Everything You Need To Know About Fishing
From fighting terrifying bosses to crafting the best gear animal pelts can get you, how you have fun in Valheim is entirely up to you – although, these days, it seems like everyone is trying to see who can create the most mind-blowing buildings, Minecraft style.
Even after completing the main story in Valheim, there are still tons of things you can do. One aspect of the game you might not have tried out yet is fishing, a relaxing activity that will leave you with another food source that’ll add a buff to your Viking’s health. Here’s everything you need to know about catching fish in Valheim.
Updated March 23, 2023 by Jacqueline Zalace: If you are coming back to Valheim after taking a while off, you may have no clue how to fish. We’ve updated this guide with even more information about fishing, as well as included a table describing each fish-based recipe.
Types Of Fish
There are several fish types in the game, requiring different baits to catch depending on their location. Below, you can check out all the fish species available to catch.
|
Fish |
Bait Needed To Fish |
Location |
Fishing Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Perch |
Normal |
Any Depth |
|
|
Pike |
Normal |
Semi-deep |
|
|
Tuna |
Heavy |
Deep |
|
|
Coral Cod |
Heavy |
Deep |
|
|
Pufferfish |
Misty |
Very Deep |
|
|
Trollfish |
Mossy |
Shoreline |
|
|
Giant Herring |
Sticky |
Shoreline |
|
|
Tetra |
Cold |
Any Depth |
|
|
Grouper |
Stingy |
Shoreline |
|
|
Anglerfish |
Misty |
Shoreline |
|
|
Magmafish |
Hot |
Shoreline |
|
|
Northern Salmon |
Frosty |
Shoreline |
How To Get A Fishing Rod
Before going out into the world to find your nearest body of water, there are some things you’ll need to get. First, go on and pay a visit to the beloved Haldor, Valheim’s merchant.
Remember, Haldor doesn’t spawn in the same place in every seed, so you’ll have to look for him.
Once you get to Haldor, purchase the fishing rod for 350 coins. You will only be able to purchase the normal bait type, which costs ten coins for 20 bait. To obtain other bait types, you will need to craft them.
Below, you check out some simple ways to earn more coins.
- Exploring Burial Chambers or Buried Treasures
- Killing Trolls
- Selling items to Haldor (like silver necklaces, rubies, or amber pearls)
Bait Crafting
Below, you can check out the recipes for the various different types of bait. Each one requires 20 fishing bait, as well as an extra ingredient.
|
Bait Type |
Ingredients Needed |
|---|---|
|
Mossy |
Troll Trophy |
|
Sticky |
Abomination Trophy |
|
Cold |
Fenring Trophy |
|
Stingy |
Fuling Trophy |
|
Misty |
Lox Trophy |
|
Hot |
Surtling Trophy |
|
Heavy |
Serpent Trophy |
|
Frosty |
Drake Trophy |
How To Fish
Once you have your rod ready, head over to a river or ocean.
It’s best if you find a spot where you actually see the fish, so your chances of catching one will be higher.
After you find a spot you like, equip both the fishing rod and some bait. Now to the good part; hold down the left mouse button (main “attack” button) to cast your line. If you want a short cast, simply let go of the button early; however, if you want a long one, then hold the button until your Viking stops moving.
After your hook hits the water, you’ll have to patiently wait until a small splash and some bubbles appear around your hook; this means a fish fell for the bait. All you have to do is press the right mouse button (“block” button) to get the fish. The word “Hooked” will appear on the screen; this means you can start pressing the right mouse button to reel the fish in.
You will have to reel the fish until it’s closer to you, then you’ll be able to pick it up by looking at it and pressing the “use” button. Don’t take too long to do this, or the fish could escape, leaving you empty-handed.
Make sure you have enough inventory space before going fishing so you’ll have a place to store whatever you caught.
Keep in mind that you’ll need stamina for both casting the fishing rod and reeling the fish in. Make sure you’re keeping an eye out on stamina level since running out before grabbing the fish will end in the animal getting away.
If you move away from the hook while fishing, the line will break, and you’ll also lose the fish, so it’s better to stay put and not move around too much while fishing.
Catching A Fish Without A Fishing Rod
There’s no doubt that using a fishing rod is the ideal way of fishing in Valheim. However, it is still possible to fish without one. All you have to do is approach very shallow waters and use the “use” button to grab a fish before it swims away.
This tactic is only possible in waters that have visible and are not that deep.
Cooking With Fish
Fish that you catch will need to first be used in a Cauldron to make Raw Fish. Every fish that you cook this way will yield this raw version. You can then cook the Raw Fish as a cooking station to get yourself Cooked Fish, which gives you 45 Health and 15 Stamina.
If you have two Cooked Fish and at least four Barley Flour, you can combine them in a level four Cauldron to create Fish Wraps too.
In addition to cooking your Raw Fish and making FIsh Wraps, you can make Fish n’ Bread. To do this, you will first need to make the uncooked version at a level five Cauldron, which requires the following ingredients.
- 1x Angler Fish
- 2x Bread Dough
With Uncooked Fish n’ Bread, you can now place that in a Stone Oven to make a complete Fish n’ Bread meal, which provides 30 Health and 90 Stamina.
