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Harvest Island Fishing: How to Catch All Fish & Bait Locations

Fingers crossed we don't pull anything spooky out of the water while fishing in Harvest Island.

Just because Harvest Island has got a spooky twist doesn’t mean fishing has been completely wiped off the map. In fact, this scary farming sim has a unique fishing mechanic that might take a bit to fully grasp. Though the fishing menu displays a lot of information about what fish can be found in each area and which bait you need to use to catch it, processing it all isn’t always easy. Plus, figuring out where to source all those different bait to expand your fishing repertoire can be a real challenge.

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How Fishing Works on Harvest Island

Fishing in Harvest Island completely differs from other fishing mechanics in other farming games. Here’s a quick rundown on how it all works:

Fish have their own schedules and preferred swimming spots. Some are day creatures, while others come out to play at night. To maximize your haul, keep an eye on the time and location. Different parts of the island are teeming with different fish. As expected, you won’t find saltwater fish like an “Ocean Fish” swimming in a forest pond.

Besides time and location, a third factor determines what you’ll catch. Each fish has its preferred bait. Use a worm as bait if you’re chasing crabs or surf perch during the day. You’ll need to switch up your bait for other catches, like a starfish or something exotic.

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Unlike other farming games, the RNG element is not there. Harvest Island provides complete transparency. You’ll know what’s lurking beneath the surface and the odds of reeling it. However, that doesn’t mean there’s no unpredictability. Sometimes, you’ll snag a big one; other times, you might lose your bait.

How to Craft and Use the Fishing Rod

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The Fishing Rod can be crafted in the crafting station before the children’s beds. You can delve into fishing on Harvest Island with a long stick, strings, and rope.

Unlike the watering can, you don’t need to equip the Fishing Rod every time you go on a fishing trip. Just walk up to the shore and press space to open the fishing menu. If you’re unsure whether you have a Fishing Rod, open the Rucksack menu and look for it under “Key Items.”

All Fish You Can Catch on the Beach

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The island is surrounded by sea, so there are many options to catch saltwater fish to the east and north of the farm.

On the beach, you can catch Crabs, Surf Perch, Mackerel, Spotted Rockfish, Shrimp, Sardines, and Ocean Fish.

All Fish You Can Catch in the Forest

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Though the forest can be accessed by following the farm’s path west or south, sweetwaters are scarce in the game’s first few hours. To find a pond in Harvest Island, head through the path west to the farm. Keep in mind that there are hidden paths underneath the trees, so just keep walking west, and you’ll uncover a huge pond.

Related: Top 5 Cozy Barista Games for Pumpkin Spice Coffee Fanatics

In the forest, you can catch Yellow Perch, Brown Trout, Rainbow Smelt, Frogs, Eel, and Crawfish.

How to Get Every Bait in Harvest Island

ImageItemLocation
CrabCrabs can be found on the beach north of the island and east of the farm when the tide is low.
Roly-polyRoly-pollies can be found under rocks in the island’s forest areas.
GrasshopperGrasshoppers only appear at night in the forest areas of the map.
CrawfishCrawfish can be fished in the sweetwaters of the island.
DragonflyDragonflies can be found in the forest areas of the map.
Beach WormsBeach worms can be dug out of the beach sand using a shovel.
WormsWorms can be found hiding under rocks in the forest areas of the map. Rocks that can be lifted are covered in white glitter.
SardineSardine can be fished once you’ve built the pier east of the farm.
MackerelMackerel can be fished in the beach areas of the island.
ShrimpSardine can be fished once you’ve built the pier east of the farm.
Surf PerchSurf Perch can be fished in the beach areas of the island.
SnailSnails can be found in the forest areas of the island.
Crown-of-ThornsCrown-of-thorns can be found in the northwestern beach area of the map. Exit the farm through the east path, head north, and take a left before reaching the Gods’ altar bridge.
Blue StarfishBlue Starfishes can be found in the northwestern beach area of the map. Exit the farm through the east path, head north, and take a left before reaching the Gods’ altar bridge.
Sea UrchinSea Urchins can be found in the northwestern beach area of the map. Exit the farm through the east path, head north, and take a left before reaching the Gods’ altar bridge.

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Author
Image of Cande Maldonado
Cande Maldonado
Though Cande started her journey in the video game industry as a localization specialist six years ago, she soon realized that her true calling was to annoy NPCS, smash virtual pottery, and complete every side quest available in RPGs. Throwing that useless degree out of the window, she has been writing professionally for the past three years ever since. Her passion for games dates to 2006, when she mounted a Chocobo for the first time. Under Nintendo and Square Enix's chokehold, she will willingly pour hours upon hours into reaching 100% completion in the longest roleplaying games ever made. But hey, who needs fresh air and sunlight when you can just live in Ivalice?