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One waypoint on the road to perfection inStardew Valleyiscompleting the fish collection. If you find every last one, Willy will send you a stardrop in the mail the next day. On top of that, collecting every fish is an entry in Qi’s Perfection Tracker, and it unlocks the Master Angler achievement.
However, some fish inStardew Valleyare harder to catch than others, and a few make their homes in very exotic locations. Read on to learn where and when to find all 67 fish and valuable items in the game.
Updated June 13, 2025, by Artur Novichenko:Fishing in Stardew Valley is not much easier than farming. You have a huge number of tools that will help you catch even the rarest fish. That’s why we’ve added to this guide the equipment you will need, as well as the possible contents of the Golden Treasure Chest.
The Fish List
While the in-game fish list shows silhouettes for each fish you haven’t caught yet, it doesn’t explain what the missing fish’s name is or where to find it. The following chart shows the name of each fish in each position on the list, and the following sections explain where to find each fish (or other form of sea life).
Goby
Fishing Equipment In Stardew Valley
Before you’re able to start fishing inStardew Valley, you’ll need to find the right tools. Players can fish with Fishing Rods, of which there are several types, as well as a Crab Pot.
In either case, you don’t necessarily need bait. However, bait can speed up the fishing process and even help you catch certain fish (although some of them are quite expensive). In addition, players will need any fishing rod (except for the Bamboo Pole and Training Rod) to use baits.
Description
Bait
Reduces the chance of catching trash and also causes fish to bite faster.
Wild Bait
Gives a chance to catch two fish of the same species at once.
Increases the chance of finding treasure while fishing.
Magic Bait
With this bait, you can catch fish regardless of the weather, time, and body of water.
Deluxe Bait
Increases the size of the fishing bar and causes fish to bite even faster than regular Bait.
Challenge Bait
Each perfect catch brings three times more fish. However, each missed fish reduces the fishing bar.
Significantly increases your chances of catching a specific fish.
Tackle Types
In addition, it’s worth noting that fishing rods such as theIridium Rod and Advanced Iridium Rod have slots for tackle. And, you must place aSonar Bobberthere. This item will allow you to see what kind of fish is on the line before you catch it. This is especially useful whencatching Legendary fish. There are also other tackles for fishing.
River and Lake Fish
There are several freshwater fishing spots throughout the game map, including a large pond and river in Cindersap Forest, a lake in the Mountain region, and a river in Pelican Town.you’re able to also find fishing spotsin several of the farm types, though the standard farm only has trash in its two ponds.
Althoughthe Community Center has separate bundles for lake and river fish, these freshwater bodies have overlapping lists. As such, you may expect to see several fish appear multiple times in the following tables.
10pm-2am
12pm-2am
6pm-2am
6am-12pm
6am-7pm
9am-2am
Rainy
Ocean Fish
The fish you can catch in the beach region are completely different from the ones found elsewhere inStardew Valley, and they include some of the toughest catches in the game.
6am-11am, 6pm-2am
4pm-2am
6am-8pm
6am-11am, 7pm-2am
6am-1pm
12pm-4pm
6am-2pm
Any
Crab Pot Fish
Many forms of sea life only appear when youbait and set out a crab pot. A few of them also wash ashore as forage items on the Beach, but most of them are exclusive to crab pot catches. Unlike fishing-line fish, seasons and the time of day don’t matter to crab pots. The only thing that makes a difference is whether you put them in saltwater or freshwater areas.
Freshwater Crab Pot Catches
Exotic Fish
A variety of fish only live in bodies of water that are off the beaten path or take some effort to reach.
Secret Woods
Break the log in the northwest corner of Cindersap Forestto reach the Secret Woods. The pond is in the southwest corner of this region, and the fish found here are available year-round.
6am-12am
The Mines
Floors 20, 60, and 100 each have underground lakes to the right of the elevator. You can catch unique fish from each one, and since these floors are peaceful and have elevator access, you only need to bring your fishing rod. Since the lakes are underground, the fish here don’t care about the weather or the time of day.
