Fishing

Overview

Fishing is one of the life skills in Crimson Desert. Rivers, lakes, and coastlines across Pywel are full of fish, and catching them provides a steady supply of ingredients for cooking recipes. Unlike many RPGs where food is optional, Crimson Desert has no passive health regeneration. Players must eat cooked meals to restore HP, making fishing and hunting essential survival activities rather than optional diversions.

Learning to Fish

Fishing is not available from the start of the game. Players must first learn the skill through the Observation mechanic. Shortly after Kliff exits the Abyss for the first time, Sebastian asks you to follow him. When Kliff stands up from the log, look to your right and you will spot a few NPCs actively fishing in the water at the Nas River Fishing Dock. Walk up to the fishermen and hold the observation button. The screen turns blue, and a learning progress bar appears in the top-left corner. Keep watching until the bar fills completely, and a tutorial prompt will appear, officially unlocking the fishing skill and dropping a Basic Fishing Rod directly into your inventory.

Alternative Ways to Learn

If you miss this early opportunity, you can still learn the skill later by visiting any fishing dock and observing fishermen there. The Nas River Fishing Dock, southeast of Hernand, is the most accessible early-game location. The vendor Finley operates the Hernand Fishing Shop at this dock, selling fishing rods and a Small Bag for inventory expansion, along with a selection of fish. Players can purchase both the Small Bag and a Fishing Rod from Finley for a small fee to get started right away.

A free Fishing Rod can also be found south of Hernand, leaning against some boxes near the river. This provides an alternative for players who would rather not spend copper at a vendor. In one documented example from hands-on previews, the fishing skill was unlocked after a liberation event. Bandits had occupied the Nas River fish market, and after clearing them out, the fishermen resumed their work, creating a new observation opportunity.

How Fishing Works

Fishing follows a four-step process: casting, hooking, fighting, and reeling. Before you begin, you need to equip your fishing rod. Open the equipment wheel by holding Left D-pad on controller (or F2 / T on keyboard). The fishing rod shares a slot with your bow in the bottom-right section of the wheel. Use RT/LT on controller (or scroll the mouse wheel) to cycle to the Fishing Rod, then release the equipment wheel button to equip it. Once the rod is in your active slot, you can activate it by pressing LT. Then approach any body of water that is at least knee-deep.

Step 1: Casting

Hold the aim button (Q on keyboard, L2/LT on controller) to bring up the casting cursor. A blue circle on the water surface indicates a valid fishing spot where you can cast your line. If the cursor turns red, the spot is not fishable and you will need to aim elsewhere. Once you have a blue cursor positioned over the water, release the aim button to cast your line.

While your line is in the water, hold the aim button and move the analog stick (or mouse) to reposition the lure. This is useful for guiding the bait toward visible fish shadows beneath the surface. Watch for shadowed fish approaching your lure as you move it through the water. Positioning the lure near clusters of fish shadows significantly increases the chance of getting a bite quickly. Casting distance also matters: a longer cast means more reeling time to bring the fish in, so try to cast at a moderate distance, especially while you are still learning.

Step 2: Hooking

Watch the bobber and listen for audio cues. Three splashes typically precede a proper bite. When the fish takes the bait and the bobber dips sharply, press RT on controller (or right mouse button on PC) to set the hook. Timing is critical: pressing too early or too late will result in a missed catch, and you will need to recast.

Step 3: Fighting the Fish

Once hooked, the fish will thrash and try to swim away. Use the left stick (or WASD) to pull the rod in the opposite direction of the fish's movement. If the fish swims left, pull right. If it swings right, pull left. This tires the fish out gradually. You can gauge the fish's resistance by watching the splashing animation on the water's surface, and on controller you may feel vibration during particularly strong pulls.

Do not attempt to reel in while the fish is actively fighting. If you reel before the fish is tired, the line will snap and you lose the catch entirely. Watch for the splashing to calm down and wait for the bubbles to stop before you start reeling. Be aware of your surroundings as well: if the fish swims near obstacles such as rocks, fallen trees, or submerged debris, the line can snag and break instantly. Shallow, rocky rivers are particularly dangerous for this reason. Fishing near NPCs can also cause the line to break if the fish's path crosses their position. For the best results, choose casting spots in deep, open water with a clear path between you and the fish.

