How to Fish Fish Database: Island, Rod and Bait
A quick lookup of the confirmed How to Fish roster, organized by island, rod, and lure tier.
Use this as a quick lookup, then verify the live objective if a patch changes the route.
| Species | Island | Rod | Bait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Crab | Lighthouse | Crab Fishing Rod | Free Lure |
| Shrimp | Lighthouse | Crab Fishing Rod | Free Lure |
| Lobster | Lighthouse | Crab Fishing Rod | Hot Dog |
| Piranha | Forest | Crab Fishing Rod | Hot Dog |
| Mackerel | Forest | Fishing Rod | Free Lure |
| Gar | Forest | Fishing Rod | Free Lure |
| Pike | Forest | Fishing Rod | Free or Beginner Lure |
| Goldfish | Forest | Fishing Rod | Free or Beginner Lure |
| Cod | Forest | Fishing Rod | Beginner Lure |
| Perch | Forest | Fishing Rod | Beginner Lure |
| Triggerfish | Forest | Fishing Rod | Beginner Lure |
| Angelfish | Desert | Fishing Rod | Standard Lure |
| Boxfish | Desert | Fishing Rod | Standard Lure |
| Catfish | Desert | Fishing Rod | Standard Lure |
| Sea Urchin | Desert | Fishing Rod | Standard Lure |
| Seahorse | Desert | Fishing Rod | Standard Lure |
| Clownfish | Desert | Fishing Rod | Standard Lure |
| Bluegill | Desert | Fishing Rod | Standard Lure |
| Salmon | Desert | Fishing Rod | Standard Lure |
| Needlefish | Desert | Fishing Rod | Standard Lure |
| Parrotfish | Rocks | Fishing Rod | Professional Lure |
| Voxelfish | Rocks | Fishing Rod | Professional Lure |
| Bass | Rocks | Fishing Rod | Professional Lure |
| Halibut | Rocks | Fishing Rod | Professional Lure |
| Eel | Rocks | Fishing Rod | Professional Lure |
| Tigerfish | Rocks | Fishing Rod | Professional Lure |
| Flying Fish | Rocks | Fishing Rod | Professional Lure |
| Sengarat | Rocks | Fishing Rod | Professional Lure |
| Red Snapper | Rocks | Fishing Rod | Professional Lure |
| Anglerfish | Volcano | Fishing Rod | Scientific Lure |
| Blobfish | Volcano | Fishing Rod | Scientific Lure |
| Oarfish | Volcano | Fishing Rod | Scientific Lure |
| Superdwarf Fish | Volcano | Fishing Rod | Scientific Lure |
| Stonefish | Volcano | Fishing Rod | Scientific Lure |
If a catch will not bite
Boss trigger baits
Bosses ignore the normal lure ladder. The two early boss baits confirmed in the fish roster are:
| Boss | Location | Trigger bait |
|---|---|---|
| Spider Crab | Lighthouse | Empty Beer Can |
| Giant Piranha | Forest | Modified Leech |
Check the bait tier first, then confirm that the active island objective is complete. A correct rod on the wrong bait can look exactly like a wrong location.
Source checked against the Steam game page and the full fish species guide on August 24, 2026. Community-maintained details can change after patches.
Use the bait guide for the lure ladder, the island route for quest gates, and the rare variants route when you are collecting instead of farming cash.
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