Complete Fishing Guide

Fishing

TL;DR

Fishing is one of the five main skills in Stardew Valley, offering both relaxing gameplay and significant income potential. The Iridium Rod (7,500g, Fishing Level 6) is the best fishing tool, supporting both bait and tackle attachments. Wild Bait provides the highest efficiency with a chance to catch two fish at once. The five legendary fish (Legend, Crimsonfish, Angler, Glacierfish, Mutant Carp) can each be caught only once per save file, with difficulty ratings from 80-110. The Fisher -> Angler profession path maximizes profit with 75% total bonus to fish sell prices.

Fishing is one of the five main skills in Stardew Valley. It can be a relaxing way to earn income or a challenging pursuit of rare species. This guide covers everything from basic mechanics to legendary fish strategies, including all rods, bait, tackle, seasonal fish locations, and the complete fishing skill progression.

How Does the Fishing Mini-Game Work?

When you cast your line into water, a fish will bite (indicated by an exclamation mark and sound). Click to start the fishing minigame. A green bar appears alongside a vertical meter:

Click/hold to raise the green bar.
Release to let the green bar fall.
Keep the fish icon inside the green bar to fill the catch meter.
If the catch meter fills completely, you catch the fish.
If it empties completely, the fish escapes.

The difficulty of the minigame depends on the fish species. Some fish barely move, while others dart erratically. Higher fishing skill makes the green bar larger, making catches easier. The green bar also bounces off the top and bottom of the meter, which can be used strategically.

What is the Best Fishing Mini-Game Strategy?

Keep the bar steady. Rather than clicking frantically, try to maintain the bar at a consistent height where the fish tends to swim.
Use the bounce. Let the bar bounce off the bottom or top to maintain position without constant clicking.
Anticipate fish movement. Fish that dart upward will often reverse direction. Be ready to release when they change direction.
Practice makes perfect. The fishing mini-game is the hardest skill in Stardew Valley. Do not get discouraged by early failures.
Use food buffs. Eating Dish o’ The Sea (+1 Fishing) or Seafoam Pudding (+4 Fishing) makes the green bar larger.

What Fishing Rods Are Available?

There are four fishing rods in the game, each unlocked at different milestones:

Rod	How to Unlock	Bait	Tackle	Notes
Bamboo Pole	Given by Willy on Spring 2 (visit beach)	No	No	Basic rod, no attachments
Training Rod	Buy from Willy for 75g	No	No	Easier fishing, limited to basic fish
Fiberglass Rod	Buy from Willy for 1,800g (Fishing Level 2)	Yes	No	First rod with bait slot
Iridium Rod	Buy from Willy for 7,500g (Fishing Level 6)	Yes	1 slot	Best standard rod
Advanced Iridium Rod	Buy from Willy for 25,000g (Fishing Level 10)	Yes	2 slots	Ultimate rod (added in 1.6.9)

What Bait Types Are Available?

Bait can be attached to the Fiberglass Rod and Iridium Rod to reduce the time between bites. Bait is consumed each time a fish is caught.

Bait	Effect	Source	Cost
Bait	Reduces time between bites	Craft: 10 Bug Meat	Free (with bugs)
Magnet	Increases treasure chance	Chests in mines, Skull Cavern	Found only
Wild Bait	Fish bite faster AND double catch chance	Complete Qi’s quest	5 Qi Gems per 5

What is Wild Bait and Why is it the Best?

Wild Bait is the best bait in the game. It combines the bite rate reduction of normal bait with a special effect: each cast has a chance of catching two fish at once. This effectively doubles your fishing output. However, it is only available after completing a challenging quest from Mr. Qi.

What Tackle Types Are Available?

Tackle is attached to the Iridium Rod’s tackle slot and provides various bonuses. Each tackle has a limited durability and will break after a certain number of uses.

Tackle	Effect	Fishing Level	Durability	Cost
Cork Bobber	Slightly increases green bar size	Level 5	No break	500g
Barbed Hook	Fish don’t escape while bar is raised	Level 8	Breaks after uses	1,000g
Trap Bobber	Fish escape slower when bar not touching	Level 6	Breaks after uses	500g
Spinner	Slightly increases bite rate	Level 6	No break	500g
Curiosity Lure	Doubles rare fish chance	Level 8	No break	2,000g
Treasure Hunter	Greatly increases treasure chance	Level 8 (Willy quest)	No break	750g
Sonar	Shows fish name before catching	Level 6	No break	1,000g
Dress Spinner	Increases bite rate in rain	Level 6	No break	750g

What is the Best Tackle for Each Situation?

