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

“ “I still have a lot of work to do” — Robin Under Construction This article or section is under construction. It may be in the process of an expansion or major restructuring. Last edited by Margotbean on 2020-02-21 16:14:23.

Fishing is a skill associated with catching fish with a fishing rod or by collecting things from crab pots.

Overview & Controls

Fishing interface showing normal and Legendary Fish

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.

Upon catching a catch, the name of the fish and its size is displayed. Players can keep track of how many fish they have caught and their record lengths in their Collections menu.

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

Generally, the green rectangle increases in size only with higher fishing skill level. The Training Rod sets the bar size to the training level (equivalent to level 5 fishing) no matter what your skill level.

The upgraded fishing rods (e.g. Fiberglass Rod and Iridium Rod) do not affect the bar size.

Casting Distance

For any cast, the casting distance is measured from where the bobber drops to the water to the nearest land tile (any walkable area). The exact distance is determined by how full the mini-game casting meter is when you release the cast. Your maximum possible cast distance depends on your Fishing skill level.

• If you cast when the meter is filled 90-100%, you get a maximum cast for your skill level.
  • If you cast when the meter is filled 100%, the game displays the "Max" text to indicate a perfect cast. The only extra benefit of a perfect cast is that it allows the rare possibility of finding Iridium Ore inside a treasure chest.
• Smaller meter levels produce shorter casts.

The maximum casting distance is minimal at Fishing skill level 0. That distance is also greater when you cast to the right or left than it is when you cast up or down.

The maximum distances both increase at skill level 1, but the distance right or left is still larger than the distance up or down.

At skill level 4, the up / down maximum distance increases so that it is equal to the right / left maximum, and these maxima remain unchanged thereafter, all the way to level 10.

Casting distance influences but does not determine the quality of any fish you may catch on a given cast. There is always a random element in the final determination of quality. However, a longer cast gives a greater influence towards higher quality. Below level 4 then, you can expect, on average, to catch higher quality fish if you cast right or left than you will if you cast up or down. Beginning with level 4, the direction will not matter.

While you can catch any type of fish present at your location with any length of cast, the length of cast also influences the likelihood of which type of fish you will catch with the single cast. There is always a random element in the final determination of fish type also, but generally a longer cast will increase the likelihood of the catch of a more valuable or rarer type of fish.

Pool of Bubbles

Bubbles

Sometimes, a pool of bubbles appears in the water. If you cast into them, sparkles appear to indicate that you have successfully landed in them. Bubbles grant two benefits:

• Fish bite much more quickly.
• The likelihood of catching rarer types of fish increases over water without bubbles.

Bubbles do not influence fish quality.

Perfect Catches

The game displays a "Perfect!" catch if the fish never leaves the green rectangle during the mini-game. Perfect catches grant two benefits:

• The amount of fishing experience awarded for catching the fish is multiplied by 2.4.
• The quality of the fish caught may be raised.

There is always a random element in the determination of fish quality. With perfect catches, the fish quality is initially assessed just as it would be with a non-perfect catch. However, perfect catches undergo an extra step:

• If the initial quality is assessed as regular, the perfect catch quality remains regular.
• If the initial quality is assessed as silver, the perfect catch quality becomes gold.
• If the initial quality is assessed as gold, the perfect catch quality becomes iridium.

Making a perfect catch is the only way to get an iridium quality fish.

Energy

At fishing skill 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, on the 10th cast at level 1 fishing, the UI shows an energy cost of only 7 instead of 8. At level 10 fishing, all casts take (and show) costs of 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 paused during the animation when the fish is flying back towards you.
  • Time is paused during the popup that shows you what type of fish that you have caught.
  • If you caught a treasure chest, time is paused while you look through the chest's inventory.
• In multiplayer, time is not ever paused.
• If you are attacked (for example, by a slime while fishing in the Secret Woods), the slime will continue to attack and damage you during the mini-game, even though the clock is paused.
• During the ice-fishing contest in the Festival of Ice, the contest timer is never paused even during the mini-game. Contest fish do not register as "caught" unless the animation showing the fish flying back to you is completed. It is possible to catch your fifth fish just as time runs out (with the bar announcing a "perfect" catch) and still lose the contest because the fifth fish did not complete its flying animation.

Fishing Poles

Used to catch Fish.

Image	Name	Cost	Improvements	Location	Requirements
	Training Rod	data-sort-value="25">25g	Easier to use (only catches common Fish).	Buy from Willy's Fish Shop
	Bamboo Pole	data-sort-value="500">500g		Given to you by Willy Buy from Willy's Fish Shop
	Fiberglass Rod	data-sort-value="1800">1,800g	Able to use bait.	Buy from Willy's Fish Shop	Fishing Level 2 (You receive a letter the day after it becomes available)
	Iridium Rod	data-sort-value="7500">7,500g	Able to use bait & tackle.	Buy from Willy's Fish Shop	Fishing Level 6 (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
Crafting Recipes:	Crafting Recipes:	Crafting / Cooking Recipes:	Crafting Recipes:	Choose a Profession:
Casting distance increased by one tile	Bait Fiberglass Rod & Bait unlocked in Willy's Fish Shop	Crab Pot Dish O' The Sea Crab Pot unlocked in Willy's Fish Shop	Deluxe Bait Worm Bin Recycling Machine Deluxe Bait unlocked in Willy's Fish Shop Casting distance increased by one tile	Fisher Fish worth 25% more.	Trapper Resources required to craft crab pots reduced.
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 Iridium Rod, Sonar Bobber, Lead Bobber, Spinner, & Trap Bobber unlocked in Willy's Fish Shop	Cork Bobber Treasure Hunter Cork Bobber & Treasure Hunter unlocked in Willy's Fish Shop	Deluxe Worm Bin Barbed Hook Dressed Spinner Barbed Hook & Dressed Spinner unlocked in Willy's Fish Shop Casting distance increased by one tile	Seafoam Pudding Magnet Magnet unlocked in Willy's Fish Shop	Angler Fish worth 50% more.	Mariner Crab pots no longer produce junk items.
				Pirate Chance to find treasure doubled.	Luremaster Crab pots no longer require bait.

