How to Fish Wiki
Official How to Fish gameplay screenshot showing players fishing and exploring a tropical shore

How to Fish Steam Guide: Complete Walkthrough & Wiki

Use one connected Steam guide for beginner tips, all 54 extracted creatures, all 11 bosses, 5 islands, story quests, weapons, items and every one of the 28 achievements.

Start Here Browse Creatures
54Extracted creatures11Boss guides5Route stages28Achievements

1Explore Every Island

Travel in story order and check what unlocks each stop, which creatures live there and which fight moves the story forward.

View all islands
Stage 1Official How to Fish screenshot of the opening island near the lighthouse

Lighthouse

6 creatures Spider CrabOpen island guide Stage 2Official How to Fish screenshot of a wooded tropical island

Forest Island

14 creatures Giant PiranhaOpen island guide Stage 3Official How to Fish screenshot of the giant Pufferfish battle

Desert Island

12 creatures PufferfishOpen island guide Stage 4Official How to Fish screenshot showing a late-game gold weapon and open island water

Rocks Island

12 creatures AlbatrossOpen island guide Stage 5Official How to Fish screenshot of late-game equipment on a tropical island

Volcano Island

9 creatures Bowhead WhaleOpen island guide

2Creature Directory

Search all 54 extracted creatures by name, island, rod, bait or category. Boss encounters open their dedicated strategy pages.

View all creatures
Search by creature, island or baitAllIslandType
CreatureLocationRodBait / trigger
In-game creature asset render of ClamClamLighthouseNoneNo bait (ground pickup)
In-game creature asset render of Brown CrabBrown CrabLighthouseCrab Fishing RodDefault Crab Pool
In-game creature asset render of Rock CrabRock CrabLighthouseCrab Fishing RodHot Dog
In-game creature asset render of ShrimpShrimpLighthouseCrab Fishing RodDefault Crab Pool
In-game creature asset render of LobsterLobsterLighthouseCrab Fishing RodHot Dog
In-game creature asset render of PiranhaPiranhaForest Island (Island 2)Fishing RodBeginner Lure
In-game creature asset render of GobyGobyForest Island (Island 2)Fishing RodBeginner Lure
In-game creature asset render of MackerelMackerelForest Island (Island 2)Fishing RodDefault Fish Pool
In-game creature asset render of GarGarForest Island (Island 2)Fishing RodDefault Fish Pool
In-game creature asset render of PikePikeForest Island (Island 2)Fishing RodDefault Fish Pool / Beginner Lure
Previewing 10 non-boss creatures from the 54-entry directoryBrowse all creatures

3Stuck on a Quest?

Pick the point where your island route stopped.

View all quests
Who Stole My Beer? route encounterStep 1 · Spider Crab

Who Stole My Beer?

Give the Lighthouse Keeper a Beer, use the returned Empty Beer Can for Spider Crab and bring the required result back for the boat key.

Open quest Dinnertime & the Leech Route route encounterStep 2 · Giant Piranha

Dinnertime & the Leech Route

Complete the lady's request, collect three ground leeches and turn the resulting Leech Bait into the Giant Piranha trophy.

Open quest Vacation & Pufferfish Route route encounterStep 3 · Carrot

Vacation & Pufferfish Route

Trade an eligible endangered creature for a Carrot, defeat Pufferfish and return the fin for Rocks Island coordinates.

Open quest Grillmaster & Blue Shark route encounterStep 4 · Blue Shark

Grillmaster & Blue Shark

Use the $280 Standard Boss Lure, bring Blue Shark to the Grillmaster and unlock the 1.5× cooking route.

Open quest Terrorizing Bird route encounterStep 5 · Tuna

Terrorizing Bird

Turn a Professional Boss Lure into Tuna, use the body as Albatross bait and return the bird's head for Volcano coordinates.

Open quest

4Boss Route

See the story trigger before spending a single-use lure or carrying a trophy back to an NPC.

