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Stardew Valley Fishing Guide: Mastering Pufferfish, Catfish, and Fish Ponds

2025-05-20

Fishing is a fundamental mechanic in Stardew Valley that can yield significant profits and unlock rare treasures. Catching rare fish such as Catfish and Pufferfish can be extremely profitable, but what if you don’t know the core fishing mechanics? This guide focuses on the important fishing techniques, strategies for catching specific fish, the benefits of Fish Ponds, and tips for Stardew Valley Fishing on PC.

Content

  • Getting Started with Stardew Valley Fishing
    • Stardew Valley Catfish
    • Stardew Valley Pufferfish
  • Stardew Valley Fish Pond: Mechanics and Benefits
    • How to Construct a Fish Pond
    • Fish Pond Mechanics
    • Stardew Valley Fish Pond Benefits (Why They’re Good for Money)
    • Example Scenario
    • Best Fish for Stardew Valley Fish Pond
    • Stardew Valley Fish Pond Strategy Table
  • Gain Maximum Profits in Stardew Valley Fishing
    • 1. Go for High Value Fish
    • 2. Essential Roe Processing
    • 3. Use Crab Pots Wisely
    • 4. Reach Level 10 Fishing
  • Ending Lines

Getting Started with Stardew Valley Fishing

On Day 2, you receive the Bamboo Pole from Willy and can start fishing in Stardew Valley. In the mini-game, you have to keep a green bar over a moving fish icon to catch it. Your fishing skills advance as you catch specific fish and unlock better options for fishing poles, bait, and tackle.

Basic Equipment Overview:

Fishing Rods

Function

How to Get

Bamboo Pole

Basic rod with no bait or tackle

Purchase at Willy's for 500g

Fiberglass Rod

Allows bait for quicker bites

Buy at Willy's for 1,800g after reaching Fishing Level 2

Iridium Rod

Supports both bait and tackle

Buy from Willy’s at Fishing Level 6 for 7,500g

Training Rod

catches basic/common fish

Buy from Willy's for 25g

Advanced Iridium Rod

Can use 2 tackles and bait for maximum advantage

After reaching Level 10 in all skills

Fishing on mobile is frustrating due to their laggy touch input or small screen limitations, then, I recommend you to play stardew valley on PC with LDPlayer - the best Android emulator. LDPlayer’s keyboard mapping lets you map keys for convenient control of the fishing bar and the precision, hard to emulate on mobile.

Stardew Valley Catfish

Catfish are famous for their hardship because of the random flow, however, they are a must for bundles and profit. They are highly valued due to their ability to generate Roe and more Catfish in fish ponds, which makes them ideal for steady pond farming income.

Location: Secret Woods lake, river (Pelican Town/Cindersap Forest), Witch’s Swamp

Season: Spring & Fall (rain only), Summer (Secret Woods/Witch’s Swamp)

Time: 6 AM – 12 AM

Weather: Rain required

Use: River Fish Bundle, Fish Pond (produces Roe), and High sell price (up to 300g)..

Catfish Catching Strategy:

  • Fishing in Spring/Fall on rainy days and use of a Fiberglass or Iridium Rod.
  • Use Bait and fit the Trap Bobber to impede the movements of the fish.
  • Consume Dish o’ the Sea (+3 Fishing) to expand the green bar stability.

The touch controls can be a major drawback in catching fast-moving fish such as Catfish. LDPlayer’s adjustable sensitivity and resolution settings will allow you to customize your gaming settings, making it easier to catch slippery Catfish on a larger screen.

Stardew Valley Pufferfish

The Pufferfish might be cute, but it is no easier than the Catfish. It produces valuable Pufferfish Roe and occasionally rare goods like Super Cucumber Roe, making it perfect for fish ponds. It comes in bundles and is useful for a variety of crafting techniques.

Location: Ocean

Season: Summer

Time: 12 PM – 4 PM

Weather: Sunny only

Use: Specialty Fish Bundle, Fish Pond (drops Pufferfish Roe, rare items)

Pufferfish Catching Strategy:

  • Make your way to the ocean dock on a sunny summer afternoon.
  • Use Magic Bait (when it was available) to bypass the time/weather restrictions.
  • Upgrade to the Iridium Rod for support of the Tackles.

Timing is crucial when it comes to catching Pufferfish and it's not possible with mobile screens. With LDPlayer, the best Android Emulator, you can play Stardew Valley together with a browser to look up time for fishing.

Stardew Valley Fish Pond: Mechanics and Benefits

Fish Ponds are a hidden strong feature of Stardew Valley that allows players to farm fish for passive profits. Moreover, players can obtain rare items, crafting ingredients, and resource multipliers. When stocked with a compatible fish, the pond will start to produce:

  • Fish Roe (processed to produce aged roe for more profits).
  • Rare stuff (exclusive to some specific fish, such as Pufferfish or Lava Eel).

How to Construct a Fish Pond

  • Visit Robin at the Carpenter's Shop, which is north of Pelican Town.
  • From the list of building options, select "Construct Farm Building" and then "Fish Pond."
  • Gather supplies such as 200 stones, 5,000g, five seaweeds, and five green algae.
  • On your farm, pick a level 5x5 area. Do not overlap with animals or crops.
  • Hold off till construction is completed. Robin finishes the building in two days. You are then prepared to stock fish.

