Back in February 2016, ConcernedApe released Stardew Valley. It was an indie farming simulator that was released only for Windows, however, it proved very popular and this is why the game was soon released on every major gaming platform including Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4, iOS & Android devices as well as macOS and Linux.
In Stardew Valley, players control a young man who inherits a farm in Pelican Town from his grandfather. After overwhelming himself working in a dead-end job, the young man moves to Pelican Town to restore his grandfather’s farm.
Photo: ConcernedApe
The expansive gameplay of Stardew Valley set it apart from other farming simulators in the market. Moreover, there’s a social aspect to take care of by interacting with NPCs.
Players have to do a lot more than just grow and harvest crops. Farming, Fishing, Foraging, Mining, and Combat are the 5 main skills of Stardew Valley.
This article focuses on one of the most difficult but highly important mini-games of Stardew Valley- Fishing!
Fishing in Stardew Valley
Although it’s a Farming simulator, fishing is a huge part of Stardew Valley.
Photo: ConcernedApe
Once you master fishing, you’ll never have to worry about money again, and you’ll learn how well the developers have interconnected the different aspects of Stardew Valley.
For example, you may find a Treasure Chest while fishing.
If you successfully reel in the fish, you’ll also get the Treasure Chest and the reward within. The Treasure Chest can be a complete bust or have some rare Stardew Valley items.
In other words, there’s so much to fishing in Stardew Valley, which is why it’s one of the toughest skills to master. However, it’s not exactly rocket science.
All you need is a bit of practice and the know-how of when and where to fish, and my guide will help you every step of the way.
So, let’s start with the basics.
How To Fish in Stardew Valley?
Fishing becomes available in Stardew Valley on your 2nd day in the game. You’ll get a letter from Willy, asking you to meet him at the beach. He’ll also give you your first fishing rod.
Photo: ConcernedApe
Welcome to the fishing business!
Since you’re on the beach, it’s a good idea to check out your fishing gear right there and then.
- Equip the rod to throw a line into the water. When throwing, a meter will appear on the screen. Time your release to throw the line to a desired distance.
- Once a fish bites, you’ll hear a distinct sound and see an exclamation mark over your character’s head. Quickly press the ‘Use Tool’ button to hook the fish.
After the fish gets hooked, the third and final stage of catching a fish begins.
Photo: ConcernedApe
- Keep tapping your screen (or pressing the relevant button depending on the device you’re playing on) to keep the little fish icon within the green bar until the right side meter fills up.
It’s that easy when you talk about it, but as a long-time Stardew Valley player who struggles with this, let me tell you it’s anything but easy.
That green bar is overly sensitive. A slightly longer tap and you’ll lose the fish.
Moreover, each time your fishing skills level up, the fill-up meter gets longer and longer, making it more difficult to keep hold of your catch.
Photo: ConcernedApe
The only thing you can do is practice as much as possible. There’s no workaround to this- no shortcuts or cheat codes that will put the fish straight into your inventory.
Here are a few tips that can make it slightly easier-
- Practice by catching easier fish at the start. (Read on to find out which fish are easier to catch).
- Use a Training Rod at the start. It has an easier-to-control and bigger green bar.
- Throw the fishing line as far as possible to avoid garbage and increase the chances of catching high-quality fish.
Lastly, don’t give up too easily.
Now that you know the basics, let’s meet your potential prey.
Types of Fish in Stardew Valley
Fishing in Stardew Valley is hard, and it’s not just because of the game mechanics. There are plenty of factors at play that make fishing so hard.
Catching a fish depends on time, season, the bait you use, the gear you use, and the pond/lake/ocean you choose to fish at.
So, if you are after a specific fish, everything has to be done perfectly. And that’s only possible when you know exactly what you’re doing.
Photo: @stardewvalleyfan
Following is a table that will tell you everything you need to know about the 80+ catchable fish in Stardew Valley.
