Fishing
Fishing is a skill associated with catching fish, using a fishing rod or crab pots, in Stardew Valley.
A fishing rod is used to cast a fishing line into a body of water. Casting into randomly appearing bubbles in the water will result in fish biting quicker. To cast, hold down the left mouse button (a meter will appear), then release to cast. Depending on how full the meter is when the mouse button is released, determines how far the line is cast. It is possible to slightly alter the placement of the fishing line with the arrow keys or WASD during mid cast. This can help with bubbling water pools in awkward positions. When a fish bites, click the left mouse button to start the mini-game.
The goal of the fishing mini-game is to keep the small fish icon in the rectangle area until a progress bar is completely filled. The rectangle area can be moved up by clicking and holding the mouse button, or repeatedly clicking the mouse button in quick succession. The rectangle area can be increased with fishing skill level and better fishing rods. The erratic movement of fish will also decrease with higher fishing skill level and better fishing rods.
It can be useful to keep the fish near the top of the rectangle area, as clicking to raise it is instant, but there's a slight delay when it drops. If the fish's icon moves above or below the rectangle area, the progress bar will decrease, and the fish will escape when it decreased all the way. Catching a fish without the fish leaving the rectangle area will display a "perfect".
Xbox Controls
When using an Xbox controller, first equip your fishing rod. Tap and hold the 
button and release when you are ready to cast your line. Once your line is cast, immediately tap and hold the button again. Once you're alerted that something has bit (an ! icon pops up with a sound effect) then release the X button to load the mini-game. Tap/hold/release or quickly tap the 
button to play the mini-game.
Fishing rods
Used to catch fish.
Fishing Skill
The fishing skill is associated with catching fish. It's increased by fishing using a fishing pole. Each level adds +1 fishing rod proficiency.
Every even level of fishing improves your maximum casting distance by 1. Both successfully completing the fishing minigame (even trash) and looting fish from crab pots increase fishing skill.
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crafting Recipes: | Crafting Recipes: | Crafting / Cooking Recipes: | Crafting Recipes: | Choose a Profession: | |
| Casting distance increased by one tile |  Bait
|
 Crab Pot Dish O' The Sea
|
 Deluxe Bait Worm Bin Recycling Machine
|
 Fisher
|
 Trapper
|
| Level 6 | Level 7 | Level 8 | Level 9 | Level 10 | |
| Crafting Recipes: | Crafting Recipes: | Crafting Recipes: | Crafting / Cooking Recipes: | Fisher: | Trapper: |
 Bait Maker Spinner Trap Bobber Sonar Bobber
|
 Cork Bobber Treasure Hunter
|
 Deluxe Worm Bin Barbed Hook Dressed Spinner
|
 Seafoam Pudding Magnet
|
 Angler
|
 Mariner
|
 Pirate
|
 Luremaster
| ||||
Food
Certain food items will temporarily increase fishing level.
| Name | Description | Ingredients | Energy | Health | Stat Bonus | Sources | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Chowder
|
A perfect way to warm yourself after a cold night at sea. |  Clam (1) Milk (1)
|
 Energy (225)
|
 Health (90)
|
 Fishing (+1)
|
Willy (3 Hearts) |  150g
|
 Dish O' The Sea
|
This'll keep you warm in the cold sea air. |  Sardine (2) Hashbrowns (1)
|
Energy (125)
|
Health (50)
|
Fishing (+3)
|
Fishing Level 3 | 220g
|
 Escargot
|
Butter-soaked snails cooked to perfection. |  Snail (1) Garlic (1)
|
Energy (225)
|
Health (90)
|
Fishing (+2)
|
Willy (5 Hearts) | 125g
|
 Fish Stew
|
It smells a lot like the sea. Tastes better, though. |  Crayfish (1) Mussel (1) Periwinkle (1) Tomato (1)
|
Energy (225)
|
Health (90)
|
Fishing (+3)
|
Willy (7 Hearts) | 175g
|
 Fish Taco
|
It smells delicious. |  Tuna (1) Tortilla (1) Red Cabbage (1) Mayonnaise (1)
|
Energy (165)
|
Health (66)
|
Fishing (+2)
|
Linus (7 Hearts) | 500g
|
 Lobster Bisque
|
This delicate soup is a secret family recipe of Willy's. |  Lobster (1) Milk (1)
|
Energy (225)
|
Health (90)
|
Fishing (+3) Max Energy (+50)
|
Cooking Channel (Winter 14, Even Years) Willy (9 Hearts) |
205g
|
 Maple Bar
|
It's a sweet doughnut topped with a rich maple glaze. |  Maple Syrup (1) Sugar (1) Wheat Flour (1)
|
Energy (225)
|
Health (90)
|
 Farming (+1) Fishing (+1) Mining (+1)
|
Cooking Channel (Summer 14, Even Years) |
300g
|
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 icon in the fishing bar.