Once constructed, interact with the pond and pick a fish from your inventory to put in it. It can only contain one type of fish at a time.

Fish Pond Mechanics

Mechanism

Details

Initial Capacity

Begin with three fish and grow to 10 through tasks.

Reproduction

Fish will increase the ponds by reproducing every few days.

Quests

To boost capacity, fish will require things like coral and diamonds.

Daily Production

Fish produce roe and other specific goods.

CCheck

The pond to see the status of your items.

Stardew Valley Fish Pond Benefits (Why They’re Good for Money)

Passive Income

  • Catfish Roe: Medium value and easy to age in a Preserves Jar.
  • Pufferfish Roe: More value, particularly profitable with ageing.

Rare Item Collection

Some pond fish give hard-to-get things:

  • Super Cucumber _Iridium Ore (rare chance)
  • Lava Eel _ Gold Ore, Spicy Eel
  • Sturgeon _ Makes Caviar, cannot be done without upper-end gifts/bundles

Quests for Unique Items

In random missions, ponds cause fish to ask for particular items (such as diamonds, coral, or algae). Finishing these missions opens up new item drops like Pearls, Warp Totems, or Ore, and expands the pond's capacity.

Low Maintenance

When a pond is full, it turns into a generator of daily resources that require no further work. It's perfect for hard-working players who seek profit without ever working hard.

Example Scenario

Step 1: Morning Routine

  • Go to your Fish Pond area.
  • Check the Fish Pond sign: It says, “Population: 7/10” and “Needs: Diamond” for the next expansion.
  • Reach your chest and pick a Diamond and throw it into the pond to complete the request.
  • Pond capacity increases to 10.

Step 2: Collecting Output

  • Press the pond once again to check the products.
  • Roe (Sturgeon Roe) is given to you from the collection.
  • Take the Roe to your Preserves Jar and start aging the Roe into caviar.

Step 3: Profits

After 2 in-game days, the old Caviar is sold for 500g each. You can multiply that by several Fish Ponds to have a constant stream of income.

Cycle to Follow

  • Now and then, the pond goes for reproduction.
  • Consistently do requests and harvest Roe.

Best Fish for Stardew Valley Fish Pond

Fish Name

Key Products

Why Beneficial

Sturgeon

Sturgeon Roe → Caviar

Good used in bundles & great long-term investment.

Lava Eel

Lava Eel Roe, Gold Ore

Rare, but drops high-value roe and rare items

Blobfish

Roe, Pearls

Ideal for Rare Drops

Pufferfish

Pufferfish Roe

Decent Roe Value with minimal improvements

Catfish

Catfish Roe

Good for early income

Super Cucumber

Roe, Iridium Ore

Mysterious fish with unique items

Real-time Example: A farm with 2 lava eel ponds, 2 sturgeon ponds, 1 pufferfish pond, and a macro setup in LDPlayer may make 15,000g each week without active fishing.

Stardew Valley Fish Pond Strategy Table

Fish Type

Initial Capacity

Max
Capacity

Product(s)

Item Requests

Profit Strategy

Catfish

3

10

Catfish Roe, Driftwood

Bug Meat, Clay,

Age Roe in Preserves Jar

Pufferfish

1

10

Pufferfish Roe, Battery Pack, Spicy Eel

Solar Essence, Coral, Frozen Tear

Use rare drops for crafting or selling

Gain Maximum Profits in Stardew Valley Fishing

1. Go for High Value Fish

Fish Type

Where to Find

Best Price

Lava Eel

Level 100

700g

Legend

Mountain Lake

5000g

Sturgeon

Mountain Lake

200g

Pufferfish

Oceans

200g

Catfish

Rivers

200g

2. Essential Roe Processing

To prepare Roe from Fish Ponds, use a Preserves Jar:

Roe Type

Aged Value

Pufferfish Roe

~400g

Lava Eel Roe

~760g

Sturgeon Roe

~500g

Never sell raw Roe since it increases profit significantly when aged.

3. Use Crab Pots Wisely

Crab pots are a passive source of revenue. Put them in a body of water, bait them, and pick them every day.

  • Top Locations: Town River, Farm, and Ocean
  • Good Catch: Crab, Lobster, and Snail
  • Trash Output: Cloth, Refined Quartz, or Coal Can Be Recycled

4. Reach Level 10 Fishing

Your bite rate, fishing bar size, and access to better gear all rise as you level up.

At Level 10, pick from:

Angler: +50% fish sell price

Pirate: Double Treasure Chest Chance

If you want pure gold, go with Angler. If treasure seeking is your thing and you desire extra booty (such as Diamonds, Ancient Seeds, or bait), go for Pirate.

Ending Lines

Fishing in Stardew Valley provides a relaxing experience and is essential for long-term profit and strategic gaming. Make steady passive revenue by learning how to catch fish like Catfish and Pufferfish, knowing the Stardew Valley Fish Ponds, and processing Roe wisely. To improve control and success, Play Stardew Valley on LDPlayer with automation and minimal equipment. In Stardew Valley, the best profits come from the water, so set your line, design your fish ponds, and fish your way to success.

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