Step 4: Reeling In

Once the fish stops thrashing, pull the rod back and reel in by rotating the right analog stick clockwise (or scrolling the mouse wheel on PC). Reel as quickly as you can while the fish is calm. If the fish begins to fight again, stop reeling immediately and return to pulling the rod in the opposite direction until it tires out once more. This back-and-forth cycle may repeat several times for larger or rarer fish. If a fish proves too difficult, you can press the cut line button (right D-pad on controller) to release it and try again.

Keep or Release

Once you have reeled the fish close enough to shore, Kliff removes the fish from the lure. You are then given the choice to keep the fish or release it back into the water. Keeping the fish adds it to your inventory for use in cooking recipes, selling at vendors, or completing quest objectives. Releasing the fish returns it to the water with no reward, but this may be useful if your inventory is full or you simply have no need for that species.

A first-person camera perspective activates during fishing, shifting from the game's standard third-person view to give players a closer look at the water and the fish's behavior. This immersive angle helps you read the fish's movements more accurately during the fight and reel phases.

Controls

Bare-Hands Fishing

Players can also catch fish without a rod by wading into shallow water where fish shoals gather. Look for rendered fish models swimming near Kliff's legs, and press the interact button (E on keyboard, Square on PlayStation, X on Xbox) when the prompt appears. Kliff will reach down and grab the fish directly into his inventory. This method skips the reeling minigame entirely, making it significantly faster for gathering common fish. There is no line to snap, no aiming required, and no risk of losing the catch.

However, bare-hands fishing generally yields smaller, lower-value catches. Common species like Pond Loach and Small Rasbora are the typical haul. Rare and legendary species cannot be caught this way and require rod fishing. If you need quick protein for a cooking recipe and a river is nearby, bare-hands fishing is the fastest option. For anything beyond common fish, use a rod.

Fish as Cooking Ingredients

Fish are one of the primary ingredient types for cooking. Meals can be prepared at any bonfire encountered throughout Pywel or at the cooking facilities in the Greymane Camp. Cooking replenishes health, spirit, and stamina, and depending on the ingredient combinations used, food can provide powerful buffs such as increased maximum HP or faster stamina recovery. The cooking system has been compared to Breath of the Wild-style cooking, where experimentation with different ingredients produces different results.

Players who prefer not to cook can purchase prepared meals from the camp vendor, but gathering and cooking your own food is more cost-effective and provides access to stronger buff combinations.

Fishing Rods

The quality of your fishing rod affects catch efficiency and the rarity of fish you can land. Better rods reduce the time needed to tire out a fish and improve the chances of hooking higher-value species.

Known Fish Species

Approximately 51 fish varieties can be caught throughout Pywel's waterways. Fish come in several rarity tiers, from common catches to legendary specimens. The table below lists confirmed species with their vendor sell prices where known.

Fish Knowledge and Discovery

Crimson Desert tracks which fish species you have encountered through the Knowledge system. Open the Knowledge tab, navigate to Creatures, and select Aquatic Creatures to view all fish you have discovered. Species you have not yet encountered appear as question marks.

There are two ways to discover a new fish species. The first is to catch one yourself. The second is to visit a fishing vendor (such as Hailard at the Rodbel Fishing Dock) and hover over each fish type in their inventory. Examining a fish at a vendor's shop registers it in your Knowledge tab without needing to catch it first.

Once a species is registered, select it in the Knowledge tab and choose "Open Map" to place a marker showing the best location to find that fish. This is especially useful for tracking down specific species needed for cooking recipes or quest objectives. Note that fishing at the marked location does not guarantee that specific species on every cast; you may need several attempts before it appears.

Common and Uncommon Fish

Legendary Fish

Five legendary rarity fish can be found at specific locations throughout Pywel. These are the rarest and most valuable catches in the game.

Each legendary fish is found at a single specific location in the world. Legendary fish sell for around 10 silver each to vendors, making them significantly more valuable than common catches. A Fine Fishing Rod or better is recommended when targeting legendary species, as the improved catch rate helps during the extended fight required to land these rare specimens.

