Fishing
- For a list of fish and their locations, see the Fish page.
- For an index to the completed fish collection, see Collections.
- For the guide to catch all fish, see Fishing Strategy.
- See also: Tackle, Bait
Fishing is a skill associated with catching fish with a fishing rod or by collecting things from crab pots.
Overview & Controls
![](/mediawiki/images/thumb/1/10/Fishingicons.png/200px-Fishingicons.png)
To cast a fishing rod into a body of water, hold down the Use Tool button (e.g., the left mouse button on PC or the X button on Xbox). A meter appears, indicating how far the line will go. Release to cast. It is also possible to slightly alter the line's placement mid-cast with the movement keys, allowing you better control over aiming the cast.
When a fish bites, the bobble will wiggle and an exclamation point will appear above the player's head. Click the left mouse button (or the X button on Xbox) to start the mini-game.
The mini-game display contains a movable green rectangle that indicates the area of effect for your fishing line. The goal of the fishing mini-game is to keep the small fish icon within the green rectangle until the progress bar to the right is completely filled. If the fish's icon moves above or below the green rectangle, the progress bar decreases, and the fish escapes if the progress bar reaches the bottom.
You can raise the green rectangle by pressing the Use Tool button. Slower clicking holds the green in place when it is not on the bottom. Hold the left mouse button to raise it at increasing speed. Be careful moving it, though, for it gathers momentum quickly and takes time to reverse, making it easy to overshoot the fish and drain the progress bar.
Specific Mechanics
Location
The types of fish that you can find at any particular spot are determined by the map and body of water where you are fishing. For example, the forest lake, the forest river, and the town river each contain their own types of fish, though there are some overlaps. You can see the full list on the Fishing Strategy page.
Bar Size
The green rectangle increases in size with higher fishing skill level, and only that. It is not affected by better fishing rods.
Fish Quality
The game uses water depth (or clearWaterDistance in modding) to assign the quality of a fish you catch. Its name is derived from the casting distance of the bobber: where it drops, to the nearest land (any walkable area). It does not mean distance beneath the water surface. Its base value can also be altered by other factors.
For most catches:
- Depth 1 or 2 results in normal quality.
- Depth 3 results in silver.
- Depth 4 and above results in gold.
Casting into bubbles can increase depth (not the casting distance), which may affect quality. Making a perfect catch may also raise quality directly.
Cast Distance
- Your maximum possible cast distance increases as you rise in skill level.
- When your cast fills 90-100% of the bar, the cast reaches its maximum depth for your skill.
- When your cast fills 100% of the bar, the game displays the "Max" text to indicate a perfect cast. The only added benefit of a Max cast is that it allows the possibility of finding Iridium Ore inside of a treasure chest, but that is extremely rare.
- Maximum casting distance automatically increases at Fishing level 1 and at level 4, and only then.
- Maximum casting distance also differs directionally:
- At skill level 0, a cast up or down can reach at most a depth of 2, while a cast left or right can reach at most a depth of 3.
- At skill level 1 to level 3, a cast up or down can reach at most a depth of 3, while a cast left or right can reach at most a depth of 5.
- At level 4 to level 10, a cast in any direction can reach at most a depth of 5.
- Below skill level 4 then, casting left or right gives you an opportunity to get a higher quality catch than casting up or down.
- The game normally assigns only depths of 1, 2, 3, or 5 to casting. See casting into bubbles for extensions that give depths of 4 or 6.
- In addition to affecting the quality of the fish, depth also affects the chances of catching certain fish over other ones. While all fish can be caught in tiles that have a depth of 1, a lot of the "better" fish have a higher chance to be caught the further away from land you go.
- For more specific information, see the modding section.
Perfect Catches
The game displays a "Perfect!" catch if the fish never leaves the green rectangle. Perfect catches grant two benefits:
- The quality of the fish is increased by one, excluding normal quality fish (i.e., a silver quality fish would become a gold quality fish, or a gold quality fish would become an iridium quality fish.)
- The amount of experience awarded for catching the fish is multiplied by 2.4.
Bubbles
Sometimes, a pool of bubbles will appear in the water. If you cast into them, sparkles will appear to indicate that you have successfully landed in them. Bubbles grant two benefits:
- Fish bite much more quickly.
- 1 is added to the "depth" value. (Casting in bubbles is the only way to get depths of 4 or 6.)