Situation	Recommended Tackle	Reason
General fishing	Cork Bobber or Trap Bobber	Larger bar or slower escape
Legendary fish	Trap Bobber	Fish escape slower, critical for hard fish
Treasure farming	Treasure Hunter	Maximizes chest finds
Rare fish collection	Curiosity Lure	Doubles chance of rare species
Rain fishing	Dress Spinner	Faster bites during rain

Complete Fish List by Season

What Fish Can Be Caught in Spring?

Fish	Location	Time	Weather	Difficulty	Sell Price
Catfish	River	6AM-12AM	Rainy	35	200g
Eel	Ocean	4PM-2AM	Rainy	55	85g
Flounder	Ocean	6AM-8AM	Any	40	100g
Herring	Ocean	All day	Any	20	30g
Largemouth Bass	Mountain Lake	6AM-7PM	Any	30	100g
Shad	River	9AM-2PM	Rainy	30	60g
Tiger Trout	River	6AM-7PM	Any	30	75g
Walleye	River	12PM-2AM	Any	35	105g
Sardine	Ocean	6AM-7PM	Any	20	40g
Tuna	Ocean	6AM-7PM	Any	50	100g
Red Snapper	Ocean	6AM-7PM	Rainy	35	50g

What Fish Can Be Caught in Summer?

Fish	Location	Time	Weather	Difficulty	Sell Price
Octopus	Ocean	6AM-1PM	Any	70	150g
Pufferfish	Ocean	12PM-4PM	Sunny	65	200g
Red Snapper	Ocean	6AM-7PM	Rainy	35	50g
Tilapia	Ocean	6AM-2PM	Any	30	75g
Tuna	Ocean	6AM-7PM	Any	50	100g
Albacore	Ocean	6AM-11AM	Rainy	45	75g
Super Cucumber	Ocean	6PM-2AM	Any	60	250g
Midnight Carp	Mountain Lake	10PM-2AM	Any	10	45g
Dorado	Forest Pond	6AM-2PM	Any	65	300g

What Fish Can Be Caught in Fall?

Fish	Location	Time	Weather	Difficulty	Sell Price
Salmon	River	6AM-6PM	Any	40	75g
Walleye	River	12PM-2AM	Any	35	105g
Tiger Trout	River	6AM-7PM	Any	30	75g
Albacore	Ocean	6AM-11AM	Rainy	45	75g
Sardine	Ocean	6AM-7PM	Any	20	40g
Tuna	Ocean	6AM-7PM	Any	50	100g
Red Snapper	Ocean	6AM-7PM	Rainy	35	50g
Lingcod	River	6AM-6PM	Any	65	120g
Shad	River	9AM-2PM	Rainy	30	60g

What Fish Can Be Caught in Winter?

Fish	Location	Time	Weather	Difficulty	Sell Price
Squid	Ocean	6PM-2AM	Any	50	80g
Perch	River	6AM-6PM	Any	15	55g
Lingcod	River	6AM-6PM	Any	65	120g
Midnight Carp	Mountain Lake, River	10PM-2AM	Any	10	45g
Walleye	River	12AM-2AM	Any	35	105g
Sea Cucumber	Ocean	6AM-6PM	Any	5	75g
Flounder	Ocean	6AM-8AM	Any	40	100g
Blobfish	Ocean	6AM-6PM	Rainy	70	150g
Midnight Squid	Ocean	12AM-2AM	Any	50	110g
Spook Fish	Sewers	All day	Any	55	800g
Stonefish	Mines (level 20)	Any	Any	50	75g
Ice Pip	Mines (level 40)	Any	Any	40	75g
Lava Eel	Mines (level 80-100)	Any	Any	85	700g

How to Catch Legendary Fish?

There are five legendary fish, each available only during a specific season and under specific conditions. Each legendary fish can only be caught once per save file.

How to Catch the Legend (Spring)?

Stat	Value
Season	Spring
Location	Mountain Lake
Time	6AM-12AM
Weather	Rainy day
Minimum Date	Spring 5
Difficulty	110 (extremely hard)
Sell Price	1,650g

Strategy: Wait for a rainy spring day after the 5th. Use the Iridium Rod with Trap Bobber. Cast into the lake and be patient. The Legend has an extremely erratic movement pattern. Eat food that boosts fishing skill (Dish o’ The Sea) before attempting.

