The ultimate Stardew Valley fishing guide: From novice to master angler

Stardew Valley is a wholesome and relaxing game, but if there is one activity that is sure to get your blood boiling and make your palms sweat, it’s fishing. Although it’s a bit easier on a touchscreen, fishing in Stardew Valley is an art that takes time and patience to master. This is why we are here to help! This is our ultimate guide to fishing in Stardew Valley.

How to get better at fishing in Stardew Valley

If you’ve tried fishing and failed, you might be asking yourself — why should I waste time fishing? Isn’t this a farming game? The answer is that fishing is an essential part of the game. It’s a great way to supplement your income, unlock achievements, and often, the only way to get the perfect gift for that villager you’ve been eyeing.

So, how do you improve? The simplest but most effective advice is to tap gently when aligning the green bar with the fish. Vigorous tapping or continuous pressing on the screen will send the bar flying up and down, allowing your catch to escape. Like every other skill — in-game or in real life — practice makes perfect.

That said, some key things will improve your chances of catching high-quality fish. For example, you really shouldn’t waste your time trying to fish in the small ponds around your farm, especially if you are using the Standard farm layout. Why? Because most of the time, you will reel in a soggy newspaper or other trash. Head to the ocean, or the town rivers and lakes, instead.

General fishing tips:

• Upgrade your rod as quickly as possible — the Training rod can only catch common fish.
• Cast your line as far away from the shore as possible, aiming for deeper, darker water. This decreases your chance of snagging garbage and increases the quality of any fish you catch.
• If bubbles appear on the water, cast your line there. Fish usually spawn in this location and will bite much quicker than usual. The likelihood of finding a rare or legendary fish is also higher.
• Use food to increase your fishing level temporarily. The best dishes for the job are Dish O’ The Sea, Fish Stew, Lobster Bisque, and Seafoam Pudding.
• Don’t get too tempted by treasures unless you specifically hunt for artifacts. Their loot is not amazing at lower levels, and catching that community bundle fish is more important.
• Take advantage of Crab Pots, which you can place in the water and pull them the next day. You can go do other things in the meantime, and picking up anything will count towards the fishing skill, even if it’s just trash. You can use Crab Pots after level 3.
• Be conscious of the seasons. Different types of fish are more common during different weather conditions.

Even with these tips in mind, you should know that some fish are tough to catch. You won’t get all of them in your first year, and there is no shame in that. Things get much easier with practice (and an Iridium rod).

The best Stardew Valley fishing spots

The prime Pelican Town fishing locations are the best-kept secret of many a Stardew Valley fisherman. Several spots on the map have great spawn rates and convenient access to the deep, dark depths of the water. Head here for the best catch in town.

Western Pier rock

Located on the same pier as Willy’s Fish Shop, casting your line near this rock is guaranteed to net you a good catch.

Edge of Eastern Pier

Once you rebuild the wooden bridge to the tidal pools, you will access the Eastern Pier. Its edge is one of the best fishing locations in the game.

Mountain lake near the mines

Catch some fish before entering the mines in this location for maximum efficiency!

Near Leah’s cabin

There’s a reason Willy often fishes here when he’s not in front of his shop.

Leveling up your Stardew Valley fishing skill

So, how do you get your hands on better equipment? With more fishing, of course. The skill has ten levels, all of which unlock new crafting recipes. As you level up, your fishing proficiency increases, too. This means you use less energy, allowing you to spend even more of your day fishing. Don’t be disheartened if you’re still learning, though — even reeling in seaweed, algae, or trash helps you work towards the next level.

Level two is one of the first important milestones. It unlocks the fiberglass rod, which can be purchased from Willy’s shop for 1,800 gold. It also gives you access to the bait crafting recipe. You can make five bait using one bug meat or buy bait from Willy for 5g each. Once you have it, attach it to your fiberglass rod before heading out to sea. It will cause fish to bite faster, making fishing more efficient.

At level three, the crab pot recipe will be unlocked. Crab pots are made with 40 pieces of wood and three iron bars. Plop them anywhere in the water to catch fish passively. However, an important thing to know is that they need to be baited to get you anything of value. Crab pots also have their own fish pool — you will catch only Lobster, Clams, Crayfish, Crabs, Cockles, Mussels, Shrimp, Snails, Periwinkles, and Oysters. Just like regular Stardew Valley fishing, however, there is a chance you will find driftwood and other trash items instead.

