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Read the water
Aim for visible fish shadows in suitable water. The supplied fishing material notes that shadow size affects stamina use, and some rare catches do not advertise themselves with a unique silhouette. When a legendary opportunity is announced, fish the relevant conditions instead of expecting an obvious visual marker.
Seasonal plan
Make a light seasonal list: new fish to donate, weather-dependent catches, and one missing target at a time. Rainy days can be a deliberate fishing day; duplicates can become income after the museum receives the first find.
Verified reference
Legendary fish conditions
| Detail | Condition |
|---|---|
| Cherry Fish | Spring · breezy cherry-blossom day · pond |
| Lightning Fish | Summer · stormy day · river |
| Leaf Fish | Fall · breezy falling-leaf day · river |
| Snow Fish | Winter · blizzard day · ocean |
Read the shadow before reeling
Cast onto the dark-grey oval shadows in suitable water. Fish can nibble first; reel only when an exclamation point appears, or the fish will escape. A school is a high-value opportunity, but spooking one fish makes the whole school vanish.
Small
Average 6 Stamina.
Medium
Average 13 Stamina.
Large
Average 20 Stamina.
Giant
Average 26 Stamina.
Legendary prerequisite
The Level 30 Legendary fishing perk allows legendary fish to appear in the right season and weather.
Four legendary fish: check conditions first
| Fish | Conditions | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry Fish | Spring · breezy cherry-blossom day · pond | Small legendary |
| Lightning Fish | Summer · stormy · river | Medium legendary |
| Leaf Fish | Fall · breezy falling-leaf day · river | Small legendary |
| Snow Fish | Winter · blizzard · ocean | Medium legendary |
A legendary fish does not necessarily have a unique shadow. If the conditions are right, keep checking catches rather than waiting for an oversized shadow.
Season and water: a practical fish list
This is a route-focused selection from the supplied rod-fishing list, not a complete encyclopedia. Mine water also has year-round catches such as Cave Eel, Cave Shark, Cave Shrimp, Rock Guppy, Stone Loach, Earth Eel, and Emerald-Horned Charger.
| Season | Water | Fish to target | Condition or rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Pond | Angel Fish, Barb, Brown Trout, Goldfish | Goldfish is rare; Brown Trout is large |
| Spring | River | Blue Gill, Carp, Chub, Paddlefish | Paddlefish is a rare giant |
| Spring | Ocean | Anchovy, Lobster, Ocean Sunfish | Mackerel on rainy days |
| Summer | Pond | Brown Bullhead, Giant Koi, Sauger | Giant Koi is a rare giant |
| Summer | River | Bream, Loach, Minnow, Tarpon | Tarpon is a rare giant; Lightning Fish in storms |
| Summer | Ocean | Bonito, Char, Grouper, Crab | Grouper is a rare giant |
| Fall | Pond | Killifish, Rainbow Trout, White Perch | Bluefish on rainy days |
| Fall | River | Lamprey, Shad, Razorback, Sturgeon | Grayling and Perch on rainy days |
| Fall | Ocean | Butterfish, Mullet, Shark, Saury | Halibut on rainy days |
| Winter | Pond | Alligator Gar, Flathead Catfish, Tilapia | Burbot on snowy days |
| Winter | River | Bowfish, Freshwater Eel, ShadowBass | ShadowBass is rare |
| Winter | Ocean | Horse Mackerel, Oarfish, Sea Bass | Snow Fish in blizzards; King Crab on snowy days |
| All seasons | Mixed waters | Catfish, Koi, Pike / Goby, Trout / Pollock, Squid, Tuna | Good for practice, cooking, and museum gaps |
Fish are used in cooking and gifting. Spawn rates and additions can change between updates; use the in-game collection as the final check.
Legendary fish: separate confirmed conditions from community reports
Unconfirmed reportsConfirmed
After reaching Fishing level 30 and gaining the Legendary perk, legendary fish can appear in their corresponding season and weather.
Confirmed
Snow Fish is a medium ocean fish in winter blizzards. The supplied community note says it may not have a unique shadow.
Unconfirmed
The collected community reports discuss restarting the day, leaving an area, and refreshing fish spawns, but they do not agree.
Whether leaving an area, refreshing fish spawns, or restarting the day always preserves the opportunity has conflicting community reports and remains unconfirmed.
Filter fish by season and water
Material indexThis filter only narrows the source-backed records condensed on this page. Use it to choose a target, then confirm against the in-game collection.
13 matching records
| Season | Water | Fish to target | Condition or rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Pond | Angel Fish, Barb, Brown Trout, Goldfish | Goldfish is rare; Brown Trout is large |
| Spring | River | Blue Gill, Carp, Chub, Paddlefish | Paddlefish is a rare giant |
| Spring | Ocean | Anchovy, Lobster, Ocean Sunfish | Mackerel on rainy days |
| Summer | Pond | Brown Bullhead, Giant Koi, Sauger | Giant Koi is a rare giant |
| Summer | River | Bream, Loach, Minnow, Tarpon | Tarpon is a rare giant; Lightning Fish in storms |
| Summer | Ocean | Bonito, Char, Grouper, Crab | Grouper is a rare giant |
| Fall | Pond | Killifish, Rainbow Trout, White Perch | Bluefish on rainy days |
| Fall | River | Lamprey, Shad, Razorback, Sturgeon | Grayling and Perch on rainy days |
| Fall | Ocean | Butterfish, Mullet, Shark, Saury | Halibut on rainy days |
| Winter | Pond | Alligator Gar, Flathead Catfish, Tilapia | Burbot on snowy days |
| Winter | River | Bowfish, Freshwater Eel, ShadowBass | ShadowBass is rare |
| Winter | Ocean | Horse Mackerel, Oarfish, Sea Bass | Snow Fish in blizzards; King Crab on snowy days |
| All seasons | Mixed waters | Catfish, Koi, Pike / Goby, Trout / Pollock, Squid, Tuna | Good for practice, cooking, and museum gaps |
Sources
Condensed from the supplied fishing reference, community reports, and official-material extracts. Spawn behavior can change with updates.