The player is awarded a random bonus loot after catching the fish. Losing the fish also loses the 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 / 2.0)% and a hidden Luck level +(LuckLevel * 0.005)%
| Name | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Treasure Chest
|
Wow, it's loaded with treasure! This is sure to fetch a good price. | Sell for 5,000g
|
 Bait (1-15)
|
Causes fish to bite faster. Must first be attached to a fishing rod. | Default bait, decreases the time taken for fish to bite and lowers chance of getting trash items. |
 Dressed Spinner
|
The metal tab and colorful streamers create an enticing spectacle for fish. Increases the bite-rate when fishing. | |
 Chicken Statue
|
It's a statue of a chicken on a bronze base. The ancient people of this area must have been very fond of chickens. | Can be donated to the Museum. The player will receive a Chicken Statue furniture item. |
 Anchor
|
It may have belonged to ancient pirates. | Can be donated to the Museum. |
 Diamond (1-2)
|
A rare and valuable gem | |
 Emerald (1-2)
|
A precious stone with a brilliant green color. | |
 Ruby (1-2)
|
A precious stone that is sought after for its rich color and beautiful luster. | |
 Ruby Ring
|
Increases attack by 10%. | |
 Stone (1-12)
|
A common material with many uses in crafting and building. | |
 Coal (1-10)
|
A combustible rock that is useful for crafting and smelting. | |
 Rusty Spoon
|
A plain old spoon, probably ten years old. Not very interesting. | Can be donated to the Museum. |
 Geode
|
A blacksmith can break this open for you. | |
 Frozen Geode (1-3)
|
A blacksmith can break this open for you. | |
 Magma Geode (1-3)
|
A blacksmith can break this open for you. | |
 Wood (1-2)
|
A sturdy, yet flexible plant material with a wide variety of uses. | |
 Copper Ore (4-6)
|
A common ore that can be smelted into bars. | |
 Iron Ore (2-6)
|
A fairly common ore that can be smelted into bars. | |
 Gold Ore (6-10)
|
A precious ore that can be smelted into bars. | |
 Iridium Ore (1-2)
|
An exotic ore with many curious properties. Can be smelted into bars. | Must cast Max Distance |
 Neptune's Glaive
|
An heirloom from beyond the Gem Sea. | Level 7, 18-35 damages. |
 Broken Trident
|
It came from the sea, but it's still sharp. | Level 11, 15-26 damages. |
 Iridium Band
|
Glows, attracts items, and increases attack damage by 10%. | Combines the effect of the Glow Ring, the Magnet Ring, and the Ruby Ring. |
 Fire Quartz
|
A glowing red crystal commonly found near hot lava. | |
 Ancient Seed
|
It's a dry old seed from some ancient plant. By all appearances it's long since dead... | Can be donated to the Museum. The player will receive a pack of Ancient Fruit seeds, as well as the Ancient Fruit Seeds crafting recipe. |
 Elvish Jewelry
|
Dirty but still beautiful. On the side is a flowing script thought by some to be the ancient language of the elves. No Elvish bones have ever been found. | Can be donated to the Museum. |
 Bone Flute
|
It's a prehistoric wind instrument carved from an animal's bone. It produces an eerie tone. | Can be donated to the Museum. |
 Nautilus Fossil
|
This must've washed up ages ago from an ancient coral reef. | Can be donated to the Museum. |
 Chewing Stick
|
Ancient people chewed on these to keep their teeth clean. | Can be donated to the Museum. |
 Skeletal Tail
|
It's pretty short for a tail. | Can be donated to the Museum. |
 Amphibian Fossil
|
The relatively short hind legs suggest some kind of primordial toad. | Can be donated to the Museum. |
 Dinosaur Egg
|
A giant dino egg... The entire shell is still intact! | Can be donated to the Museum. |
.png){kind=small} Strange Doll (green)
|
??? | Can be donated to the Museum. |
 Ancient Doll
|
An ancient doll covered in grime. This doll may have been used as a toy, a decoration, or a prop in some kind of ritual. | |
 Prehistoric Tool
|
Some kind of gnarly old digging tool. | Can be donated to the Museum. |
 Mixed Seeds
|
There's a little bit of everything here. Plant them and see what grows! |