fish that can be found in the waterfalls of Cindersap Forest. These are located in the southern part of the forest, near the Abandoned House. The Goby can be caught all year round, at any time of day, and in any weather. This makes it one of the most accessible fish in terms of availability. To increase your chances of catching the Goby in Stardew Valley, you can use a Curiosity Lure.

To fish in the pools beneath the waterfalls, you need a Fishing level of 4 or higher. While the game visually makes the pools appear to be just one tile away, they are actually five tiles distant. If your Fishing level is too low, you won’t be able to reach the pool, even though it looks close.

Ginger Island

Ginger Island includes several regions that each have their own fishing spots. Depending on where you throw your line, you can catch a hard-to-find fish or one of three fish that are exclusive to the island.

Dig Site River and Farm River

Dock Ocean and Star Cove Ocean

Farm Ocean

Pirate Cove (Indoors)

The Forge

Cast your line into the lava surrounding the Forge (but not in the rest of the Volcano Dungeon) to catch Lava Eels.

The Legendary Fish

Stardew Valley features five legendary fish that are much harder to catch than any other fish in the game. Each one appears in a different region, and most of them appear only in a single season. In addition, you have to fish from a specific location on each map to find them, and you need a minimum Fishing level to cast the line far enough for them to bite.

While the library book The Fisherman, Act II suggests you need to catch all the other legendary fish first, you can catch the Legend as soon as your Fishing level is high enough. That being said, the Legend is definitely the hardest of these fish to catch. A few cork bobbers can really come in handy when fishing for the Legend.

Players can only catch the legendary fish once per save file, and unlike the “Items Shipped” list you don’t need to sell a fish for it to count towards clearing the list. So if you want to hold onto your legendary fish and display them in aquariums, you can do so while still reaching 100 percent completion.

If you want to try your skill by catching these rare fish again, you can start the “Extended Family” quest in Qi’s Walnut Room. This quest gives you three days to catch new versions of the legendary fish, which now appear in all seasons and weathers. The Extended Family fish are just as hard to catch as the originals, but you don’t need to catch them to complete the Fish list.