Stardew Valley - Fishing Hub

Fishing in Stardew Valley

Fishing in Stardew Valley

Fishing in Stardew Valley is a huge component of the game, which may come as a surprise to some who only know it as a farming RPG. But fishing is integral to several different quests and character relationships in Pelican Town. So to break it down, we've compiled an extensive hub for all things fish.

If you're just learning the ropes, though, we do have a handy fishing guide that can teach you how to be a fish master.

Seasonal fishing in Stardew Valley

Much like crops in Stardew Valley, there are fish that are unique to certain seasons. Even certain times of the day as well as different weather conditions. So we'll break down where and when you can find each fish in the game. But first, let's tackle fishing in Stardew Valley all year round.

Fish for all seasons

Here are the fish in Stardew Valley that can be caught all year, and we've organised them alphabetically so it's easier to pick and choose what you need. We've included the times of day that these fish appear, as well as their locations, so you can schedule your fishing trip accordingly!

Fish name
Location
Time
Weather
Blue discus
Ginger Island, in ponds and rivers
Any
Any
Bream
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest
6pm to 2am
Any
Bullhead
Mountain lake
Any
Any
Carp
Mountain lake, secret woods pond, the sewers
Any
Any
Chub
Cindersnap forest river, mountain lake
Any
Any
Ghostfish
Mines between level 20 and 60, occasionally dropped by ghosts
Any
Any
Ice Pip
Mines from level 60 - requires fishing level 5
Any
Any
Largemouth Bass
Mountain lake
6am to 7pm
Any
Lava eel
Mines from level 100 - requires fishing level 7
Any
Any
Lionfish
Ocean at Ginger Island
Any
Any
Sandfish
Calico Desert
6am - 8pm
Any
Scorpion Carp
Calico Desert - requires fishing level 4
6am - 8pm
Any
Slimejack
Mutant bug lair
Any
Any
Stingray
Pirate cove at Ginger Island
Any
Any
Stonefish
Mines from level 20 - requires fishing level 3
Any
Any
Void salmon
Witch's swamp
Any
Any
Woodskip
Pond in secret woods
Any
Any

Spring fish

Here is our list of fish in Stardew Valley that will only appear during the month of Spring.

Fish name
Location
Time
Weather
Anchovy
Ocean
Any
Any
Catfish
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest, the pond in secret woods, witch's swamp
6am - 12am
Rain
Eel
Ocean
4pm - 2am
Rain
Flounder
Ocean
6am - 8pm
Any
Halibut
Ocean
6am - 11am 7pm - 2am
Any
Herring
Ocean
Any
Any
Sardine
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Any
Shad
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest
9am - 2am
Rain
Smallmouth bass
River in Pelican town, pond in Cindersnap Forest
Any
Any
Sunfish
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest
6am - 7pm
Sun, wind

Summer fish

Here you'll find a table detailing where and when to find fish in Stardew Valley that are specific to the month of summer, as well as the year-round fish.

Fish name
Location
Time
Weather
Catfish
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest, secret woods pond, witch's swamp
6am - 12am
Rain
Dorado
River in Cindersnap Forest
6am - 7pm
Any
Flounder
Ocean
6am - 8pm
Any
Halibut
Ocean
6am - 11pm 7pm - 2am
Any
Octopus
Ocean
6am - 1pm
Any
Pike
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest, mountain lake
Any
Any
Pufferfish
Ocean
12pm - 4pm
Sun
Rainbow trout
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest, mountain lake
6am - 7pm
Sun
Red mullet
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Any
Red snapper
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Rain
Shad
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest
9am - 2am
Rain
Sturgeon
Mountain lake
6am - 7pm
Any (most common on rainy summer days)
Sunfish
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest
6am - 7pm
Sun, wind
Super cucumber
Ocean
6am - 2pm
Any
Tilapia
Ocean
6am - 2pm
Any
Tuna
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Any

Fall fish

Here are the times, locations, and weather conditions needed to catch these Stardew Valley fish in the fall.

Fish name
Location
Time
Weather
Albacore
Ocean
6am - 11am 6pm - 2am
Any
Anchovy
Ocean
Any
Any
Catfish
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest, witch's swamp
6am - 12am
Rain
Eel
Ocean
4pm - 2am
Any
Midnight carp
Mountain lake, Cindersnap Forest pond
10pm - 2am
Any
Red snapper
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Rain
Salmon
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest
6am - 7pm
Any
Sardine
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Any
Sea cucumber
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Any
Shad
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest
Any
Any
Smallmouth bass
River in Pelican Town, pond in Cindersnap Forest
Any
Any
Super cucumber
Ocean
6am - 2pm
Any
Tiger trout
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest
6am - 7pm
Any
Tilapia
Ocean
6am - 2pm
Any
Walleye
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest, pond in Cindersnap Forest, mountain lake
12pm - 2am
Rain

Winter fish

Below you can find a handy table detailing the fish in Stardew Valley that can be caught during winter.

