Animal Crossing Fish Guide - Creature Crossing

One of the reasons why Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a massive hit is because there are tons of activities to do. Whether you enjoy collecting art, digging up fossils, or decorating your house, there’s plenty of entertainment to go around!

Fishing is one of my favorite ways to pass the time in New Horizons! Not only is it fun but it’s also lucrative. Fishing can be cumbersome since a lot of thought goes into the process.

That’s why we’ve created this guide to show you the ropes! You’ll learn a plethora of valuable information, such as where to find fish and how to use them. You’ll be an Animal Crossing fishing pro in no time!

Bottom Line Up Front

Total number of fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons: 80
Where to locate them: Ponds, oceans, and rivers
What to do with them: Sell, cook, gift, display, or donate them to the museum
There’s a comprehensive chart that shows each fish’s shadow size, location, price, and availability below

Introduction to Fish

In New Horizons, fish are creatures that are collected from bodies of water on different islands, including your own. The latest game has 80 fish, but there weren’t always this many. Dobutsu no Mori, the first Animal Crossing game, only has 32 fish. That number slowly increased over time with each game by increments of 8.

When you catch a fish, it will appear in your Crittepedia. This feature is an app that displays information about all organisms you’ve snagged. The details range from the creature’s active months to their location, which is perfect if you need to catch the same fish again.

A few “fish” in New Horizons aren’t classified as fish in real life. Here’s a list of the organisms that belong to other species:

Crawfish
Soft-shelled turtle
Snapping turtle
Frog
Mitten crab
Sea butterfly
Squid

Some may think seahorses aren’t classified as fish, but they are! Although we usually associate fish with scales and fins, seahorses are part of the Syngnathidae family, known for their tubular snouts and lack of fins.

Where to Get Fish

Fish spawn in three aquatic habitats: ponds, oceans, and rivers. With each habitat comes wildlife that is exclusive to that body of water. For example, koi can only be found in ponds, not rivers or oceans. Luckily, every default map comes with all three bodies of water.

If the placements of your ponds or rivers are unpleasing, use the Island Designer app to adjust or move them! I don’t recommend removing all ponds and rivers because you’d be missing out on several fish.

If you get bored fishing on your island, set sail with Kapp’n to another one! It’ll cost 1,000 Nook Miles for him to take you to a random island where you can fish to your heart’s content.

Remember that you can also visit a friend’s island via Dodo Airlines so long as you all have a Nintendo Switch Online membership. Maybe you’ll discover a rare creature in a different environment!

Knowing the locations where certain fish spawn is only part of the equation. You must also be aware of the hour, season, and daily weather conditions since some come out during specific circumstances.

For example, many fish are only available from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Furthermore, Ceolacanths spawn during rainy or snowy days, making them particularly hard to catch. More information is in the guide near the end of this article.

How to Fish

The first step to fishing is obtaining a rod. Players can get these types of rods in New Horizons:

Rod Name	Price	Buy From
Flimsy Fishing Rod	400 Bells 100 Nook Miles	Resident Services Tent Nook’s Cranny Wilbur Crafting
Fishing Rod	600 Bells	Crafting
Fish Fishing Rod	2,500 Bells	Nook’s Cranny (upgraded)
Colorful Fishing Rod	2,500 Bells	Nook’s Cranny (upgraded)
Outdoorsy Fishing Rod	2,500 Bells	Nook’s Cranny (upgraded)
Golden Fishing Rod	Not for sale	Crafting

I recommend crafting a flimsy fishing rod with 5 tree branches, and then crafting a fishing rod so that you can save your Bells.

Now that you have a rod, you’re ready to learn how to fish! It’ll be effortless once you’ve mastered the basics. First you need to find a shadow of a fish in any body of water. Press A to cast your line out.

Once the fish sees the lure, it’ll take the bait immediately or nibble at it first. When the fish bites the lure, the bobber sinks, and a loud splash occurs. At this point, you must smash the A button to reel the creature in or it’ll escape. Your character will celebrate the catch with a huge smile and cheesy pun!

Tips for Fishing

Although fishing itself is fairly straightforward, it’ll be easier if you follow these tips:

You can make random fish spawn in any body of water by using fish bait. All you need are manilla clams, which are scattered across the beach. Keep your eyes peeled for dark spots that squirt out water, and start digging once you see them!
Each fish comes in a specific size that casts a shadow in the water. The sizes of most fish are: tiny, small, medium, large, very large, and huge. The longer, more snake-like shadows indicate eels, whereas the finned shadows indicate sharks and ocean sunfish.
Fish are easily startled. Don’t run up to them, push a snowball into a spot that’s near them, or use tools near them. There’s plenty of fish in the water, but you don’t want to miss out on a rare catch!
Fish can nibble on the line up to four times, then they have to bite.
Be sure to cast your line in front of the creature, or they won’t notice it.
You have to react quickly when a fish finally bites. I react faster when I listen for the splash rather than looking at the bobber. Everyone is different, but I recommend trying this if visual cues don’t work well for you.

What to Do With Fish

Donate to the Museum

If you’ve caught a fish for the first time, I recommend donating the animal to the museum because it may take a while to capture another one. You’ll know you’ve caught a fish for the first time when your character shouts, ‘Yes!’

You have to talk to Blathers if you want to donate a fish to the aquarium. Simply press A to speak to the owl and then select ‘Make a donation.’ If you have a fish that’s never been donated to the museum before, you can select it from your pocket. Blathers will gladly take the creature and share an interesting fact about it!

Sell

You have three options for selling fish: the drop-off box, Nook’s Cranny, or C.J. I recommend waiting until C.J., the beaver, shows up on your island since he buys fish for 150% of the normal price.

Therefore, you’ll make the most money selling fish to this guy. C.J. will also provide you with a model fish if you give him three of the same critter.

If you can’t wait for C.J., you can sell your fish at Nook’s Cranny. Timmy and Tommy will buy your fish at the normal sell price, which is better than nothing.

If you’re extremely desperate for Bells and Nook’s Cranny is closed, you can sell your fish using the drop-off box located in front of the shop. The downside is you’ll only get 80% of the regular sell price since 20% of it goes to fees.

On top of that, you won’t get the money immediately. You’ll have to wait until the next day when it’s deposited into your bank account.

Cook

In the latest update of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players can now cook! This means that you can create as many delicious fish recipes as you want! I’ve become quite the virtual chef since this update came out, so here’s an alphabetized list of all fish recipes below. Feel free to try them out!

Name of Recipe	Ingredients
Aji Fry	1 Horse Mackerel, 1 Flour
Anchoas al Alillo	2 Anchovies
Barred-Knifejaw Carpaccio	1 Barred-Knifejaw
Carpaccio Di Marlin Blu	1 Blue Marlin
Carpaccio Di Salmone	1 Salmon
Fish and Chips	1 Dab, 2 Potatoes
Grilled Sea Bass With Herbs	1 Sea Bass, 5 Clumps of Weeds
Karei no Nitsuke	1 Dab
Olive-Flounder Meuniere	1 Olive Flounder, 2 Flours
Pesce All’acqua Pazza	1 Red Snapper, 1 Tomato, 1 Manila Clam
Poke	1 Salmon, 1 Tomato
Salmon Bagel Sandwich	2 Flours, 1 Salmon
Salmon Sandwich	2 Whole-Wheat Flours, 1 Salmon
Sardines in Oil	1 Anchovy
Sautéed Olive Flounder	1 Olive Flounder
Sea-Bass Pie	3 Flours, 1 Sea Bass
Seafood Ajillo	1 Tiger Prawn, 1 Squid, 1 Scallop
Seafood Salad	1 Squid, 1 Sweet Shrimp
Squid-Ink Curry	3 Flours, 1 Squid
Squid-Ink Spaghetti	3 Flours, 1 Squid

Gift

You can give a fish to any villager, and it’s no different from gifting a resident any other present. You just have to talk to a resident, select ‘Here’s a gift’, and pick the fish you want to give away. Your character will hand over the fish and the resident will gleefully show their appreciation.

