Fishing

Artwork of a player fishing in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

This article is about the fishing mechanic. For the list of all fish, see Fish.

Fishing is a large part of the Animal Crossing series, appearing in all the games except for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. Fish can be donated to the museum, along with bugs, sea creatures, fossils and artwork. They are very diverse in price, ranging from 100 Bells to 15,000 Bells. Not all 'fish' are actually fish, though, but rather mere aquatic species: the frog, crawfish, octopus and lobster, for example. Fish can be found in all bodies of water, including ponds, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and the sea. They can be caught using any type of fishing rod, and if the player catches a fish and a villager sees them, the villager will clap.

In Animal Crossing, if a player leaves behind a fishing rod on Animal Island, the islander may use the fishing rod when it is given to them, though only on the Game Boy Advance. If used, they may catch either a Red Snapper or an Octopus, the latter of which could not be caught in the main game until Doubutsu no Mori e+.

Catching fish[edit]

The player must not run when going after the fish or disturb the water by dropping a snowball or swinging a net into the water. This will scare it away, and the player will not see it again. When they see the fish, they must cast the line out using the (A) button. In Animal Crossing: Wild World, it is also possible to fish by using the touch screen, tapping the player or tapping the water. The player should position themselves so that the float comes near the fish when it comes to a stop (change distance from shore, angle of casting, position). The fish, if it sees the bait, will attempt to nibble. Sometimes, however, fish nibble the bait and swim past it (they do not disappear). so the player must recast the bait. If the fish follows and continues to nibble the bait, then the player must wait for the fish to bite the bait to submerge it, making a distinct "plop" noise. Once the bait is submerged, the player must press (A), shake the Wii Remote, or tap the screen as soon as possible. The fish can nibble up to five times, so if the fish has nibbled four times, the next nibble will be a guaranteed bite. If the player draws the line too early or too late, the fish swims away. Common fish such as the Sea Bass do not require quick reflexes to catch them. However, rare or expensive fish such as the Blue Marlin require faster timing, so the player must keep their concentration when catching fish. Once the fish is caught the player will hold up the fish to show off and say something about it, then put the fish in their pockets.

Fishing Rods[edit]

Main article: Fishing Rod

To catch fish, the player will first need a rod. There are four main types of fishing rod: the Flimsy Fishing Rod, the normal Fishing Rod, the Silver Rod and the Golden Rod.

Flimsy Fishing Rod: This rod is only available in New Horizons, and it can be crafted or bought from Nook's Cranny. Its durability is lower than the regular Fishing Rod.
Fishing Rod: This is a common tool found in Tom Nook's store, sold for 500 Bells each.
Silver Rod: This rod makes catching fish easier and can also be bought at Tom Nook's store. Although it is rarer, the silver rod can be bought for 500 Bells, the same as the fishing rod. However, the silver rod is not very rare in Animal Crossing: New Leaf; the silver rod is available for purchase in the Museum Shop for 600 Bells after the player has donated 50 fish.
Golden Rod: This rod makes catching fish even easier than with the silver rod. It can only be obtained by catching all fish. For each game in the series, it will take a minimum of eight months (February to September) to catch all the fish without time traveling.

In addition to these four, Animal Crossing: New Horizons adds three stylized fishing rods: the Colorful Fishing Rod, the Fish Fishing Rod, and the Outdoorsy Fishing Rod. These are functionally identical to the regular fishing rod, with the only difference being their design. These rods are available from the upgraded Nook's Cranny.

Fish Bait[edit]

Fish Bait is an craftable item introduced in Animal Crossing: New Horizons that will spawn a random fish when thrown into a body of water. Fish Bait can be crafted using one Manila Clam, and it stacks up to 10 in the player's inventory. Additionally, it sells for 200 Bells, double the selling price of a Manila Clam. Fish Bait can be especially useful for catching fish in small bodies of water, such as ponds or the river clifftop due to it guaranteeing a fish spawn.

Times and dates[edit]

Many fish appear all day or all year, and there are some, like the Sea Bass that appear all day and all year. Some fish, however, appear only at certain times of the day or at certain times of the year, like the Gar. Most fish either appear all day, between 4 AM and 9 PM, between 9 AM and 4 PM, or between 4 PM and 9 AM.

Fishing locations[edit]

Fish can be found in all bodies of water throughout the player's town. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the player can use the Island Designer Construction Permit to create rivers, waterfalls, and ponds on their island.

Sea[edit]

Main article: Sea

The Sea is the largest body of water in the town and is the only saltwater area. This is where most of the very expensive fish are found, including the shark family.

For a list of all sea fish, see List of saltwater fish.

River[edit]

Main article: River

The River is the second largest area of water in town. It runs from north to south, going through one waterfall (ACWW) or two waterfalls (AC, ACCF, NL).

For a list of all freshwater fish, see List of freshwater fish.

Lake[edit]

Main article: Lake

A Lake is where the river widens in Animal Crossing only. It is not where the river splits in two.

Waterfall[edit]

Main article: Waterfall

A waterfall is the area where water cascades over a cliff. There is one waterfall in all Animal Crossing: Wild World towns, and two waterfalls in Animal Crossing, Animal Crossing: City Folk, and Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

River Mouth[edit]

The river mouth is where the river meets the sea. Salmon, King Salmon, and Sturgeon can be caught here.

Pond[edit]

Main article: Pond

A pond is a small pool of water. The average town has two or three scattered around.

Shadow / Size[edit]

See also: List of fish by shadow size

The shadow of a regular fish.
The shadow of a shark.

Non-fish types[edit]

Amphibians[edit]

Frog
Tadpole

Crustaceans[edit]

Mollusks[edit]

Reptiles[edit]

Trash[edit]

Main article: Trash

There are three items of trash: the Boot, the Empty Can, and the Old Tire. The Empty Can and Boot can be caught in rivers, while the Old Tire can be caught in either rivers or the sea. Prior to Animal Crossing: New Leaf, they cannot be sold to, but they can be disposed of at Tom Nook's store for free. In New Leaf, trash can be disposed of at Re-Tail for a fee of 80 Bells or thrown away for free if the Trash Can public works project is built. In Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome amiibo, the player can also dispose of them without this project if they have a trash can in their home. In New Horizons, trash can now be sold, and it is used in certain DIY recipes.

Lost Items[edit]

Main article: Lost Item

In Animal Crossing: City Folk, villagers may lose the key to their house. When fished out, it can be returned for a reward. If it is not found fast enough, the key will stop appearing, and they will get in by themselves.