Fish name
Location
Time
Weather
Albacore
Ocean
6am - 11am 6pm - 2am
Any
Halibut
Ocean
6am - 11am 7pm - 2am
Any
Herring
Ocean
Any
Any
Lingcod
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest, mountain lake
Any
Any
Midnight carp
Mountain lake, pond in Cindersnap Forest
10pm - 2am
Any
Perch
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest, pond in Cindersnap Forest, mountain lake
Any
Any
Pike
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest, pond in Cindersnap Forest
Any
Any
Red mullet
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Any
Red snapper
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Rain (must use Rain Totem)
Sardine
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Any
Sea cucumber
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Any
Squid
Ocean
6pm - 2am
Any
Sturgeon
Mountain lake
6am - 7pm
Any
Tiger trout
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest
6am - 7pm
Any
Tuna
Ocean
6am - 7pm
Any
Walleye
River in Pelican Town and Cindersnap Forest, pond in Cindersnap Forest, mountain lake
12pm - 2am
Rain (use Rain Totem)

So, there's everything you need to know about seasonal fishing in Stardew Valley, whether you're after the wily walleye, or looking to fill a pond with sturgeon to make caviar.

Fish in Stardew Valley can be legendary
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Legendary angler fish in Stardew Valley

Legendary fish

As well as the standard array of fish in Stardew Valley, there are also five types of fish considered legendary. Only the strongest fishermen (or women!) can catch these fish, and they each have a specific location. The fishing minigame for these legendary creatures will really test your mettle, but they're worth catching just for the sake of bragging rights.

It is easily recognisable in the fishing mini-game whether or not you have a legendary fish hooked, because the image of the fish you're battling will be wearing a tiny crown.

But be warned, there is only one of each legendary fish permitted per save file in Stardew Valley. So be sure to not accidentally eat or sell them! Unless you want to cash in the hefty price tag they fetch, of course.

Below you'll find all the details for the location and requirements needed to catch the five legendary fish in Stardew Valley.

Fish name
Location and requirements
Season
Time
Weather
Angler
North of JojaMart on the wooden plank bridge that crosses the river. Requires level 3 fishing.
Fall
Any
Any
Crimsonfish
East pier on the beach. Requires level 5 fishing.
Summer
Any
Any
Glacierfish
South tip of the arrow shaped island in Cindersnap Forest. Requires level 6 fishing.
Winter
Any
Any
Legend
Mountain lake near the sunken log. Requires level 10 fishing.
Spring
Any
Rain
Mutant carp
The sewers. Doesn't require a specific fishing level (but we suggest seafoam pudding!).
Any
Any
Any

Night market fishing in Stardew Valley

The Night Market runs between the Winter 15 and 17 at the beach, from 5 pm until 2 am. There are a bunch of different activities to choose from (plus free coffee!), but it's the submarine ride we're interested in when it comes to fish.

The submarine ride closes at 11 pm, so be sure to get there before that time. It also takes a total of an in-game hour to descend and rise from your deep-sea fishing adventure, so make sure to factor that time in so you don't pass out in the submarine.

The ride costs 1,000g per ticket, but it's worth doing because there are 3 Stardew Valley fish that can only be caught by diving into the depths. We've listed them below, along with other items up for grabs.

Exclusive fish to the night market submarine

  • Blobfish
  • Midnight squid
  • Spookfish

Other fish and items available to catch

  • Octopus
  • Sea cucumber
  • Super cucumber
  • Pearl
  • Seaweed
Stardew Valley fish at the night market in the submarine
expand image

Crab pots

Crab pots are another way to secure aquatic catches without having to play the mini-game. It's also the only way to catch these types of creatures. You can load a crab pot with some bait and leave it in the ocean, mountain lake, rivers, and ponds all around Stardew Valley. The next morning, there should be something trapped in there for you to claim.

As always, there's a chance you might simply catch some form of rubbish, like driftwood, but occasionally it can end up being something a lot more worthwhile. It's worth investing some time in since there's a crab pot bundle in the repair the community center quest.

We've created a handy table below detailing what you can catch in your crab pots and where.

Creature
Location
Crayfish
Freshwater (mountain lake, Cindersnap Forest river and ponds, pelican town river)
Clam
Ocean
Cockle
Ocean
Crab
Ocean
Lobster
Ocean
Mussel
Ocean
Oyster
Ocean
Perwinkle
Freshwater (mountain lake, Cindersnap Forest river and ponds, pelican town river)
Shrimp
Ocean
Snail
Freshwater (mountain lake, Cindersnap Forest river and ponds, pelican town river)

Fish ponds

Fish ponds can be placed anywhere on your farm, and most fish can be bred within them. Not only do you get more fish, but when they live in a pond they produce a variety of products, including roe, which can then be placed in a preserves jar to create the ultimate artisanal goods.

Each pond will give you capacity quests, where they ask for small favours to help them grow, and you can request a pond to be built from Robin like with any other farm building. You'll need 200 stone, 5 seaweed, 5 green algae, and 5,000g to build one.

So, there's everything you need to know about fishing in Stardew Valley! They can be gifted, used in cooking recipes, bred, and sold for hefty profits. Fishing is as lucrative as farming crops, so it's always worth spending some time on.

If you want to share the load, though, you can set up a co-op multiplayer farm with friends. And while you're running about town fishing, be sure to check out our character hub so you can work out what you need to impress your other villagers.