Terraria: How to Fish in Lava

The fiery pits of hell can't stop you from fishing in Terraria.

February 5, 2023 - 3 min read

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Key Takeaway

You can fish in lava by using any of these items:

The Hotline Fishing Hook
Use Underworld critters as bait
The Lavaproof Fishing Hook

Fishing is a side activity you can do in Terraria. While fishing is mainly done on ocean waters, you can also fish in lava. Doing so opens up the possibility of catching different fish and obtaining unique items that you can only get in lava.

Get the Hotline Fishing Hook

The Hotline Fishing Hook is one of the best fishing rods in Terraria. It has a 45% fishing power, which is the second strongest in the game. The downside to this fishing rod is that it can be tricky to acquire.

You can only get the Hotline Fishing Hook during Hardmode. You can get it from the Angler NPC after you complete 25 quests for him. However, there’s only a 1/75 chance of you receiving the Hotline Fishing Hook from the Angler. You may have to do a ton of quests for him before you can finally receive this highly coveted fishing rod.

Thankfully, this isn’t the only way to fish in lava. And more importantly, you don’t have to wait until you get to Hardmode to do so.

How to Fish in Lava During Pre-Hard Mode

To fish during Pre-Hard mode in Terraria, you’ll need the right bait rather than the right fishing rod. To find some, make your way to the Underworld biome.

This biome, although accessible during Pre-Hardmode, is still a challenging area. There are tough enemies here that can inflict the Burning debuff. Aside from that, this area is highly hazardous due to its massive lava pools. These can be where you can do your fishing later on. Be sure to come here prepared.

You can get to the Underworld by digging. And then, you’ll have to dig further. The Underworld is situated right at the deepest layer of the world. You can eventually make your way here from any surface biome so long as you keep heading down.

Collect Underworld Critters

Catching Underworld critters in Terraria.

Collect critters from the Underworld biome and use them as bait. This will also allow you to fish in lava.

There are three critters in the Underworld. The Hell Butterfly, Lavafly, and Magma Snail. You can only collect these critters by using either a Lavaproof Bug Net or a Golden Bug Net. The Golden Bug Net is trickier to get. You have a 1/80 chance to receive this from the Angler after completing fishing quests for him.

If you don’t have either of these Bug Nets yet, opt for the Lavaproof Bug Net as it is easier to get. Get a regular Bug Net and 15 Hellstone Bars, and then take those to craft the Lavaproof Bug Net using a Hellforge.

With this Bug Net acquired, collect some hell critters, attach them to any fishing rod, and then you can start fishing in lava.

The Lavaproof Fishing Hook

The Lavaproof Fishing Hook is another method that can help you fish in lava. However, this tool can only be acquired by fishing in lava. This means you can only take advantage of this after you’ve done one of the other methods. It’s still worth doing though, as using the Lavaproof Fishing Hook helps you catch fish in lava faster.

You can get the Lavaproof Fishing Hook by catching and opening Obsidian Crates or Hellstone Crates. These crates are acquired by fishing in lava.

Use a suitable fishing hook while also using hellbait for a better success rate from fishing in lava. You’ll catch fish and items much faster, too. With these tools acquired, simply head to any lava pool underground and start fishing.

Why Fish in Lava?

Fishing in lava is the only way to obtain the Flarefin Koi and the Obsidifish. These two are used to craft the Inferno Potion. This grants the Inferno buff which summons a ring of fire that deals 10 damage per second around you for four minutes.

The Obsidifish is also used to craft the Potion of Return, a potion that sends you back to the spawn point.

In Hardmode, you can acquire the Obsidian Swordfish by fishing in lava. This is a powerful spear that has the second-highest base damage of any spear.

You can also catch Obsidian Crates and Hellstone Crates, as mentioned earlier, by fishing in lava. Aside from the Lava Fishing Hook that you can get from these crates, you can also get the Lava Charm, Flame Walker Boots, Obisidian Lock Box, and more valuable items from them.

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