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

How to Fish - Catch Every Creature, Unlock Every Island

Looking for the right bait, the next island unlock or what to bring to a boss? Follow connected guides for 42 non-boss catches, quests, weapons, items, island routes and all 28 Steam achievements.

Start Here Browse Fish
42Non-boss catches11Boss 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

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

Forest Island

13 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

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

Volcano Island

8 creatures Mutated Bowhead WhaleOpen island guide

2Fish & Creature List

Search 42 non-boss catches by name, island, rod or bait.

View all fish
Search by creature, island or baitAllIslandType
CreatureLocationRodBait / trigger
Clam creature illustration from How to FishClamLighthouseNoneNo bait (ground pickup)
Brown Crab creature illustration from How to FishBrown CrabLighthouseCrab Fishing RodDefault Crab Pool
Blue Crab creature illustration from How to FishBlue CrabLighthouseCrab Fishing RodLighthouse pool
Rock Crab creature illustration from How to FishRock CrabLighthouseCrab Fishing RodHot Dog
Shrimp creature illustration from How to FishShrimpLighthouseCrab Fishing RodDefault Crab Pool
Lobster creature illustration from How to FishLobsterLighthouseCrab Fishing RodHot Dog
Piranha creature illustration from How to FishPiranhaForest Island (Island 2)Fishing RodBeginner Lure
No verified in-game creature thumbnail is available for GobyGobyForest Island (Island 2)Fishing RodBeginner Lure
Mackerel creature illustration from How to FishMackerelForest Island (Island 2)Fishing RodDefault Fish Pool
Gar creature illustration from How to FishGarForest Island (Island 2)Fishing RodDefault Fish Pool
Showing 1–10 of 42 non-boss creaturesBrowse the full fish list

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?

Buy a Beer Can, 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 · Needlefish

Vacation & Pufferfish Route

Catch Needlefish, trade it 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 Deadliest Catch & Final Whale Route route encounterStep 6 · Military

Deadliest Catch & Final Whale Route

Help the military, use the whale trigger and finish the two-stage Bowhead Whale ending chain.

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

Start with the spoiler-light beginner route or follow the complete Lighthouse-to-Volcano walkthrough.

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
In-game screenshot showing the Pistol in How to FishEarly weapon

Pistol

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

Open loadout In-game screenshot showing the Shotgun in How to FishClose-range weapon

Shotgun

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

Open loadout In-game screenshot showing the Sniper Rifle in How to FishPrecision weapon

Sniper Rifle

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

Open loadout In-game screenshot showing the Assault Rifle in How to FishSustained fire

Assault Rifle

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

Open loadout

7Achievement Hunting

Three low-unlock completion goals from Steam's current global achievement data.

View all achievements
Official Steam achievement icon for Collector Challenge 1

Collector

Find and kill all 49 creatures.

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 fish list for everyday catches, 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
Catch directory
42 catches
Non-boss creatures · 11 encounters listed separately
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 counts toward the creature collection?

This catch list covers 42 non-boss creatures, while 11 boss and special encounters have separate strategy pages. Kill a creature so it registers; catching or seeing it is not enough. Steam's Collector achievement still uses its 49-creature wording.

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.