Fishing in Stardew Valley can be a lot of fun, but there is often so much to do that it’s hard to know where to go and when. Our Stardew Valley best fishing spot per season guide will tell you the best places to go to get the most fish towards your collection!
There’s one thing you should bear in mind for this guide going forward: This is focused on getting the greatest variety of fish without running around too much. This isn’t a completionist guide that’s going to get you to 100%; rather, it will help you get the first 50% of fish collected as efficiently as possible.
Stardew Valley | Best fishing spot per season | Spring
Spring is the start of the year in Stardew Valley, and the best place to get the most fish in spring is the River.
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When it comes to the River, the best spot to go is directly below Jodi’s house, facing south. This will let you get your bobber out as far as possible without having to run too far in search of a good spot.
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Here are the fish that you can get from the River in spring:
- Bream
- Catfism (Rainy Weather)
- Chub
- Shad (Rainy Weather)
- Smallmouth Bass
- Sunfish (Sunny Weather)
Generally, you’ll be able to catch something regardless of the weather, although rainy weather offers a slight advantage when it comes to the variety of fish that you can catch. Fishing in either the Ocean or River is a good choice, although each of those options only offer up five varieties of fish.
Stardew Valley | Best fishing spot per season | Summer
When it comes to fishing in the summer, the Ocean is the top spot for sheer variety of fish. You can catch some other fish by visiting the River or Mountain Lake, but the Ocean gives you the greatest variety without too much running around.
To start, the very first thing you should do is repair the plank bridge to gain access to the East Pier. This will cost you a paltry 200 Wood—an amount that you can collect in less than a day. Once you have this all gathered up, you’ll be able to get to a much better fishing spot.
After the bridge is repaired, head East until you find another pier. Walk down the pier and head to the left once you reach the bottom. Fish towards the left from this point. As a bonus, you’ll also have a chance to collect the Legendary Crimsonfish at the ideal fishing spot noted on the preceding section.
Here are the fish you can get at the Ocean in the summer:
- Halibut
- Octopus
- Pufferfish (Sunny Weather)
- Red Mullet
- Red Snapper (Rainy Weather)
- Super Cucumber
- Tilapia
- Tuna
As you can see, you can catch seven different types of fish depending on the weather. They’re available at all times of the day, although you’ll have to get up earlier for some and stay out later for others.
Stardew Valley | Best fishing spot per season | Fall
For fall, the best spot to go to is also the River. This is one of the closer locations in relation to your farm, so you can spend more time tracking down those delicious mushrooms and berries out in the woods!
Do make sure to go to the ideal River fishing spot as described in the spring section above. Alternatively, you can fish at a spot directly below Leah’s house if that’s more convenient for you.
Here are the fish that you can catch in the fall at this spot on the River:
- Catfish (Rainy Weather)
- Chub
- Salmon
- Shad (Rainy Weather)
- Smallmouth Bass
- Tiger Trout
- Walleye (Rainy Weather)
The only weather restriction for this spot in the fall is rainy weather; obviously, you should aim to fish on those days in particular for the greatest possible variety.
Stardew Valley | Best fishing spot per season | Winter
For winter, the Mountain Lake is the best place to go. Whichever way you make it there, there’s one excellent spot to fish from on the little island on the right. Stand on the southern peak of the island and fish facing south.
These are the fish that you can catch at the Mountain Lake in winter:
- Bullhead
- Carp
- Chub
- Largemouth Bass
- Lingcod
- Perch
- Pike
- Sturgeon
You’ll note that there are no qualifiers for the weather when it comes to winter. That means that you can fish on any day of the week and catch a nice variety. What’s more, everything on this list is available between the hours of 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM, so you won’t have to worry about arriving at specific times, either.
Stardew Valley | Best fishing spot per season | Year-round
Suppose that you’re only dabbling in fishing and you’d prefer to go to the same spot every time, year-round. This won’t get you all of the fish—far from it—but it will make it easy enough to establish a routine. Where should you go between the River, Ocean, or Mountain Lake?
Why is the Mountain Lake the best fishing spot in Stardew Valley for casual fishers?
- All fish can be caught between the hours of 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM with the sole exception of the Walleye.
- Only two fish are restricted by weather: The Rainbow Trout requires sunny weather and the Walleye requires rainy weather.
- Five to eight different varieties of fish are available in this one spot, depending on the season.
Here are the fish that you can get at the Mountain Lake depending on the time of the year:
Year-round
- Bullhead
- Carp
- Chub
- Largemouth Bass
Spring
- Smallmouth Bass
Summer
- Pike
- Rainbow Trout (Sunny Weather)
- Sturgeon
Fall
- Smallmouth Bass
- Walleye (Rainy Weather)
Winter
- Lingcod
- Perch
- Pike
- Studgeon
Do note that the seasonal fish listed here are in addition to the year-round fish; for example, you can catch the Smallmouth Bass, Bullhead, Carp, Chub, and Largemouth Bass in spring and so-on. If you want all of the relevant data without the analysis, you can find it on the Fishing Strategy page at the Stardew Valley wiki.
