🎣 Fishing
When the beds are watered and the animals fed, the water calls. Fishing in Fairhaven is a gentle, forgiving craft — and, pleasingly for a journal-keeper, a wonderfully systematic one. Every fish files itself neatly by location and bait, with none of the fickle luck other islands suffer.
Getting Started
Fishing unlocks when you meet Bruno Soft, the island’s fisherman, whose shop sits in the middle of town near the statues. Speak with him and he’ll hand you a rod and three baits to catch your first fish — Fairhaven’s usual generosity at work.
From there: stand at a fishing spot, choose your bait, cast, and play the catch. Keep bait stocked and the rest is patience.
Where to Cast
The island offers seven fishing areas, and each hosts its own category of fish:
| Fishing spot | Where you’ll find it | Fish category |
|---|---|---|
| River | On the Farm | River fish |
| Forest Lake | In the Woods | Lake fish |
| Ocean | The Beach, and south of the Town Center | Ocean fish |
| Mountain | The Mountain | Mountain fish |
| The Gloaming | Fairhaven’s otherworldly corner | Gloaming fish |
| The Mine | Level 20, at the very bottom | Mine fish |
The deeper spots are progression rewards in themselves — you’ll need the story and your pickaxe to reach the Mine’s pool (Mining & Foraging), and the Gloaming belongs to the witchier half of your life (Island Map).
The Gloaming’s waters are not quite of this world. Neither, strictly speaking, are the fish.
Bait, and the Great Secret
Three baits exist: worms, crickets, and chub. And here is the secret that simplifies everything:
Bait and location are the only factors. Weather does not matter. Season does not matter. Time of day does not matter.
Every fish is determined purely by where you cast and what you cast with. There is no waiting for a rainy winter night to complete your compendium — if you need a specific fish, go to its water, tie on the right bait, and keep casting until it takes.
no almanac needed — just the right worm in the right water 🎣
A practical corollary: carry a spread of all three baits when filling out the compendium, and work each location bait-by-bait to flush out its full roster.
Where the Rare Fish Hide
Because bait and location are the only factors, rarity in Fairhaven is not luck — it is geography plus tackle. Two rules govern the whole hunt:
- Rarity deepens with the water. The River and Ocean hold the common, everyday catch; the harder a spot is to reach, the finer its fish. The late-game waters — the Mountain, the Gloaming, and the pool at the very bottom of the Mine (level 20) — are where the compendium’s rarest entries swim.
- Upgrade the bait before you blame the water. Within any one spot, each bait draws its own roster, and chub — the dearest of the three — tempts the choicest takers. If a spot seems fished out on worms, it usually still owes you its cricket and chub catches.
A hunting order for the completionist:
| If you’re missing… | Go here, and work every bait |
|---|---|
| Common entries | River (your own farm) and the Ocean — no travel, no prerequisites |
| Mid-tier entries | Forest Lake in the Woods, then the Mountain once it opens |
| The rare and strange | The Gloaming — otherworldly waters, otherworldly fish (Island Map) |
| The deepest prizes | The Mine’s pool at level 20 — earn your way down with the pickaxe (Mining & Foraging) |
Rare catches are worth more at Bruno’s counter, dearer still as gifts to the right villager — and remember from the ledger: the common fish are the ones to feed the fish sticks pan, never these.
chub in the Gloaming — that’s where my strangest entry came from 🐟
What Fish Are For
| Use | Notes |
|---|---|
| Cooking | Fish anchor a healthy shelf of recipes — see Cooking. Cooked dishes generally out-earn raw ingredients. |
| Selling | Honest coin, with rarer catches from the deeper spots fetching more (Money-Making). |
| Gifts | Several villagers are delighted by a fresh catch — Bruno above all appreciates a kindred spirit. Consult Gift Preferences. |
| Quests | Story and side quests periodically send you to the water; a stocked fish chest saves a trip. |
A Fisher’s Habits
- Buy or gather bait before it runs out mid-session — nothing sadder than a full pond and an empty tackle box.
- Fish the River early; it’s on your own farm and costs no travel time.
- When a new area opens (Mountain, Gloaming, Mine 20), fish it promptly — new water means new compendium entries.
- Fishing spends energy like any labor; a snack from the kitchen keeps the afternoon going (Energy, Time & Seasons).
sign-off tip: chasing one missing fish? change the bait before you change the spot — it’s usually the bait 🐟