20
60
100
Lava Eel
Calico Desert
The pond northwest of the bus inCalico Deserthas a few fish that appear year-round.
Players who fish after 8pm will only catch Green Algae.
Sewer
you may unlock the sewerby donating 60 items to the Pelican Town museum. You can catch Carp in the polluted waters of the sewer, along with one of the five Legendary fish. This is also one of the few places where you can get White Algae by casting your line.
Mutant Bug Lair
The Mutant Bug Lair unlocks during the Dark Talisman Quest, which starts after finishing with the Community Center or Joja Warehouse. Speak to Krobus in the Sewer and the way to the Mutant Bug Lair will open up.
Water surrounds the Mutant Bug Lair on all sides. You can’t find the Legendary fish here, but you can find the Slimejack, along with Carp and both kinds of Algae. Like the Sewer, there are no special times or seasons in the Mutant Bug Lair.
Witch’s Swamp
After helping Krobus,you can reach the Witch’s Swampby opening a path northeast of the railroad area. Like the Mutant Bug Lair, the Witch’s Swamp is surrounded on all sides by water.
you may catch both kinds of Algae here, along with Catfish on any rainy day. But the main reason to fish here is to get a Void Salmon, which appears in no other areas.
The Night Market
One attraction at the Night Marketis a submarine with an open bottom. Once it sets down, you can cast your line and try to catch Blobfish, Midnight Squid, and Spook Fish. There are no time limits involved aside from needing to visit while the Night Market is open.
Cindersap Forest Waterfall
Added in 1.6,Gobyis a unique type of fish that can be found in the waterfalls of Cindersap Forest. These are located in the southern part of the forest, near the Abandoned House. The Goby can be caught all year round, at any time of day, and in any weather. This makes it one of the most accessible fish in terms of availability. To increase your chances of catching theGoby inStardew Valley, you can use a Curiosity Lure.
To fish in the pools beneath the waterfalls, you need a Fishing level of 4 or higher. While the game visually makes the pools appear to be just one tile away, they are actually five tiles distant. If your Fishing level is too low, you won’t be able to reach the pool, even though it looks close.
Ginger Island
Ginger Island includes several regionsthat each have their own fishing spots. Depending on where you throw your line, you can catch a hard-to-find fish or one of three fish that are exclusive to the island.
The Forge
Cast your line into the lava surrounding the Forge (but not in the rest of the Volcano Dungeon) to catch Lava Eels.
The Legendary Fish
Stardew Valleyfeatures five legendary fish that are much harder to catch than any other fish in the game. Each one appears in a different region, and most of them appear only in a single season. In addition, you have to fish from a specific location on each map to find them, and you needa minimum Fishing levelto cast the line far enough for them to bite.
Southeast pier of the Beach, past the broken plank bridge
5
The plank bridge north of JojaMart
3
6
Spring
The Mountain Lake; the easiest spot is the southern tip of the east island
10
While the library bookThe Fisherman, Act IIsuggests you need to catch all the other legendary fish first, you can catch the Legend as soon as your Fishing level is high enough. That being said, the Legend is definitely the hardest of these fish to catch.A few cork bobberscan really come in handy when fishing for the Legend.
Players can only catch the legendary fish once per save file, and unlike the “Items Shipped” list you don’t need to sell a fish for it to count towards clearing the list. So if you want to hold onto your legendary fish anddisplay them in aquariums, you can do so while still reaching 100 percent completion.
If you want to try your skill by catching these rare fish again, you’re able to start the “Extended Family” quest in Qi’s Walnut Room. This quest gives you three days to catch new versions of the legendary fish, which now appear in all seasons and weathers. The Extended Family fish are just as hard to catch as the originals, but you don’t need to catch them to complete the Fish list.
Fishing Treasure Chests
While fishing in various bodies of water, from time to time, you will catch treasure chests along with fish. Inside, you can find many different items. But, after reachingFishing Mastery, you will start to encounterGolden Treasure Chests.
Golden Treasure Chests can contain all the same items as a regular one, in addition to a few unique options:
