There are dozens of fish that you can capture in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. You have to be on point when you’re out fishing because it can be pretty easy to miss a particular sea creature because it only shows up during a certain time of the year, or you can capture it during a certain time of the day. If you’re curious about the toughest and rarest fish to capture in the entire game, we’ve narrowed down the many options to present to you some of the hardest fish that you can catch in New Horizons.
Rarest fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Arowana
The Arowana is an exceptionally rare fish to capture. You can find it swimming in rivers from 4 PM to 9 PM in June to September in the northern hemisphere and from December to March in the southern hemisphere. When you’re reeling it in, you can see a large shadow in the water. Then, after you’ve captured it for your museum, you can sell it for 10,000 bells at the local store.
Barreleye
The Barreleye fish is a difficult fish to capture, and no, it won’t be as easy to reel in as it is shooting fish in a barrel. The Barreleye appears in the sea, but it is active throughout the year, making it a bit more flexible for you to capture whenever you need to go hunting for it. It only appears in the sea from 9 PM to 4 AM in your local time zone. Once you’ve added it to your museum, you have the option to sell it at your local store for 15,000 bells.
Blue Marlin
Typically referred to the as the sword fish, the Blue Marlin is a fish you can capture while fishing off the side of your pier when you’re on an island. The Blue Marlin only appears from November to April and July and September in the northern hemisphere and from January to March and May to October in the southern hemisphere. Despite how long it appears, you may have some difficulty trying to catch it. While fishing, the Blue Marlin appears as a huge shadow in the water. You can sell it for 10,000 bells after adding it to your museum.
Coelacanth
The Coelacanth has appeared in every iteration of Animal Crossing and is normally referenced as the most difficult fish to capture of the sea creatures. It’s a bit easier in New Horizons, but it’s still challenging. You can catch it by fishing in the sea at all times of the year, but it has to be raining. After catching it once, you have the option to sell it for 15,000 bells.
Dorado
When fishing in rivers, be on the lookout for Dorado. This rare fish can appear from June to September in the northern hemisphere and from December to March in the southern hemisphere from 4 PM to 9 AM. While fishing, it appears as a large shadow in the water and reeling it can take quite a bit of time. You’ll be able to sell it at the store for 15,000 bells.
Great White Shark
You don’t have to be afraid of a Great White Shark while swimming in New Horizons, but catching these dangerous animals can be on the difficult side. You can find them in the sea from June to September in the northern hemisphere and from December to March in the southern hemisphere from 4 PM to 9 AM in your local time zone. They have a finned shadow when you’re attempting to catch them. You can sell them for 15,000 bells at your store.
Koi
When hunting for a more docile fish, Koi are a good choice. You can find them in ponds on your island throughout the year, and they make a large shadow in the water. They only appear from 4 PM to 9 AM in your time zone. You can sell them for 4,000 bells store. While they are not the most profitable fish, they can be a catch on your hook.
Stringfish
Animal Crossing: New Horizons opens up when you reach the clifftop of your island, and that’s where you can try capturing a Stringfish. It appears in the northern hemisphere from December to March and from June to September in the southern hemisphere. It casts a very large shadow in the water. You’ll be able to sell it for 15,000 bells at your local store.
Sturgeon
The mouth of a river is right before a river reaches the ocean, close to the rocks. You can find the challenging Sturgeon, a fish that made its debut to New Horizons in this region. A Sturgeon appears from September to March in the northern hemisphere and from March to September in the southern hemisphere. It has a huge shadow in the water when you’re trying to catch it. You’ll be able to sell it for 15,000 bells at your store.
Whale Shark
Another sea creature you can find in the ocean tiles is a Whale Shark. While it is labeled as a ‘shark,’ it’s a harmless creature that primarily feeds on plankton. It appears from June to September in the northern hemisphere and from December to March in the southern hemisphere. The Whale Shark has a huge shadow with a fin attached to it while in the water. You can sell it for 13,000 bells at the local store. It’s also the best fish to submit to the Fishing Tournament.