Experience Points

The amount of experience earned for each caught fish is as follows:

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
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
	Chowder	A perfect way to warm yourself after a cold night at sea.	Clam (1) Milk (1)	225 101	Fishing (+1)	16m 47s	Willy (Mail - 3+ )	data-sort-value="135">135g
	Dish O' The Sea	This'll keep you warm in the cold sea air.	Sardine (2) Hashbrowns (1)	150 67	Fishing (+3)	5m 35s	Fishing Level 3	data-sort-value="220">220g
	Escargot	Butter-soaked snails cooked to perfection.	Snail (1) Garlic (1)	225 101	Fishing (+2)	16m 47s	Willy (Mail - 5+ )	data-sort-value="125">125g
	Fish Stew	It smells a lot like the sea. Tastes better, though.	Crayfish (1) Mussel (1) Periwinkle (1) Tomato (1)	225 101	Fishing (+3)	16m 47s	Willy (Mail - 7+ )	data-sort-value="175">175g
	Fish Taco	It smells delicious.	Tuna (1) Tortilla (1) Red Cabbage (1) Mayonnaise (1)	165 74	Fishing (+2)	7m	Linus (Mail - 7+ )	data-sort-value="500">500g
	Lobster Bisque	This delicate soup is a secret family recipe of Willy's.	Lobster (1) Milk (1)	225 101	Fishing (+3) Max Energy (+50)	16m 47s	The Queen of Sauce 14 Winter, Year 2 Willy (Mail - 9+ )	data-sort-value="205">205g
	Maple Bar	It's a sweet doughnut topped with a rich maple glaze.	Maple Syrup (1) Sugar (1) Wheat Flour (1)	225 101	Farming (+1) Fishing (+1) Mining (+1)	16m 47s	The Queen of Sauce 14 Summer, Year 2	data-sort-value="300">300g
	Seafoam Pudding	This briny pudding will really get you into the maritime mindset!	Flounder (1) Midnight Carp (1) Squid Ink (1)	175 78	Fishing (+4)	3m 30s	Fishing (Level 9)	data-sort-value="300">300g
	Shrimp Cocktail	A sumptuous appetizer made with freshly-caught shrimp.	Tomato (1) Shrimp (1) Wild Horseradish (1)	225 101	Fishing (+1) Luck (+1)	10m 2s	The Queen of Sauce 28 Winter, Year 2	data-sort-value="160">160g
	Trout Soup	Pretty salty.	Rainbow Trout (1) Green Algae (1)	100 45	Fishing (+1)	4m 39s	The Queen of Sauce 14 Fall, Year 1	data-sort-value="100">100g

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: Need to reword "one tile less than max distance" in terms of whatever term is used above (depth? Casting distance?)

Item	Number in Chest	Fishing Level Required	Other Requirements
Treasure Chest	1	2+
Iridium Ore	1-2		Must cast Max Distance
Gold Ore	1-24		Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance
Iron Ore	1-24
Copper Ore	1-24
Wood	1-24
Stone	1-24
Coal	1-24
Dressed Spinner	1	6+	Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance
Bait	1-15
Wild Bait	2-10		Must know the recipe for Wild Bait
Lost Book	1		Only if you've already found 1+ Lost Books, and the Museum's Library collection is not complete
Skeletal Tail	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Nautilus Fossil	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Amphibian Fossil	1-2	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Ancient Doll	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Elvish Jewelry	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Chewing Stick	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Ornamental Fan	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Dinosaur Egg	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Rare Disc	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Ancient Sword	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Rusty Spoon	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Rusty Spur	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Rusty Cog	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Chicken Statue	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Ancient Seed	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Prehistoric Tool	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Dried Starfish	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Anchor	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Glass Shards	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Bone Flute	1	2+	Only if you've already found 1+ artifacts
Strange Doll	1	2+
Strange Doll	1	2+
Geode	1-6
Frozen Geode	1-6
Magma Geode	1-6		Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance
Fire Quartz	1-4	2+	Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance
Ruby	1-4	2+	Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance
Emerald	1-4	2+	Must cast Max Distance or one tile less than Max Distance
Frozen Tear	1-4	2+
Jade	1-4	2+
Aquamarine	1-4	2+
Earth Crystal	1-4	2+
Amethyst	1-4	2+
Topaz	1-4	2+
Diamond	1-2	2+
Prismatic Shard	1	6+
Mixed Seeds	1-3
Rice Shoot	2-10		Spring only, not at The Beach
Neptune's Glaive	1	2+
Broken Trident	1	2+
Small Glow Ring	1	2+
Small Magnet Ring	1	2+
Amethyst Ring	1	2+
Topaz Ring	1	2+
Aquamarine Ring	1	2+
Jade Ring	1	2+
Emerald Ring	1	2+
Ruby Ring	1	2+
Iridium Band	1	2+
Sneakers	1 pair	2+
Rubber Boots	1 pair	2+
Leather Boots	1 pair	2+
Work Boots	1 pair	2+
Combat Boots	1 pair	2+
Tundra Boots	1 pair	2+
Thermal Boots	1 pair	2+
Dark Boots	1 pair	2+
Firewalker Boots	1 pair	2+
Genie Shoes	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.

History

• 1.4: Introduced Training Rod. Removed exploit where clicking the journal icon would pause time but still allow fish to bite.