All Stardew Valley fish are classified into 5 main types in the game, so I’ll list them accordingly to avoid any confusion.
Fishing Pole Fish
Photo: Stardew | Guide
Time, Season, or weather does not affect your Crab Pot catch. However, occasionally, a Crab Pot might get-
- Trash
- Broken Glasses
- Broker CD
- Driftwood
- Soggy Newspaper
But the good thing about harvesting a Crab Pot is that it still gives 5 Fishing XP regardless of what it catches.
Night Market Fish
While the Night Market is open for business (5 pm – 2 am), players can catch 3 unique fish while taking a submarine ride. Remember, the Night Market is a Winter festival that starts on Day 15 and finishes on Day 17. This is what it looks like.
Photo: Stardew Valley Wiki
And these are the fish that players can catch during the submarine ride:
Photo: Macko – YouTube
Other than this exclusive Night Market catch, there’s a chance of catching Sea Cucumbers, Super Cucumbers, Seaweed, and even an Octopus.
If you use a Curiosity Lure, there’s a 0.9% (0.4% if not using the Curiosity Lure) chance of reeling in a Pearl.
Photo: Reddit
Legendary Fish
There are 5 fish in Stardew Valley that can only be caught once per file save.
Found in specific locations and during certain Seasons only, reeling in a Legendary Fish is 10x more difficult than any ordinary fish.
Photo: Stardew Valley Forums
Now, you can either dig up Artifact Spots and hope to find the ‘Secrets of the Legendary Fish’ or use this table below to learn everything and catch them all.
Photo: IGN
There are 5 more Legendary Fish in Stardew Valley that become available during Qi’s Extended Family Quest.
Find out more about them in the next section.
Legendary Fish II
While on Mr. Qi’s Extended Family Quest, you can’t catch the OG Legendary Fish. However, you can catch their duplicates.
These altered versions of Legendary Fish have different names- Legend becomes Legend II, Angler becomes Ms. Angler, and Crimsonfish becomes Son of Crimsonfish.
However, their location and prices are the same.
Here’s everything to know about Legendary Fish II.
Photo: Reddit
Apart from the fish, Stardew Valley has 3 more catchable items that add to the players’ Fishing XP.
- White Algae.
- Green Algae.
- Seaweed.
These are random items that you might catch at any location during any season.
None of these items are rare or valuable, but if you’re going for 100% completion, you’ll need these.
Fishing Gear in Stardew Valley – Rods, Bait, & Tackle!
Using the right tools of the trade is important.
That’s why every Stardew Valley player should know about the fishing gear available in Stardew Valley. Use the right rods, baits, and tackle; and fishing gets relatively easier.
I say relatively because it still doesn’t guarantee a Perfect Catch. However, using better tools certainly helps.
Let’s start with the most important one- the Fishing Rod.
Fishing Rods
There are 4 Fishing Rods available in Stardew Valley.
As I mentioned earlier, players get their first fishing rod (a Bamboo Pole) on the 2nd day from Willy.
Photo: ConcernedApe
After that, every rod becomes available as the player’s Fishing Level increases.
Here’s an overview of all 4 Fishing Rods.
Photo: ConcernedApe
After reaching Fishing Level 2, players unlock the Fiberglass, and with that comes the ability to use Bait.
Bait
Although not necessary, using Bait has its advantages. For example, using Bait with a Fishing Rod reduces the time taken by fish to bite.
Here’s a breakdown of all the baits and what they can do.
Photo: ConcernedApe
Tackle
Because it requires an Iridium Rod, Tackle can only be used after reaching Fishing Level 6.
Post that, you’ll unlock different Tackles as you reach higher Fishing Levels.
There are a total of 9 Tackles in Stardew Valley.
Photo: ConcernedApe
Conclusion
And that concludes my cheatsheet/guide to fishing in Stardew Valley.
I hope this helps you make some money and get that completion rate up.
Feel free to leave comments below about what more you’d like to know about Stardew Valley.
