Stardew Valley: Fishing guide

Fishing is one of the best activities that players can do in Stardew Valley. It’s both challenging and chilly.

What’s interesting – it’s also a bit profitable.

Fishing is available each season. You can fish in spring, summer, fall, and even in winter – almost without any limitations, so we can say that sky is the limit… Okay, not exactly. The only limitation is your energy level, because every time you’re dipping the fishing rod, the energy level decreases, same as in the case of chopping trees, or breaking stones.

How to fish in Stardew Valley

You dip your rod and you catch a fish. It’s simple as that.

Really, but let me guide you step by step.

1. Getting the fishing rod

It’s not possible to fish without a fishing rod.

You can buy it in Willy’s shop on the Beach.

2. Finding a spot

You need to find a good spot.

It’s possible to fish in every body of water.

However, it’s not that simple. Okay, maybe it’s, but you need to know that your drop depends on your location, so if you want to spend your time fishing, you should consider picking the right spot.

3. Casting

Place your character in front of the water. Then click and hold the left mouse button. You should see the bar, which determines how far you throw your fishing line.

Players always argue about the impact of cast length. On the one hand, you’re saving some time when you’re not trying to hit the best value, but on the other hand, you need to remember that length of your cast matter. The greater it is, there is more chance to catch valuable fish.

When you see an exclamation mark (!) above your character’s head, it means that your fish is ready to catch. Now you need to hit the left mouse button.

If you missed that, as long as your fishing line is in the water, you can still wait for the next one.

But if you clicked on time, you should begin a fishing mini-game.

On the progress bar, you can see how close you are to catch the fish. It’s always better to keep it green and try to raise that to the top.

To catch a fish, your progress bar should be fully loaded. To do that, just try to keep the left-side green rectangle as close to the fish as it’s possible. You can do that throughout using the left mouse button- just press, hold, or raise your use tool button (it’s LMB by default).

If you pass the mini-game, you should get your drop.

Click on the popup with the fish’s name and length. Fish should appear in your backpack.

Fishing Rods, Baits, and Tackles in Stardew Valley

In Stardew Valley it’s impossible to fish without a rod.

You should have one of them:

• Training Rod (cost 25)
• Bamboo Rod (cost 500, but you can get it for free from Willy on the 2nd of Spring, when he sends you a letter)
• Fiberglass Rod (cost 1800, can be bought after reaching 2 fishing level). This rod allows you to use baits.
• Iridium Rod (cost 7500, can be bought after reaching 6 fishing level). This rod allows you to a fishing tackle (it gives you a few mods to improve your fishing).

These rods are available to buy in Willy’s Fish Shop on the beach.

The best one is Iridium Rod. It can have baits and tackles attached to it.

Baits

If you have a Fiberglass Rod or Iridium Rod, you can attach a bait. It’s not required, but with that, fish will bite faster.

Baits can be purchased from Willy’s Fish Shop.

Tackles

Tackles can be attached to the Iridium Rod.  They can make your fishing way easier.

Note that tackles have their own durability bar, which decreases on use. Usually, they disappear after 20 fish catches.

Tackles can be purchased from Willy’s Fish Shop.

Fishing Skill and Levels in Stardew Valley

When you’re fishing, your Fishing Skill increases (up to 10 level).

Each level gives you +1 to Fishing Rod Proficiency, increases the minimum fish size, and bobber bar height. It also speeds up the fishing.

Fish level bonuses:

• Level 1: increases casting distance by one tile.
• Level 2: unlocks baits, and Fiberglass Rod in Willy’s Fish Shop.
• Level 3: gives Crap Pot and Dish O’ The Sea recipes, unlocks Crab Pot in Willy’s Fish Shop.
• Level 4: gives Recycling Machine recipe, increases casting distance by one tile.
• Level 5: allows you to choose a profession. Fisher – fish worth 25% more, or Trapper – reduces the resources that are required to craft Crab Pots.
• Level 6: gives Spinner and Trap Bobber recipes, unlocks Iridium Rod, Lead Bobber, Spinner, and Trap Bobber in Willy’s Fish Shop.
• Level 7: gives Cork Bobber and Treasure Hunter recipes, unlocks Cork Bobber and Treasure Hunter in Willy’s Fish Shop.
• Level 8: gives Worm Bin Barbed, Barbed Hook, and Dressed Spinner recipes, unlocks Barbed Hook, and Dressed Spinner in Willy’s Fish Shop, increases casting distance by one tile.
• Level 9: gives Seafoam Pudding and Magnet recipes, unlocks Magnet in Willy’s Fish Shop.
• Level 10: allows you to choose a profession. If you’re fisher: Angler – fish worth 50% more, or Pirate – doubles a chance to find treasure. If you’re a trapper: Mariner – Crab Pots stop producing junk items, or Luremaster – Crab pots no longer require baits.

Bubbles in the water

Sometimes, there are some bubbles in the water.

If you lead your cast exactly to the pool of bubbles, you should see blue sparkles.

This speeds up the fishing and increases your chances to catch a rare fish.