Display

One of my favorite things to do with fish is using them as decoration in my home. You can place your fish on furniture, such as kitchen tables and side tables, to give your abode extra oomph! Some fish go best with a particular style compared to others. For example, adding a koi to a Japanese garden would definitely fit the Zen aesthetic!

All Fish Details

Some of this information is displayed in the game, but you’ll only see a fish’s details once you’ve caught it. On top of that, it only shows a fish’s monthly availability, active hours, and location.

Below is a complete chart that displays each creature’s shadow size, location, price, monthly availability, and active hours. The structure of this chart is based on the order of the in-game Critterpedia.

Creature Name	Shadow Size	Location	Price (Nook’s Cranny’s Price = NC, C.J’s Price = CJ)	Monthly Availability (Northern Hemisphere = N, Southern Hemisphere = S)	Active Hours
Bitterling	Tiny	River	NC: 900 Bells CJ: 1,350 Bells	N: November – March S: May – September	All day
Pale Chub	Tiny	River	NC: 160 Bells CJ: 240 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Crucian Carp	Small	River	NC: 160 Bells CJ: 240 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	All day
Dace	Medium	River	NC: 240 Bells CJ: 360 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Carp	Large	Pond	NC: 300 Bells CJ: 450 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	All day
Koi	Large	Pond	NC: 4,000 Bells CJ: 6,000 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Goldfish	Tiny	Pond	NC: 1,300 Bells CJ: 1,950 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	All day
Pop-eyed Goldfish	Tiny	Pond	NC: 1,300 Bells CJ: 1,950 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Ranchu Goldfish	Small	Pond	NC: 4,500 Bells CJ: 6,750 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Killifish	Tiny	Pond	NC: 300 Bells CJ: 450 Bells	N: April – August S: October – February	All day
Crawfish	Small	Pond	NC: 200 Bells CJ: 300 Bells	N: April – September S: October – March	All day
Soft-shelled Turtle	Medium	River	NC: 3,750 Bells CJ: 5,625 Bells	N: August and September S: February and March	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Snapping Turtle	Medium	River	NC: 5,000 Bells CJ: 7,500 Bells	N: April – October S: October – April	9 p.m. – 4 a.m.
Tadpole	Tiny	Pond	NC: 100 Bells CJ: 150 Bells	N: March – July S: September – January	All day
Frog	Small	Pond	NC: 120 Bells CJ: 180 Bells	N: May – August S: November – February	All day
Freshwater Goby	Small	River	NC: 400 Bells CJ: 600 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Loach	Small	River	NC: 400 Bells CJ: 600 Bells	N: March – May S: September – November	All day
Catfish	Large	Pond	NC: 800 Bells CJ: 1,200 Bells	N: May – October S: November – April	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Giant snakehead	Large	Pond	NC: 5,500 Bells CJ: 8,250 Bells	N: June – August S: December – February	9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Bluegill	Small	River	NC: 180 Bells CJ: 270 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Yellow Perch	Medium	River	NC: 300 Bells CJ: 450 Bells	N: October – March S: April – September	All day
Black Bass	Large	River	NC: 400 Bells CJ: 600 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	All day
Tilapia	Medium	River	NC: 800 Bells CJ: 1,200 Bells	N: June – October S: December – April	All day
Pike	Very Large	River	NC: 1,800 Bells CJ: 2,700 Bells	N: September – December S: March – June	4 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Pond Smelt	Small	River	NC: 300 Bells CJ: 450 Bells	N: December – February S: June – August	All day
Sweetfish	Medium	River	NC: 900 Bells CJ: 1,350 Bells	N: July – September S: January – March	All day
Cherry Salmon	Medium	River (Clifftop)	NC: 1,000 Bells CJ: 1,500 Bells	N: March – June, September – November S: March – May, September – December	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Char	Medium	River (Clifftop)	NC: 3,800 Bells CJ: 5,700 Bells	N: March – June, September – November S: March – May, September – December	4 p.m. – 9 a.m