Fishing Locations

Fishing spots are found throughout Pywel's various regions. Rivers, ponds, lakes, and coastal areas all support fishing. Different locations yield different types of fish, and some species can only be found in specific areas.

Fishing Vendors

Several vendors throughout Hernand sell fishing rods and fish directly. These shops are useful for players who want to start cooking without catching fish themselves, or who need a replacement rod.

Cleaning Fish and Fish Fillets

Caught fish can be cleaned to produce Fish Fillets, a versatile cooking ingredient classified as meat. Many recipes accept either whole fish or Fish Fillets as substitutes (typically 1 fish equals 2 Fish Fillets). Cleaning fish is useful when a recipe specifically calls for Fish Fillet rather than whole fish, or when you want to stock up on a lighter, more portable ingredient.

Fish can also be fed to stray cats found around Pywel to build trust with them, eventually allowing the player to adopt them as pets.

Cooking Recipes Using Fish

Fish are ingredients in a wide range of cooking recipes. The recipes below can be prepared at bonfires (grill recipes) or cooking pots (pot recipes) found throughout Pywel and at the Greymane Camp.

Grill Recipes

Pot Recipes

Cooked fish dishes sell for significantly more than raw fish, making cooking a profitable way to increase income from fishing. Grill recipes are simpler and require fewer ingredients, while pot recipes generally provide stronger healing and resistance buffs.

Fishing-Related Quests

Several request quests in Hernand involve fishing directly or use fish as required items.

Annabella's Request

Annabella is a saddler at the Hernand Saddlery who needs a Tench for its scales to craft a unique saddle. To start the quest, read Annabella's poster on the notice board in the City of Hernand. She provides Kliff with a free fishing rod and sends him north across the bridge to the pool near Three Saints' Fall, close to the Wycliffe Mappery.

After catching a Tench, deliver it to Annabella's assistant at Bloomwood Ranch southeast of Hernand (not back to Annabella herself). Rewards include a Fishing Rod, a Medium Bag (inventory expansion), and Dried Fish. This quest serves as the game's fishing tutorial for players who did not learn the skill through observation earlier.

Renee's Request

Renee runs a butcher shop on Hernand's southern edge, at the end of the alley just past the Inn. After completing Rhett's Request and Turnali's Request, her poster appears on the notice board near the Inn. She asks Kliff to cook three servings of Fish Porridge.

Renee provides all the ingredients needed: Fish Fillet x15, Wheat x5, Salt x5, and Water x15. Before cooking, open your inventory, find the Recipe: Fish Porridge in the crafting manual dropdown, and hold the learn button (Ctrl on PC, LB on controller) to learn the recipe. Then walk to the nearby cooking pot northwest of Renee's shop and select Field Pot Cooking.

Select the basic (Modest) Fish Porridge recipe from the menu, set the quantity to 3, and press Make. Each serving requires 1 Wheat (or Oats), 2 Fish Fillet, 1 Salt, and 3 Water. Be careful to select the basic Fish Porridge recipe specifically. Upgraded variants (Filling Fish Porridge, Satisfying Fish Porridge) do not count toward the quest objective. Rewards include +30 Contribution and a Medium Bag (inventory expansion).

Connection to Other Life Skills

Fishing is part of a broader network of life skills that feed into each other and support combat readiness.

Will Powers of Pearl Abyss stated on the Dropped Frames podcast: "If you dive into life skills like farming and cooking at your camp, you could spend hundreds, maybe thousands, of hours." The official press release reinforced this: "Players can fish and hunt to gather cooking ingredients, collect flowers and insects for use in alchemy, and obtain materials for crafting and equipment enhancement through gathering and mining."

Comparison to Black Desert Online

Pearl Abyss also developed Black Desert Online, which features an extensive fishing system. The two approaches differ significantly. BDO offers three fishing modes (manual, auto/AFK, and harpoon fishing) tuned for an MMO economy where fish are sold for silver through trade routes. Crimson Desert, as a single-player game, takes a survival and resource approach where fish are consumed for health restoration and cooking buffs rather than traded on a marketplace. BDO fishing is largely passive, while Crimson Desert uses an active, hand-focused minigame with controller vibration feedback. Reviewers have described Crimson Desert's life skills as "reminiscent of Black Desert Online but adapted for single-player."

