Updated 2026-08-26
How to Fish Fish List: Every Island and Lure
Find every regular How to Fish catch by island and lure, plus all named boss encounters and the special bait used for early progression.
Reported
How to Fish has regular catch pools on five locations: Lighthouse, Forest, Desert, Rocks, and Volcano. Match the lure to the current island; a higher-tier lure is not a universal replacement for the one tied to that pool.
Complete regular catch list
| Location | Lure or method | Reported catches |
|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse | Crab Fishing Rod / starting methods | Rock Crab, Shrimp, Lobster |
| Forest | Beginner Lure, with Hot Dog used for part of the pool | Piranha, Mackerel, Gar, Pike, Cod, Goldfish, Perch, Triggerfish |
| Desert | Standard Lure | Angelfish, Boxfish, Catfish, Sea Urchin, Seahorse, Clownfish, Bluegill, Salmon, Needlefish |
| Rocks | Professional Lure | Parrotfish, Voxelfish, Bass, Halibut, Eel, Tigerfish, Flying Fish, Sengarat, Red Snapper |
| Volcano | Scientific Lure | Anglerfish, Blobfish, Oarfish, Superdwarf Fish, Stonefish |
The independent location guide separates Island 2's early bait pool more precisely than a single lure label. If a Forest catch never appears, verify the exact bait listed in the shop or task rather than assuming every species uses Beginner Lure.
Boss and miniboss encounters
These named fights sit outside the ordinary catch pool:
| Location | Encounter |
|---|---|
| Lighthouse | Spider Crab |
| Forest | Old Pike, Giant Piranha |
| Desert | Blue Shark, Pufferfish |
| Rocks | Tuna, Albatross |
| Volcano route | Goblin Shark, Bowhead Whale, Mutated Bowhead Whale |
Some lists group the final two whale forms or omit optional minibosses, which produces a smaller total. The boss-count page explains the ten-encounter convention used here.
Story and boss bait
| Special item | Use |
|---|---|
| Empty Beer Can | Summons Spider Crab at the Lighthouse |
| Modified Leech | Summons Giant Piranha after the three-leech quest |
| Carrot | Summons Pufferfish after the Endangered Species exchange |
Do not cast these one-use progression items until weapons, ammunition, and healing food are ready. The Spider Crab, Giant Piranha, and Pufferfish guides cover the hand-ins that follow each fight.
Variants are not separate species
Drip catches are special variants of ordinary creatures, not extra species required to complete the location table. Trade a Drip catch at the Reel of Fortune for a weapon skin; do not give it to the Desert Tourist when the task specifically asks for the Endangered Species status. The Reel of Fortune guide explains that exchange.
The species, locations, lure mapping, and encounter roster are Reported from release-build guides. Steam confirms varied fish, rare variants, quests, and bosses but does not publish a complete taxonomy. Future content or balance patches may change individual pools.
What the structured record says
- developer
- Dazed Games
- publisher
- Dazed Games
- release Date
- 2026-08-20
- platform
- Windows PC via Steam