Golden Trout	Medium	River (Clifftop)	NC: 15,000 Bells CJ: 22,500 Bells	N: March – May, September – November S: March – May, September – November	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Stringfish	Huge	River (Clifftop)	NC: 15,000 Bells CJ: 22,500 Bells	N: December – March S: June – September	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Salmon	Large	River	NC: 700 Bells CJ: 1,150 Bells	N: September S: March	All day
King Salmon	Huge	River (Mouth)	NC: 1,800 Bells CJ: 2,700 Bells	N: September S: March	All day
Mitten Crab	Small	River	NC: 2,000 Bells CJ: 3,000 Bells	N: September – November S: March – May	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Guppy	Tiny	River	NC: 1,300 Bells CJ: 1,950 Bells	N: April – November S: October – April	9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Nibble Fish	Tiny	River	NC: 1,500 Bells CJ: 2,250 Bells	N: May – September S: November – March	9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Angelfish	Small	River	NC: 3,000 Bells CJ: 4,500 Bells	N: May – October S: November – April	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Betta	Small	River	NC: 2,500 Bells CJ: 3,750 Bells	N: May – October S: November – April	9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Neon Tetra	Tiny	River	NC: 500 Bells CJ: 750 Bells	N: April – November S: October – May	9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Rainbowfish	Tiny	River	NC: 800 Bells CJ: 1,200 Bells	N: May – October S: November – April	9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Piranha	Small	River	NC: 2,500 Bells CJ: 3,750 Bells	N: June – September S: December – March	9 a.m. – 4 p.m., 9 p.m. – 4 a.m.
Arowana	Medium	River	NC: 10,000 Bells CJ: 15,000 Bells	N: June – September S: December – March	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Dorado	Very Large	River	NC: 15,000 Bells CJ: 22,500 Bells	N: June – September S: December – March	4 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Gar	Huge	Pond	NC: 6,000 Bells CJ: 9,000 Bells	N: June – September S: December – January	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Arapaima	Huge	River	NC: 10,000 Bells CJ: 15,000 Bells	N: June – September S: December – March	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Saddled Bichir	Large	River	NC: 4,000 Bells CJ: 6,000 Bells	N: June – September S: December – March	9 p.m. – 4 a.m.
Sturgeon	Very Large	River (Mouth)	NC: 10,000 Bells CJ: 15,000 Bells	N: September – March S: March – September	All day
Sea Butterfly	Tiny	Ocean	NC: 1,000 Bells CJ: 1,500 Bells	N: December – March S: June – September	All day
Seahorse	Tiny	Ocean	NC: 1,100 Bells CJ: 1,650 Bells	N: April – November S: October – May	All day
Clownfish	Tiny	Ocean	NC: 650 Bells CJ: 975 Bells	N: April – September S: October – March	All day
Surgeonfish	Small	Ocean	NC: 1,000 Bells CJ: 1,500 Bells	N: April – September S: October – March	All day
Butterfly Fish	Small	Ocean	NC: 1,000 Bells CJ: 1,500 Bells	N: April – September S: October – March	All day
Napoleonfish	Huge	Ocean	NC: 10,000 Bells CJ: 15,000 Bells	N: July and August S: January and February	4 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Zebra Turkeyfish	Medium	Ocean	NC: 500 Bells CJ: 750 Bells	N: April – November S: October – May	All day
Blowfish	Medium	Ocean	NC: 5,000 Bells CJ: 7,500 Bells	N: November – February S: May – August	9 p.m. – 4 a.m.
Puffer Fish	Medium	Ocean	NC: 250 Bells CJ: 375 Bells	N: July – September S: January – March	All day
Anchovy	Small	Ocean	NC: 200 Bells CJ: 300 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	4 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Horse Mackerel	Small	Ocean	NC: 150 Bells CJ: 225 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	All day
Barred Knifejaw	Medium	Ocean	NC: 5,000 Bells CJ: 7,500 Bells	N: March – November S: September – May	All day
Sea Bass	Very Large	Ocean	NC: 400 Bells CJ: 600 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	All day
Red Snapper	Large	Ocean	NC: 3,000 Bells CJ: 4,500 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	All day
