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Stardew Valley: How to Catch a Catfish

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Stardew Valley fishing guide

Stardew Valley has done nothing but grow in popularity since its creation by developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone in 2016. The role-playing simulation game lets players own their own little farm in the sleepy town of Pelican Town. Read on to see how you can catch a Catfish in Stardew Valley.

The game allows players to make budding new friendships, watch their farm thrive and even fish for some of the most exotic fishes.

You can fish in Stardew Valley from as early as day two of your playthrough. Visit Willy, who will be out on the docks, and he will gift you with a Bamboo Fishing Pole to kickstart your hobby as a fisherman.

Fishing is one of the most profitable mini-games within the world of Pelican Town so it’s a highly recommended skill to craft. Be careful though, Fishing is notoriously on of the more difficult mini-games to takes some time to practice before hunting for the fish you are after. 

This guide will show you how to catch a Catfish in Stardew Valley.

How to find a Catfish in Stardew Valley?

The Catfish is another fish within Stardew Valley that can only be caught in particular seasons. The Catfish can be found in Spring and Fall, during wet weather. Rivers are the best place to go hunting for this fish with the river in Pelican Town and Cindersap Forest.

Once you have unlocked access to the Witch’s Swamp and the Secret Woods, they also become locations to fish for Catfish. It is a freshwater fish so if you try your chances out in the sea, you will have no luck. 

If you have started the game and chosen either Hill-Top Farm or Riverland Farm as your own, then Catfish can also be caught from ponds placed on your land. If you keep Catfish in your pond, they do reproduce giving you extra fish. 

How to catch catfish in Stardew Valley
Credit: GameRant

In what weather conditions can you catch a Catfish?

Catfish can only be caught between 6am and 12am. It is also an uncommon fish and has a difficulty rating of 75 when it comes to catching one, so you’ll need to have some patience to catch this slippery fish. 

If rain seems to be avoiding Pelican Town, you can craft a Rain Totem to speed up the process. A Rain Totem will make the next calendar day a rainy one. You do need to be at Foraging Level 9 to craft the Totem.

The items you need to obtain to craft the Rain Totem are:

  • 1 x Hardwood
  • 1 x Truffle Oil
  • 5 x Pine Tar

Once the Totem has been crafted, place it on your farm to make the rainfall (the next day). If you still aren’t at the Foraging Level, Rain Totems can sometimes be found within some of the treasure rooms in Skull Cavern.

If you aren’t that into fishing, Catfish can sometimes be found in garbage cans around Pelican Town. They can also be brought from the Traveling Cart during Spring and Fall for a price tag of 600 to 1000g. 

Is Catfish needed for anything?

One of the main focal points of Stardew Valley is completing the Community Center and you can’t do that without getting your hands on a Catfish. The Catfish is needed to complete the River Fish Bundle, which rewards you with 30 bait and partial completion of the Fish Tank.

Catfish is occasionally requested on the “Help Wanted” Board outside of Pierre’s General Store. This quest will give a generous reward of 600g and 150 friendship points with the character who requested it.

Demetrius or Willy will also randomly request Catfish, sometimes more than one at a time. They pay 200g for each fish, but you do get to keep them afterward. 

Although not specified, Catfish can be used in some food recipes including Sashimi, Maki Roll and Quality fertilizer. 

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AUTHOR

Based in London, United Kingdom, Jasmine is a Guides Writer at Gamezo.