How to Catch the Crimsonfish (Summer)?

Stat	Value
Season	Summer
Location	Ocean (east pier)
Time	6AM-6PM
Weather	Any
Minimum Date	Summer 5
Difficulty	95
Sell Price	1,500g

Strategy: Fish from the east pier of the beach. The Crimsonfish is slightly easier than the Legend but still very challenging. Use Trap Bobber and fishing food buffs.

How to Catch the Angler (Fall)?

Stat	Value
Season	Fall
Location	River (north of Joja Mart)
Time	6AM-6PM
Weather	Any
Minimum Date	Fall 5
Difficulty	85
Sell Price	1,500g

Strategy: Cast your line into the river north of Joja Mart. The Angler is the easiest of the legendary fish, though still very challenging. Use Trap Bobber.

How to Catch the Glacierfish (Winter)?

Stat	Value
Season	Winter
Location	Forest Pond (south of farm)
Time	6AM-6PM
Weather	Any
Minimum Date	Winter 5
Difficulty	90
Sell Price	1,500g

Strategy: Fish in the small pond south of your farm in Cindersap Forest. The Glacierfish has a large size but moves unpredictably. Trap Bobber is recommended.

How to Catch the Mutant Carp (Any Season)?

Stat	Value
Season	Any
Location	Sewers
Time	Any
Requirement	Donate 60 items to Museum (10,000g total)
Difficulty	80
Sell Price	1,500g

Strategy: The Mutant Carp is the only legendary fish available year-round, but you must first unlock the sewers by donating 60 artifacts/minerals to Gunther at the Museum. It is the easiest legendary fish to catch.

How to Use Crab Pots Effectively?

Crab pots are a passive fishing method. Place them in water and check them daily to collect shellfish and other items.

Crab Pot Details

Stat	Value
Crafting Recipe	40 Wood, 3 Iron Bars (Fishing Level 3)
Bait Required	Yes (unless Luremaster profession)
Daily Production	1 item per pot per day
Placement	Any body of water
Max Pots	Limited by fishing level (without Mariner)

Crab Pot Catches

Item	Sell Price	Location
Crab	75g	Any water
Lobster	120g	Ocean only
Shrimp	60g	Any water
Crayfish	75g	Freshwater only
Cockle	50g	Ocean only
Mussel	30g	Ocean only
Oyster	50g	Ocean only
Clam	50g	Ocean only
Snail	65g	Any water
Periwinkle	20g	Any water
Trash	0g	Any (reduced with Mariner)

What is the Best Crab Pot Strategy?

Place ocean crab pots for Lobster (highest sell price at 120g)
With the Mariner profession (Level 10, Trapper branch), crab pots never produce trash
With the Luremaster profession (Level 10, Trapper branch), crab pots do not require bait
Best combination: Mariner (no trash) + bait from bug meat

What Are the Best Fishing Skill Professions?

Level 5 Choice

Profession	Effect
Fisher	Fish sell for 25% more
Trapper	Crab pots require no bait

Level 10 Choice (Fisher Branch)

Profession	Effect
Angler	Fish sell for 50% more (total +75% with Fisher)
Pirate	Chance to find double treasure

Level 10 Choice (Trapper Branch)

Profession	Effect
Mariner	Crab pots never produce trash
Luremaster	Crab pots do not require bait

What is the Recommended Fishing Profession Path?

For most players, Fisher -> Angler is the best path. The 50% bonus from Angler (stacking with Fisher’s 25% for 75% total) significantly increases fishing income. The Trapper branch is only recommended for players who want a fully passive crab pot setup.

Fishing XP Table

Level	XP Required	Reward
1	0	Bamboo Pole
2	100	Fiberglass Rod available
3	300	Crab Pot recipe
4	600	Barbed Hook recipe
5	1,000	Choose Fisher or Trapper
6	2,000	Iridium Rod available
7	3,000	Spinners recipe
8	5,000	Trap Bobber recipe
9	8,000	Curiosity Lure recipe
10	12,000	Choose Angler/Pirate or Mariner/Luremaster

XP Sources

Action	XP Gained
Catch a fish	3 + (difficulty x 3) XP
Catch a legendary fish	5 x difficulty XP
Perfect catch (bar never drops)	2.2x XP multiplier
Crab pot item	5 XP per item
Trash	3 XP

Data Sources: All game data in this guide is based on the official Stardew Valley Wiki and verified against game version 1.6.

Stardew Valley Fishing Guide - Fish List, Mechanics & Tips