Dab	Medium	Ocean	NC: 300 Bells CJ: 450 Bells	N: October – April S: April – October	All day
Olive Flounder	Large	Ocean	NC: 800 Bells CJ: 1,200 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	All day
Squid	Medium	Ocean	NC: 500 Bells CJ: 750 Bells	N: December – August S: June – February	All day
Moray Eel	Thin	Ocean	NC: 2,000 Bells CJ: 3,000 Bells	N: August – October S: February – April	All day
Ribbon Eel	Thin	Ocean	NC: 600 Bells CJ: 900 Bells	N: June – October S: December – April	All day
Tuna	Huge	Ocean (pier)	NC: 7,000 Bells CJ: 10,500 Bells	N: November – April S: May – October	All day
Blue Marlin	Huge	Ocean (pier)	NC: 10,000 Bells CJ: 15,000 Bells	N: November – April, July – September S: January – March, May – October	All day
Giant Trevally	Very Large	Ocean (pier)	NC: 4,500 Bells CJ: 6,750 Bells	N: May – October S: November – April	All day
Mahi-mahi	Very Large	Ocean (pier)	NC: 6,000 Bells CJ: 9,000 Bells	N: May – October S: November – April	All day
Ocean Sunfish	Huge (with fin)	Ocean	NC: 4,000 Bells CJ: 6,000 Bells	N: July – September S: January – March	4 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Ray	Very Large	Ocean	NC: 3,000 Bells CJ: 4,500 Bells	N: August – November S: February – May	4 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Saw Shark	Huge (with fin)	Ocean	NC: 12,000 Bells CJ: 18,000 Bells	N: June – September S: December – March	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Hammerhead Shark	Huge (with fin)	Ocean	NC: 8,000 Bells CJ:12,000 Bells	N: June – September S: December – March	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Great White Shark	Huge (with fin)	Ocean	NC: 15,000 Bells CJ: 22,500 Bells	N: June – September S: December – March	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Whale Shark	Huge (with fin)	Ocean	NC: 13,000 Bells CJ: 19,500 Bells	N: June – September S: December – March	All day
Suckerfish	Huge (with fin)	Ocean	NC: 1,500 Bells CJ: 2,250 Bells	N: June – September S: December – March	All day
Football Fish	Large	Ocean	NC: 2,500 Bells CJ: 3,750 Bells	N: November – March S: May – September	4 p.m. – 9 a.m.
Oarfish	Huge	Ocean	NC: 9,000 Bells CJ: 13,500 Bells	N: December – May S: June – November	All day
Barreleye	Small	Ocean	NC: 15,000 Bells CJ: 22,500 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	9 p.m. – 4 a.m.
Coelacanth	Huge	Ocean (raining)	NC: 15,000 Bells CJ: 22,500 Bells	N: Year-round S: Year-round	All day

FAQs

Question: What are the Rarest Fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Answer: The rarest fish are the Football Fish, Coelacanth, Oarfish, Golden Trout, Blue Marlin, and the shark species. They tend to scare easily compared to other creatures, so be careful!

Question: What Happens when You Catch All Fish?

Answer: You’ll receive a Golden Rod recipe in the mail when you’ve caught all fish. The recipe entails a gold nugget and a fishing rod. Keep in mind that the rod is sturdy, but it can still break!

Question: Is There a Silver Rod in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Answer: No, there is no silver rod in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It’s only in City Folk and New Leaf.

Conclusion

As you can see, acquiring fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons isn’t always simple. When you take seasonality, active hours, weather, and location into account, catching every one of them can take months.

It’ll be difficult, but picture the look on Blathers’ face when you finally finish the aquatic section in the museum. He’ll be ecstatic!

Continue reading:

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About
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CaLea Johnson

CaLea has been gaming since she was a child. Now, she combines her love for gaming and writing by creating reviews, guides, and news stories about her favorite franchises! Her all-time favorite is Animal Crossing and she loves nothing more than showing of her island to anyone that will pop in and visit.