View all bosses
In-game screenshot of Spider Crab encounter in How to FishStory

Spider Crab

Trigger: Empty Beer Can

View strategy In-game screenshot of Giant Piranha encounter in How to FishStory

Giant Piranha

Trigger: Leech Bait

View strategy In-game screenshot of Pufferfish encounter in How to FishStory

Pufferfish

Trigger: Carrot

View strategy In-game screenshot of Blue Shark encounter in How to FishGrillmaster

Blue Shark Mini-Boss Guide

Trigger: Standard Boss Lure

View strategy In-game screenshot of Albatross encounter in How to FishStory

Albatross

Trigger: Defeated Tuna

View strategy In-game screenshot of Mutated Bowhead Whale Final Boss encounter in How to FishMagma Whale

Mutated Bowhead Whale Final Boss

Trigger: Final boss

View strategy

5Choose Your Guide

Pick a spoiler-light start or the complete island route.

View both guides
Beginner Guide gameplay previewRecommended first

Beginner Guide

Learn fishing, combat, selling and the first boat route without late-game spoilers.

Start here Full Walkthrough gameplay previewRoute 2

Full Walkthrough

Follow every trigger, trophy and NPC hand-in from Lighthouse to Volcano.

Follow the route

6Weapons & Gear

Match the weapon to the encounter and open each loadout for its practical role.

View all gear
Game-derived Pistol model from How to FishEarly weapon

Pistol

A dependable early firearm for learning creature movement, conserving shots and setting up simple trick kills.

Open loadout Game-derived Shotgun model from How to FishClose-range weapon

Shotgun

A forgiving close-range choice when a newly landed creature is already crowding the boat.

Open loadout Game-derived Sniper Rifle model from How to FishPrecision weapon

Sniper Rifle

A long-range option for deliberate trick shots, flying targets and clean sightlines.

Open loadout Game-derived Assault Rifle model from How to FishSustained fire

Assault Rifle

A flexible late-route weapon for maintaining pressure on large creatures and boss targets.

Open loadout

7Achievement Hunting

Use three rare goals to plan collection, Drip and bare-hands cleanup before a full achievement run.

View all achievements
Official Steam achievement icon for Collector Challenge 1

Collector

Finish the full base-creature checklist.

8% unlockedView achievement Official Steam achievement icon for Fishipedia Challenge 2

Fishipedia

Complete the separate Drip collection.

0.7% unlockedView achievement Official Steam achievement icon for Handyman Challenge 3

Handyman

Defeat the final boss with bare hands.

0.9% unlockedView achievement
Planning a full clear?Open the creature and 28-achievement checklist.

8About How to Fish Wiki

Built for the moments when the game stops telling you what to keep, where to go or which lure starts the next fight.

Keep the right item. Follow the right route.

How to Fish starts with a rod and a small island, then quickly turns into a chain of trades, boss bodies, Radar markers and equipment choices. This wiki keeps those steps together so you can check what to catch, what not to sell and what unlocks next.

Use the creature directory for everyday catches and special finds, open a quest when progress stops, or follow the island route from Lighthouse to Volcano. Weapons, bait, items, NPCs and achievements link back to the same steps instead of leaving you to piece the route together.

How this wiki is maintained Report a correction
Creature directory
54 entries
40 fish · 5 shell creatures · 9 special creatures
Story route
5 stages
Lighthouse through Volcano
Steam achievements
28
Story, combat and collection goals
Play styles
1–4 players
Single-player and online co-op

9Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers for island progression, lure tiers, collection tracking and solo play.

How do I get to the next island?

Finish the local quest, defeat the required story boss, pick up its named trophy and return it to the quest giver. A new colored dot appears on the Radar after the hand-in.

What is included in the creature directory?

The directory records all 54 creature prefabs found in the unpacked game data: 40 fish, 5 shell creatures and 9 special creatures. 11 boss encounters link to their dedicated strategy pages; ground pickups and ambient creatures are clearly marked.

Which lure should I use on each island?

The rods' built-in no-bait pools cover the first crabs and fish. Beginner Lure starts the named lure tiers, followed by Standard on Desert, Professional on Rocks and Scientific on Volcano. Story bosses use their own quest bait or carried trigger.

What should I buy first?

Buy the $10 Radar once the boat is available, then choose a reliable weapon and improve the boat engine when travel time starts slowing the route down.

How do I catch rare Drip creatures?

Use the normal creature route and watch for the rainbow-name variant. Kill it so the Tab encyclopedia records the Drip entry.

Can I finish How to Fish solo?

Yes. The game supports single-player as well as online co-op for up to four players. Co-op makes some fights easier, but it is not required for the main route.