Animal Crossing: New Horizons—Fish Guide

Explore the waters of Animal Crossing: New Horizons with our comprehensive fish guide! From casting your line to reeling in all 80 different finned friends, we have everything you need to know about becoming a master angler on your virtual island.

About Fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

After reeling in a fish, you will “unlock” them in your Critterpedia—the handy app for documenting all of your catches. This app gives a detailed breakdown of each fish, where to catch them, their active hours, and the seasons/months they’ll spawn in.

If you fancy collecting fish to fill an aquarium, you can donate them to Blathers in the Museum. While donating your prized catches doesn’t give you any rewards, it’s fun visiting with your villagers and seeing the fish floundering around. Excess fish can also be sold for Bells at Nook’s Cranny. Some fish are worth more than others; the rarer the fish, the more Bells it is worth.

How to Catch Fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

To start your journey to become the best angler, you need a Fishing Rod! To get a Fishing Rod, you can either craft one or purchase it from the upgraded Nook’s Cranny. Take a look at the table below for each Fishing Rod in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, including their durability and how to get them.

To maximize your fishing potential, it’s also recommended that you craft some Bait to lure a random fish to a specific location. It’s crafted from one Manila Clam, which can be dug up from water spouts on the beach using a Shovel.

Tip

You’ll automatically get the crafting recipe for Bait after digging up your first Manila Clam.

Once you’ve got your Fishing Rod of choice and some Bait, it’s time to take to the water. Head to a pond, river, or the sea, and look for dark shadows swimming under the water. There are seven different shadows for fish, which can give you an inkling of what kind of fish you’re observing. The shadow sizes are:

• Tiny (1)
• Small (2)
• Medium (3)
• Large (4)
• Extra Large (5)
• Giant (6)
• Narrow

Some giant (size 6) shadows can come with a fin, especially when fishing in the sea. This usually signals that the fish is a shark or another rare, finned aquatic creature like an Ocean Sunfish. Narrow shadows imply that you’ll be reeling in an eel.

Fishing Tips

Fishing can be tricky to wrap your head around, but once you’ve mastered the art of fishing, you’ll be a pro in no time! Here are some simple tips to keep in mind when casting your line:

• Cast your line in front of the fish. If you throw your line behind the fish, it won’t see it and, therefore, won’t latch on.
• Watch the current. It can either carry your line closer to the fish or further away. If the latter happens, you’ll have to reel in your line and try again.
• Fish will only nibble your line a maximum of five times before giving up and swimming away.
• Make sure your game sound is on. When a fish is nibbling, you’ll hear a small splashing sound—don’t reel it in yet! When the fish has latched on, there will be a loud dunking sound. Your controller (or JoyCons) should also vibrate if you have a catch to reel in.
• Press and hold “A,” then let go to reel in your catch, and your character will proudly lift up and present their new fish friend once it’s been caught!
• Use Bait sparingly. You can only hold ten Bait in a stack. It’s better used to try and lure in rare fish like sharks or eels.

Every Fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

There’s a grand total of 80 fish to catch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, up from 72 in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. New fish to the series include the Mahi-mahi, Snapping Turtle, Golden Trout, Rainbowfish, Anchovy, Suckerfish, Ranchu Goldfish, Betta, Tilapia, and Barreleye.

Without further ado, here’s our guide to all 80 fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, split into each location (River, Pond, Pier, and Sea). Start casting your line and you’ll fill in those empty slots in your Critterpedia swifter than a shark can bite!

River Fish

There are 34 different fish found in the River! This includes the River Mouth and the Clifftop River. In particular, some rare fish can only spawn by the River Mouth (where the river meets the ocean), so pack your patience and your Bait; you may be waiting a while for the perfect catch!

Pond Fish

All Animal Crossing: New Horizons islands get at least two naturally spawning ponds. Since it’s such a small body of water, all you need to pay attention to is the fish size and the times they spawn. If you’ve completed the main campaign, you can use the Island Designer app and the Waterscaping option to create a man-made fishing pond.

Pier Fish

The pier is located on either the east or west beach of any island. Pier fish can also be caught at the Airport Dock.

Sea Fish

Sea fish can be captured at any beach, whether that’s on your island or a Nook Miles Ticket Mystery Island. You also have a chance to catch Sea fish while on the pier or Airport Dock.

As you cast your virtual rod into the waters of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, armed with valuable insights from our fish guide, you’re destined to become a master angler in no time. If you want a break from fishing, put your critter-capturing skills to use and catch some deadly Scorpions to add to your collection! If you want a more peaceful pastime, summon your inner gardening skills and breed the rare Blue Roses.