Animal Crossing: New Horizons Fish Guide – How To Catch, Prices, Shadow Sizes, And More

Mastering the art of fishing in Animal Crossing: New Horizons requires understanding several core systems that determine what fish appear and when. Unlike simple collection mechanics, fishing involves strategic timing and location awareness.

Fishing represents one of the most reliable income streams available to island residents, offering both immediate financial returns and long-term collection value. Much like insect catching, fish availability follows complex patterns influenced by multiple environmental variables including daily time cycles, weather conditions, and seasonal changes. This dynamic system means revisiting fishing spots throughout your gameplay reveals new opportunities as conditions shift. With 80 distinct species to discover, you have multiple utilization options: immediate sale for Bells, gifting to villagers, donation to Blathers’ museum, or decorative display around your island. Your chosen approach depends on current priorities, but successful capture always comes first.

Our comprehensive tables—separated for Northern and Southern Hemisphere players—detail every fish species with precise capture conditions including active months, time windows, specific locations, shadow dimensions, and market values. We’ve also included foundational fishing knowledge covering rod crafting procedures, spawn influencing factors, and monthly priority targets for efficient collection.

For completionists aiming to fully stock the museum, we recommend consulting our specialized art authentication guide to identify genuine pieces from Redd’s questionable offerings. Additionally, our partnership with GameFAQs provides access to their complete New Horizons catalog database for comprehensive item tracking.

The detailed catalog below specifies seasonal availability, active hours, capture locations, shadow dimensions, and market values for every fish species in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Separate tables accommodate hemispheric differences in seasonal patterns.

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Island waters feature three distinct fishing environments: ocean (sea), flowing rivers, and stationary ponds. River fishing further divides into three specialized zones—river mouths (where freshwater meets ocean), elevated clifftop streams, and standard river sections. Ocean fishing includes the distinctive pier location, specifically the wooden dock structures found along your coastline (excluding the airport pier). Certain species exhibit extreme location specificity—for instance, salmon exclusively inhabit river mouths while cherry salmon remain confined to elevated cliffside river segments.

Fish shadows appear in six standardized sizes that consistently correspond to specific species: extra small (1), small (2), medium (3), large (4), extra large (5), and giant (6). Elongated, slender oceanic shadows indicate various eel species, captured using standard fishing techniques. Select rare oceanic shadows display distinctive fins protruding above the water surface, signaling valuable shark species or other finned rarities. Our reference chart combined with the detailed tables below enables precise shadow identification and species prediction.

Visual reference chart displaying standardized fish shadow dimensions in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Optimal fishing windows: 9 AM –
4 PM,
Evening peak: 9 PM –
4 AM

The following tables provide hemisphere-specific fishing data to help you plan your collection strategy throughout the year. Understanding these seasonal patterns is crucial for completing your museum and maximizing profits.

Northern Hemisphere Fish Catalog

Southern Hemisphere Fish Catalog

Specialized fishing locations often yield the most valuable catches. The pier frequently spawns rare oceanic species like tuna and blue marlin, while river mouths host migratory fish such as salmon during specific months. Clifftop rivers remain the exclusive habitat for several trout varieties and the elusive stringfish.

Beyond basic fishing techniques, several advanced strategies can significantly improve your efficiency and profitability. These methods leverage game mechanics and seasonal patterns for optimal results.

Monthly Priority System

Each month features 3-5 fish species that become unavailable in subsequent months, creating temporary collection windows. January highlights the stringfish (15,000 Bells) requiring clifftop fishing after 4 PM. February introduces the coelacanth (15,000 Bells) available only during rainfall. March brings the golden trout (15,000 Bells) to elevated rivers during evening hours.

Bells Optimization Techniques

While selling fish provides immediate income, consider these profit-maximizing approaches: Target pier species like tuna (7,000 Bells) and blue marlin (10,000 Bells) for maximum profit per catch. Save three of each species for when CJ visits, as he pays 150% of standard value. Complete the museum first for long-term satisfaction, then focus on profitable species.

Common Fishing Mistakes to Avoid

Many players undermine their fishing efficiency through these preventable errors: Fishing at wrong times for specific species (check active hours meticulously). Ignoring weather conditions (rain dramatically affects spawn rates). Overlooking location specificity (some fish only spawn in exact spots). Prematurely scaring shadows by running near water edges.

Advanced Location Rotation

Create efficient fishing routes by prioritizing high-value locations: Start at the pier for oceanic rarities, check river mouths for migratory species, ascend to clifftops for exclusive trout varieties, then circle back to ocean for general fishing. This method ensures you encounter the widest variety of valuable species during each session.

No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Animal Crossing: New Horizons Fish Guide – How To Catch, Prices, Shadow Sizes, And More Complete fishing guide for Animal Crossing: New Horizons with seasonal strategies and expert tips