Rock Crab
FishStandard
- Island
- Lighthouse
- Rod
- Crab Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Free LureHot Dog
- Difficulty
- ★☆☆☆☆
One of your first catches. Bites both the free lure and a hot dog.
How to Fish Fish Finder
Search every fish and boss in How to Fish by name, island, bait, rarity or type. Each entry shows the rod, bait and location you need — plus how to track it all.
Where the data comes fromCompiled from launch-week public guides byDestructoid andG2A News. Community-reported data — verify in-game, and expect tweaks as the game gets patched. Rare 'drip' (shiny) variants exist for every species; see theachievements guide for the Fishipedia grind.
Showing 46 of 46 fish & bosses
Shrimp
FishStandard
- Island
- Lighthouse
- Rod
- Crab Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Free Lure
- Difficulty
- ★☆☆☆☆
Starter catch around the lighthouse.
Lobster
FishStandard
- Island
- Lighthouse
- Rod
- Crab Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Hot Dog
- Difficulty
- ★☆☆☆☆
Prefers a hot dog over the free lure.
Spider Crab
BossBoss
- Island
- Lighthouse
- Rod
- Crab Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Empty Beer Can
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
First quest boss — the lighthouse beer thief. Bring it back to the keeper.
Piranha
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 2
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Hot Dog
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
The hot dog's real fan base.
Mackerel
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 2
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Free Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
Ideal first target for practicing airborne trick shots.
Gar
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 2
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Free Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
Long, toothy and catchable on the free lure.
Pike
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 2
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Beginner Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
G2A lists the free lure as a second option — test both.
Cod
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 2
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Beginner Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
Reliable mid-tier catch on Island 2.
Goldfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 2
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Beginner Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
G2A also lists the free lure — both can work.
Perch
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 2
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Beginner Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
Standard Beginner Lure catch.
Triggerfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 2
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Beginner Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
Round and feisty — Beginner Lure.
Giant Piranha
BossBoss
- Island
- Island 2
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Modified Leech
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Island 2 boss. Bait comes from the leech quest.
The Old Pike
BossBoss
- Island
- Island 2
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Beginner Boss Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Second Island 2 boss.
Angelfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Standard Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Island 3 pool — Standard Lure tier.
Boxfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Standard Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Square-shaped catch on the Standard Lure.
Bowlfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Standard Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Listed by Destructoid for Island 3 (G2A omits it).
Catfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Standard Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Standard Lure catch on the desert island.
Sea Urchin
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Standard Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Spiky catch — Standard Lure.
Seahorse
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Standard Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Small and easy to miss — Standard Lure.
Clownfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Standard Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Standard Lure catch.
Bluegill
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Standard Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Standard Lure catch.
Salmon
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Standard Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Standard Lure catch on Island 3.
Needlefish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Standard Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★☆☆
Standard Lure catch.
Blue Shark
BossBoss
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Standard Boss Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Island 3 boss — Standard Boss Lure.
Pufferfish
BossBoss
- Island
- Island 3
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Carrot
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Island 3 boss. Yes — the bait is a carrot.
Parrotfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Professional Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Professional Lure tier from Island 4 onward.
Voxelfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Professional Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Blocky catch — Professional Lure.
Bass
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Professional Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Professional Lure catch.
Halibut
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Professional Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Flat catch — Professional Lure.
Eel
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Professional Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Professional Lure catch.
Tigerfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Professional Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Professional Lure catch.
Flying Fish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Professional Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Airborne favorite — Professional Lure. Great trick-shot practice.
Sengarat
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Professional Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Professional Lure catch.
Red Snapper
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Professional Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Professional Lure catch.
Dripper
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Professional Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★☆
Listed by Destructoid for Island 4 (G2A omits it).
Tuna
BossBoss
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Professional Boss Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★★
Island 4 boss — and doubles as bait for the Albatross. Don't sell it first.
Albatross
BossBoss
- Island
- Island 4
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Tuna
- Difficulty
- ★★★★★
Island 4 boss. Bait: a whole Tuna. The food chain is optional.
Anglerfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 5
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Scientific Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★★
Scientific Lure tier on the final island.
Blobfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 5
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Scientific Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★★
Scientific Lure catch.
Oarfish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 5
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Scientific Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★★
Scientific Lure catch.
Superdwarf Fish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 5
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Scientific Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★★
Tiny late-game catch — Scientific Lure.
Stonefish
FishStandard
- Island
- Island 5
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Scientific Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★★
Scientific Lure catch.
Goblin Shark
BossBoss
- Island
- Island 5
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Scientific Boss Lure
- Difficulty
- ★★★★★
Island 5 boss — Scientific Boss Lure.
Bowhead Whale
BossBoss
- Island
- Island 5
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Fish Bucket
- Difficulty
- ★★★★★
Island 5 boss — and bait for the next one. Keep it.
Mutated Bowhead Whale
BossBoss
- Island
- Island 5
- Rod
- Fishing Rod
- Bait
- Bowhead Whale
- Difficulty
- ★★★★★
Final island boss. Uses a Bowhead Whale as bait.
No fish match those filters.
Try clearing the search box or picking a different island/bait — or check back later, the database grows as the community maps the game.
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Lure & bait tiers
How to Fish gates its catch pool by lure tier. Each new island sells the next tier — bring the right one or you'll be fishing with last island's bait.
| Tier | Where | Catches |
|---|---|---|
| Free Lure | Lighthouse & Island 2 | Rock Crab, Shrimp, Mackerel, Gar |
| Beginner Lure | Island 2 | Pike, Cod, Goldfish, Perch, Triggerfish |
| Standard Lure | Island 3 | Angelfish, Boxfish, Catfish, Clownfish, Salmon and more |
| Professional Lure | Island 4 | Parrotfish, Bass, Halibut, Flying Fish, Red Snapper and more |
| Scientific Lure | Island 5 | Anglerfish, Blobfish, Oarfish, Superdwarf Fish, Stonefish |
Boss bait is weird on purposeA Carrot for the Pufferfish, a whole Tuna for the Albatross, and a Bowhead Whale for the Mutated Bowhead Whale. Before selling anything unusual, check theboss guide — that odd item might be bait.
Islands & locations
Lighthouse — Starting area
The first area where you spawn. Limited catch pool (crabs, shrimp, lobster) that teaches the core loop, plus the first boss quest.
Bosses: Spider Crab
Island 2 — Forest
The second island, reached after the lighthouse quest. Standard Fishing Rod unlocks here and the species pool grows to eight regular fish.
Bosses: Giant Piranha, The Old Pike
Island 3 — Desert
Unlocked after the Island 2 quest chain (coordinates). Standard Lure tier takes over with ten colorful species and two bosses.
Bosses: Blue Shark, Pufferfish
Island 4 — Rocks
Unlocked after Island 3. Professional Lure required for standard catches; boss bait gets creative (a whole Tuna for the Albatross).
Bosses: Tuna, Albatross
Island 5 — Volcano
The current end of the progression path. Scientific Lure tier with the toughest bosses, including a whale that is itself bait.
Bosses: Goblin Shark, Bowhead Whale, Mutated Bowhead Whale
Developer Island — Secret area
A secret island that's only reachable by editing your save file (set SpawnedIsland to 5 in the Dazed Games save folder). It has a shop. Treat as an easter egg, not a progression step.
FAQ
How many fish are in How to Fish?
Launch-week guides list 36 regular species plus 10 bosses across the Lighthouse and Islands 2–5. The community is still mapping the game, so this database will grow.
What bait does the Spider Crab need?
An Empty Beer Can, on the Crab Fishing Rod, at the Lighthouse. Boss bait in How to Fish is deliberately strange.
Are fish region locked in How to Fish?
Mostly no. Guides note only the Lighthouse is limited — elsewhere the same species can be caught with the right lure, which you buy on different islands.
Is this an official How to Fish database?
No. This is a fan-made tool built from public launch-week guides. It's not affiliated with or endorsed by Dazed Games.
Related:Fish Locations Guide ·Bait Guide ·Boss Fish Tips ·Beginner's Guide ·Progress Tracker ·Trick Shot Simulator