Energy
At level 0, casting a fishing pole takes 8 energy. Each subsequent fishing level decreases the amount of energy used by 0.1. (While the UI shows whole numbers, the game does not round energy internally.) Thus, this means that at level 1 fishing, the 10th cast will only cost 7 energy instead of 8. At level 10 fishing, all casts will take 7 energy.
Time
- In single-player:
- Time is paused while the mini-game is active.
- Time is not paused during the animation when the casting bar is increasing.
- Time is not pasued during the animation when the fish is flying back towards you.
- Time is not paused during the popup that shows you what type of fish that you have caught.
- In multiplayer, time is not ever paused.
Fishing Poles
Used to catch Fish.
Image | Name | Cost | Improvements | Location | Requirements |
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Training Rod | ![]() |
Easier to use (only catches common Fish). | Buy from Willy's Fish Shop | ||
Bamboo Pole | ![]() |
Given to you by Willy Buy from Willy's Fish Shop |
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Fiberglass Rod | ![]() |
Able to use bait. | Buy from Willy's Fish Shop | ![]() (You receive a letter the day after it becomes available) | |
Iridium Rod | ![]() |
Able to use bait & tackle. | Buy from Willy's Fish Shop | ![]() (You receive a letter the day after it becomes available) |
Fishing Skill
Fishing Skill is increased by catching Fish, Trash, Seaweed, Green Algae, or White Algae with a Fishing Rod/Pole or by harvesting Crab Pots.
Each level grants +1 Fishing Rod Proficiency, increases the minimum fish size (in/cm) and bobber bar height, and decreases the max amount of time before fish bite.
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | |
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Crafting Recipes: | Crafting Recipes: | Crafting / Cooking Recipes: | Crafting Recipes: | Choose a Profession: | |
Casting distance increased by one tile | ![]()
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Level 6 | Level 7 | Level 8 | Level 9 | Level 10 | |
Crafting Recipes: | Crafting Recipes: | Crafting Recipes: | Crafting / Cooking Recipes: | Fisher: | Trapper: |
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Experience Points
The amount of experience earned for each caught fish is as follows: [1]
XP = (Fish Quality + 1) * 3 + (Fish Difficulty / 3)
- Fish Quality = 0 for normal, 1 for silver, 2 for gold, or 4 for iridium
- Fish Difficulty is a number from 5-110, listed in the data file Fish.xnb.
For example, a regular quality sardine (difficulty 30) would net you (0 + 1) * 3 + (30 / 3) = 13XP.
XP is multiplied by 2.2 if you also catch a treasure chest, by 2.4 if the catch was "perfect" and by 5 if the catch was a Legendary fish. These multiplications stack, and are performed in order (first treasure chest, then perfect, then Legendary).
For example, catching a perfect Sardine with a treasure chest would earn you 13 * 2.2 = 28.6 (truncated to 28) XP, then 28 * 2.4 = 67.2 (truncated to 67) XP.
Catching a perfect gold quality Crimsonfish (difficulty 95) with a treasure chest would net you (2+1) * 3 + (95 / 3) = 40.67 (truncated to 40) base XP; 40 * 2.2 = 88XP; 88 * 2.4 = 211.2 (truncated to 211) XP; 211 * 5 = 1055 XP.
Crab pots earn you 5XP each time you collect from them, no matter what is collected.
Trash, algae and seaweed caught with the fishing pole earn 3 XP each.
Experience level is increased immediately upon harvesting a Crab Pot or catching an item with a fishing pole, but the "level up" window doesn't appear until after going to sleep.
The XP required for leveling up is the same as for all skills:
Lvl | Total Experience |
Total Sardines (No stars) |
Total Gold Star Legend Fish (225XP) |
Total Crab Pot |
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1 | 100 | 8 | 1 | 20* |
2 | 380 | 30 | 2 | 76 |
3 | 770 | 60 | 4 | 154 |
4 | 1300 | 100 | 6 | 260 |
5 | 2150 | 166 | 10 | 430 |
6 | 3300 | 254 | 15 | 660 |
7 | 4800 | 370 | 22 | 960 |
8 | 6900 | 531 | 31 | 1380 |
9 | 10000 | 770 | 45 | 2000 |
10 | 15000 | 1154 | 67 | 3000 |
*Note: The first level of fishing cannot normally be completed with Crab Pots, because the player does not have access to bait until level 2. If, however, the player befriends Linus, his four heart cutscene will give the recipe for Wild Bait, which can be used to bait crab pots at any Fishing Skill level.