Once you reach fishing level five, you must make the first important decision: choosing your profession. The choices are Fisher and Trapper.

• Fisher: If you pick this profession, it makes fish worth 25% more.
• Trapper: Becoming a trapper reduces the resources required for crafting Crab Pots. You will only need 25 Wood and 3 Copper Bars to make a Crab Pot.

While the Trapper profession might be tempting for the lazy angler, we recommend going with Fisher. The value it provides is just too good to pass up. Especially earlier in the game, when resources are so important.

From there, reaching level six should be easy. Once you do, you can finally access the best fishing rod in Stardew Valley — the Iridium rod. It will cost you an arm and a leg at 7,500g, but it can use bait and tackle. As you continue leveling up, you will also unlock plenty of tackle recipes. They all can be helpful in different circumstances.

Stardew Valley fishing tackles and what they do:

If you want to upgrade your bait, too, you will have to befriend Linus. Once your friendship gets to four hearts, he will gift you one of the most useful fishing recipes in the game — Wild Bait. This unique recipe is crafted from ten Fiber, five Slime, and five Bug Meat. It gives you a chance to catch two fish at once!

Finally, at level ten, depending on what profession you picked at level five, you will once again be able to choose what you want to specialize in.

• Fisher
  • Angler: Fish sell for 50% more, instead of the 25%.
  • Pirate: 2x the chance of catching treasure chests.
• Trapper
  • Mariner: You won’t get junk with Crab Pots.
  • Luremaster: You can use Crab Pots without any bait.

How seasons and weather affect fishing

There are 67 fish in Stardew Valley. This includes the crab pot fish, legendary fish, and the fish you can catch on the submarine ride during the Night Market event. Stardew Valley is not Pokémon, so you don’t need to catch them all unless you are a completionist. However, if you are one, there are some things you need to know.

Many Stardew Valley fish are seasonal. Some fish only appear during one season of the year, while others will be available year-round. The time of day and weather conditions matter, too. Discovery is part of the fun, so we haven’t listed how and when to catch every fish. But to help you, we’ve compiled a list of when and where to capture some of the most “pretentious” fish, which only appear under particular conditions.

Stardew Valley Legendary fish locations

If you’ve already scoured the seas, lakes, and rivers of Pelican Town and discovered almost all they have to offer, you might be looking for a bigger challenge. Stardew Valley’s Legendary fish are precisely that: rare to find and prohibitively hard to catch. They will push your angling abilities to the limits. Legendary fish can only be caught once per save file, but they are the jewel in any fisherman’s crown.

So, how do you find and catch them? As you might have guessed, the higher your fishing level, the better your chances are of finding them. Some legendary fish will not even appear until you reach a certain fishing skill level. We, therefore, recommend getting to level 10 before going on the legendary hunt. An iridium rod with bait and tackle is also a must, with the Cork bobber tackle giving you the highest chance of success. Adding a food fishing bonus on top of the max level fishing skill is possible, too. Get your hands on some Seafoam pudding for the best results.

We should mention that catching the unruliest of these legendary fish is sometimes up to luck — keep trying until you reel them in! Finally, you must know where and when to find the Legendary fish. Here are their exact locations.

Note: All screenshots are taken in winter, but legendary fish are available in different seasons. Read the description above the images first.

Mutant Carp

This monstrous fish can be found in the sewers throughout all seasons and at any time of day or night.

Angler

In the fall, you can find this depth dweller in the river north of Joja Mart.

Crimsonfish

This fiery-red fish will visit the warm waters near the Eastern Pier in the summer.

Glacierfish

Unsurprisingly, you can find the Glacierfish in winter at the south end of the Cindersnap Forest waters.

Legend

The most difficult of them all — the Legend among legends, only appears during rainy Springs days and nights in the mountain lake.

There are some other legendary fish, such as the Legend II, Ms. Angler, Radioactive Carp, Glacierfish Jr., and Son of Crimsonfish. Some are only available for specific quests.

Are you tired of farming and fishing? There are also plenty of other games out there to pass the time. Take a look at our list of the best Android games available, as well as our favorite free Android games to keep things varied.