Fishing for Profit

Fishing is one of the most reliable early-game income sources in Crimson Desert. Unlike bounties, which can be lucrative but involve significant combat risk, fishing is essentially zero-danger income that any player can take advantage of from the moment they learn the skill. The key to maximizing profit is to always cook fish before selling rather than selling raw catches to vendors.

Cooking for Higher Returns

Even a basic recipe like Salt-Roasted Fish (1 Fish, 3 Salt) roughly doubles the sell value compared to a raw fish. More complex recipes such as Battered Seafood or Fishball Soup yield even higher returns per ingredient. Players who fish near bonfires can cook immediately after each catch, creating an efficient loop of catching, cooking, and selling. Legendary fish sell for around 10 silver each to vendors, making them especially worthwhile targets for players looking to fund equipment upgrades or blueprint purchases.

For a consistent early-game farming route, fish at the Nas River near Howling Hill, cook at the nearest bonfire, and sell to vendors in Hernand. This loop requires minimal travel and provides a steady stream of copper and silver with no combat involved. Players who upgrade to a Fine Fishing Rod early will see the investment pay for itself quickly through improved catch rates and access to higher-value species.

Tips

• Fish near bonfires when possible so you can cook your catch immediately for health restoration.

• Liberate occupied fishing spots (like the Hernand fish market) to unlock new areas with fishermen NPCs who can teach you advanced techniques through observation.

• Keep an eye out for new fishing spots as you explore new regions. Each area has different species available.

• Since there is no passive HP regeneration, maintaining a stock of cooked fish meals before entering dangerous territory is essential for survival.

• Kliff and Oongka were shown fishing together in developer footage, suggesting fishing may be possible alongside companions.

• You can catch fish with your bare hands in shallow water for quick, easy gathering without needing a rod. This skips the minigame but yields mostly common fish.

Equipment and Profit

• Upgrade to a Fine Fishing Rod as soon as possible if fishing is a core part of your income strategy. The improved catch rate pays for itself quickly.

• When fighting a hooked fish, never reel while the fish is actively thrashing. Wait for the bubbles to stop before reeling in, or the line will snap.

• Cook your fish before selling for significantly higher profit. Even the simplest Salt-Roasted Fish recipe doubles the value compared to selling raw.

• Complete Annabella's Request early for a free fishing rod and an inventory expansion, which is valuable throughout the rest of the game.

Exploration and Inventory

• Feed caught fish to stray cats around Pywel to build trust and eventually adopt them as pets.

• When choosing a casting spot, look for deep, open water with no rocks, fallen trees, or NPCs nearby. Obstacles and NPCs in the fish's swimming path can snag and break your line, forcing you to start over.

• After reeling in a fish, you can choose to keep or release it. Release fish you do not need to avoid filling your inventory with low-value catches.

Common Mistakes

• Reeling while the fish is fighting. This is the number one cause of snapped lines. Always wait for the splashing to stop and the water to calm before you start reeling.

• Pulling the rod in the same direction as the fish. Always pull opposite to the fish's movement. Pulling the same direction gives a "Poor Control" warning and quickly leads to a lost catch.

• Holding the rod pull too long. Pull the line up periodically to maintain tension, but do not hold the pull indefinitely. Sustained maximum tension is one of the easiest ways to break the line.

Strategy and Quest Mistakes

• Ignoring fish at vendor shops. Hovering over fish in a vendor's inventory registers the species in your Knowledge tab. Many players skip this and then struggle to find specific fish later because they have no map markers to guide them.

• Casting too far. A longer cast means more reeling distance. For common fish, a medium-distance cast is more efficient and reduces the chance of the line snapping during an extended fight.

• Cooking the wrong recipe for Renee's Request. Only the basic (Modest) Fish Porridge counts. Upgraded variants like Filling or Satisfying Fish Porridge will not complete the quest objective, wasting your ingredients.