Fishing is one of the main skills that can be developed in Stardew Valley. If it's your first time playing Stardew Valley, you might find it difficult to master how to fish in this game. To fish, you'll need to throw your hook into the water by pressing the Y button. After that, you'll have to complete the fishing mini-game by keeping the green square behind the fish until the green meter is fully charged. If you succeed in catching fish, you will get EXP (Experience Points) which is calculated based on the type and quality of the fish. Play this mini game over and over again to master it and earn tons of EXP.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Getting Fishing Rods and Finding Fishing Locations
Step 1. Get a fishing rod from Willy at the beginning of the game
Willy is one of the characters to be found in Stardew Valley, and he works as a fisherman. Visit Willy's house which also doubles as a fish shop to get your first fishing rod for free. His house is on the pier on the beach in the southern part of Pelican Town.
Purchase a different fishing rod from Willy when his fishing ability reaches level 2. You can level up by accumulating EXP which can be earned by catching fish. Once your fishing skills reach level 3, you can buy a crab pot to catch crabs
Step 2. Find a fishing rod in the ocean, lake, river, or other location when it rains
In addition to getting a fishing rod from Willy, you can also find it in other locations, either in water or on the ground when it rains. Look for the fishing rod icon when you play Stardew Valley.
To get the bait, move the character to approach it and press the Y key
Step 3. Throw the hook into the water
After getting a fishing rod, you can start fishing in a lake, river, or sea.
For example, you can fish on the beach in Pelican Town
Step 4. Wait for water bubbles to appear to increase your chances of catching fish
As you explore the world of Stardew Valley, look for water bubbles in rivers and seas. Water bubbles indicate that there are fish in this area. You have a better chance of throwing your hook at the water bubbles.
Part 2 of 2: Throwing Hooks and Catching Fish
Step 1. Press Y button to throw the hook
When near a river, lake, or ocean, move your character to the water's edge and press Y to throw a hook. After that, a meter indicating how far the hook was thrown will appear above the character. Press the Y button a second time when the meter is full to throw the hook. The fuller the meter, the farther the hook is thrown. You should try to throw the hook as far as possible to increase the chances of catching fish.
You can use tackles that give you special advantages when fishing
Step 2. Wait for the fish to bite the hook
Usually the fish will bite the hook within 10 seconds. Wait for a warning sound to appear indicating that the fish has bitten the hook. When this sound and a yellow exclamation mark appear, press Y to start the mini game.
Sometimes you may get certain items like seaweed instead of fish
Step 3. Press the Y button to keep the green square behind the fish
Use Y key to start pulling fish. When starting this mini game, the fish icon will move up and down on the meter. Press the Y key to keep the green box moving near the fish icon. Hold down the Y key to move the green square up and stop pressing the Y key to make the green square go down. Press the Y key continuously to make a green square follow the movement of the fish icon. When the green icon is behind the fish icon, the meter to the right of the green square and fish icon will fill. If you fail to keep the green square behind the fish icon, the meter will start to decrease.
When you fish, the fish icon will move up and down. Some types of fish will make the fish icon move up and down quickly making it harder to catch than other types of fish
Step 4. Catch fish when the fishing rod is fully charged
To catch fish, you have to make the fishing rod fully charged. Press and hold the Y button to keep the green square behind the fish icon to fill the fishing meter. The EXP earned is determined by the type of fish caught.
- Each fish gives 12 to 25 EXP, and other items obtained, such as seaweed, earns 1 EXP.
- If you manage to catch fish perfectly, you will get additional EXP. To do this, you'll need to make sure the fishing line never goes down.
Step 5. Let the fish off the hook when the fishing line runs out
If you can't keep the green square behind the fish icon and the fishing meter runs out, you'll lose this minigame. The fish will run away and you will continue the game as usual.
Don't be discouraged if you fail to catch a fish a few times. You'll need to play this mini-game a lot to master how to fish
Tips
- In certain cases, you may be able to catch a legendary fish. This fish is very difficult to catch and requires great skill and patience. After successfully catching it, this fish cannot be caught again. When the legendary fish bites the hook and the mini game starts, the fish icon will wear a hat.
- Some fish can only be caught at certain times, seasons, locations and weather. To find out how to catch certain types of fish, visit