In addition, three crab pots can be earned at any Fishing Level by completing the Crab Pot Bundle in the Fish Tank. Completing the bundle without playing the fishing mini-game (or using crab pots) requires 4 fish foraged from the beach and 1 crab obtained by killing crabs in the mines.
Note that an alternative method of gaining Fishing XP is by using Fish Ponds.
Food
Certain cooked dishes will temporarily increase fishing level.
Image | Name | Description | Ingredients | Energy / Health | Buff(s) | Buff Duration | Recipe Source(s) | Sell Price | |||
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Chowder | A perfect way to warm yourself after a cold night at sea. | ![]() ![]() |
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Dish O' The Sea | This'll keep you warm in the cold sea air. | ![]() ![]() |
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Escargot | Butter-soaked snails cooked to perfection. | ![]() ![]() |
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Fish Stew | It smells a lot like the sea. Tastes better, though. | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Fish Taco | It smells delicious. | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Lobster Bisque | This delicate soup is a secret family recipe of Willy's. | ![]() ![]() |
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Maple Bar | It's a sweet doughnut topped with a rich maple glaze. | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Seafoam Pudding | This briny pudding will really get you into the maritime mindset! | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Shrimp Cocktail | A sumptuous appetizer made with freshly-caught shrimp. | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Trout Soup | Pretty salty. | ![]() ![]() |
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Treasure Chests
During the fishing mini-game, a treasure chest will occasionally appear inside the vertical bar. Treasure chests have their own progression bar, fillable by keeping the green bobber bar behind the treasure chest icon . If obtained, the player is awarded a random bonus loot after catching the fish. Losing the fish also loses the treasure chest.
The base chance of finding a chest is 15%. The probability can be increased with the Magnet (+15%), the Treasure Hunter (+5%) and the Pirate profession (+15%) for a total of 50% chance. It is further increased by daily Luck (+Luck/2).
The following is a list of all items that can be found inside Treasure Chests.
Section Stub
This section is marked as a stub for the following reason:
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Item | Number in Chest | Fishing Level Required | Other Requirements |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1-2 | Must cast Max Distance | |
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1-24 | Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance | |
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1-24 | ||
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1-24 | ||
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1-24 | ||
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1-24 | ||
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1-24 | ||
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1 | 6+ | Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance |
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1-15 | ||
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1 | Only if you've already found 1+ Lost Books, and the Museum's Library collection is not complete | |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1-2 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1-6 | ||
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1-6 | ||
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1-6 | Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance | |
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1-4 | 2+ | Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance |
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1-4 | 2+ | Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance |
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1-4 | 2+ | Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance |
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1-4 | 2+ | |
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1-4 | 2+ | |
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1-4 | 2+ | |
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1-4 | 2+ | |
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1-4 | 2+ | |
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1-4 | 2+ | |
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1-2 | 2+ | |
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1 | 6+ | |
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1-3 | ||
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 | 2+ | |
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1 pair | 2+ | |
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1 pair | 2+ | |
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1 pair | 2+ | |
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1 pair | 2+ | |
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1 pair | 2+ | |
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1 pair | 2+ | |
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1 pair | 2+ | |
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1 pair | 2+ | |
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1 pair | 2+ | |
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1 pair | 2+ |
Achievements
There are 4 Achievements related to Fishing. Note that catching Green Algae, White Algae, or Seaweed counts towards these achievements.
- Fisherman (Catch 10 different fish)
- Ol' Mariner (Catch 24 different fish)
- Master Angler (Catch every fish)
- Mother Catch (Catch 100 fish)
Trivia
- "Tiles away from land" is referred to as "clearWaterDistance" in modding and referred to as "depth" in the game's internal code.
References
- ↑ See Tools/FishingRod::doPullFishFromWater in the game code.
History
- 1.4: Introduced Training Rod. Removed exploit where clicking the journal icon would pause time but still allow fish to bite.
Skills & Stats | |
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Skills | Farming • Mining • Foraging • Fishing • Combat |
Stats | Attack • Crit. Chance • Crit. Power • Defense • Immunity • Luck • Magnetism • Speed • Weight |