Key takeaway
You can catch Sturgeon at the Mountain Lake between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. in any weather during the summer or winter.
The Sturgeon is a Fish in Stardew Valley that’s quite difficult to catch. It’s worth the effort, though, as Sturgeon is required if you want to farm your own Caviar, a high-selling Artisan good.
Sturgeon Basics
Sturgeon are difficult fish to catch during the early game, but they net a good bit of revenue that’s much-needed when you’re first starting out.
| Grade | Base Price | Fisher (+25%) | Angler (+50%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 200g | 250g | 300g |
| Silver | 250g | 312g | 375g |
| Gold | 300g | 375g | 450g |
| Iridium | 400g | 500g | 600g |
Sturgeon is also a decent source of Energy and Health.
| Grade | Healing Effect |
|---|---|
| Normal |
|
| Silver |
|
| Gold |
|
| Iridium |
|
When, Where, and How to Catch Sturgeon
You can catch Sturgeon at the Mountain Lake between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. during summer and winter. Luckily, Sturgeon can be caught during any weather conditions, though the chances are smaller when it’s raining.
You can attach bait to your fishing rod (if you have the Fiberglass rod or better) to increase the frequency of a bite. While the Sturgeon is possible to catch during most hours of the day, the chances of it biting are still less than other fish. Using bait will help increase your chances.
If you’re not much of a fisher, you can find Sturgeon for sale with a bit of luck at the Traveling Cart for 600-1000g or in Krobus’ shop on Wednesdays for 200g.
Finally, you can catch Sturgeon any time, any day if you’re using Magic Bait.
Recipes That Require Sturgeon
There aren’t any recipes that strictly require Sturgeon. However, there are three recipes that accept any Fish as an ingredient, so you can use Sturgeon for those recipes.
| Recipe | Ingredients | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Maki Roll |
| Fish and rice wrapped in seaweed. |
| Quality Fertilizer |
| Improves soil quality, increasing your chance to grow quality crops. Mix into tilled soil. |
| Sashimi |
| Raw fish sliced into thin pieces. |
Gifting Sturgeon
You should avoid gifting Sturgeon to villagers in Stardew Valley, with Willy being the only exception. Willy loves Sturgeon, so gift as many as you can to quickly increase Friendship Points. Everyone else feels neutral, dislikes, or hates Sturgeon.
Sturgeon in Fish Ponds
You can place Sturgeon in a Fish Pond. The initial capacity is only 1 Sturgeon, though this can be increased by completing quests. You’ll earn 40 Fishing XP for each quest you complete. Here’s what you can expect.
| Capacity Before Quest | Capacity After Quest | Quest Item (One of): |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
|
| 3 | 5 |
|
| 5 | 7 |
|
| 7 | 10 |
|
The Sturgeon will produce 1 to 2 Sturgeon Roe. You can place the Sturgeon Roe in a Preserves Jar to make Caviar.
Other Uses of Sturgeon
Sturgeon has a couple other uses in Stardew Valley. It’s a required item in the Lake Fish Bundle in the Community Center. Sturgeon can also be used in the Sewing Machine to tailor the Fishing Vest.
Sturgeon isn’t used in any quests in Stardew Valley.