How to Fish

Fishing is one of the core life skills in Crimson Desert. It provides a reliable source of cooking ingredients and early-game income, and it connects to quests, the Knowledge System, and even legendary hunts. This guide walks through every step of the process, from learning the skill to landing your first Tench and eventually tackling the five legendary fish scattered across Pywel.

Learning to Fish

Unlike many open-world games, Crimson Desert does not hand you abilities through a menu. Fishing is unlocked through the observation mechanic. Early in the story, after Kliff exits the Abyss, you can find NPC fishermen standing along riverbanks near the starting area. Hold the observation button (L1 on controller) and wait for the progress bar to fill. Once complete, you gain the knowledge needed to fish, although you will not receive a rod from the observation alone.

An alternative method is to visit a Provisioner shop and examine a fishing rod on display. This triggers the same learning sequence. Either way, you must observe before you can equip and use a rod.

Obtaining a Fishing Rod

There are several ways to get your first Fishing Rod in Crimson Desert. The table below summarizes the main options.

Fishing Rod Types

Not all rods are equal. Crimson Desert features at least three rod tiers, each suited to different situations.

The basic Fishing Rod handles all common fishing throughout the main story. The Fine Fishing Rod is a marginal upgrade, so many players skip it. The Pororin Fishing Rod is essential if you want to catch any of the five legendary fish.

Controls

Before you cast, equip the rod. Open the equipment wheel (hold Left on the D-Pad, or press F2/T on PC) and cycle to the fishing rod in the tool slot. Once equipped, the rod appears on Kliff's back.

When aiming, a small indicator appears on the water surface. A blue circle means the spot is valid for casting. A red X means you cannot cast there; move to a different position.

Step-by-Step Fishing Process

1. Find a Suitable Spot

Look for a body of water that is at least knee-deep. Rivers, lakes, ponds, and coastal areas all work. The Nas River near Howling Hill is one of the closest spots to your early camp. Deep, clear water with no rocks or fallen trees is ideal; obstacles cause snags that snap your line.

2. Cast Your Line

Hold the aim button (LT / Q) to enter casting mode. Adjust your aim until you see a blue indicator on the water surface, then release the button to cast. The bobber lands in the water and you begin waiting for a bite.

3. Wait for Three Splashes

After casting, be patient. The fish will produce three distinct splashes as it investigates and then bites the lure. On a controller, you will feel vibration pulses. Do not press anything until all three splashes have occurred. Reeling too early is the most common mistake and will result in no catch.

4. Hook the Fish

Once the third splash hits and the on-screen prompt appears, press the hook button (RT / Right Mouse Button) to set the hook. If the fish does not immediately hook, gently nudge the left stick to attract it.

5. Fight the Fish

After hooking, the fish will swim left and right trying to escape. Your job is to pull the rod in the opposite direction of the fish's movement. If the fish swims left, push the left stick right, and vice versa. This tires the fish out. Watch for the splashing animation and bubbles: when they stop, the fish is exhausted and you can begin reeling.

Do not hold the rod upward for too long during the fight. Sustained upward tension is one of the easiest ways to snap the line. Pull opposite, then ease off, then pull again as the fish changes direction.

6. Reel In

Once the fish stops thrashing, rotate the right analog stick clockwise to reel it in. On a controller, the vibration stops when the fish is fully spent. Reel quickly for common fish. If the fish begins fighting again mid-reel, stop reeling, resume the directional fight, and wait for it to tire again before continuing.

Legendary fish require multiple fight-and-reel cycles before they can be landed. Be patient and repeat the process until the catch completes.

7. Keep or Release

Once landed, Kliff removes the fish from the line. You can choose to keep the fish in your inventory or release it back into the water.

Hand Fishing (Bare Hands)

If you do not have a rod or prefer a faster method for common fish, you can catch fish by hand. Wade into shallow water and look for rendered fish swimming around. Press the interact button (E on PC, or the designated face button on controller) to grab a fish directly. This skips the casting minigame entirely.

Hand fishing is faster for fulfilling quests that require a specific common fish. However, it cannot be used to catch legendary fish, and the fish you encounter in shallow water tend to be smaller, lower-value species. It is best used as a quick supplement rather than a primary fishing method.

Where to Fish

Crimson Desert features roughly 51 distinct fish species spread across rivers, lakes, ponds, and coastal waters. Different regions yield different species.

To discover which fish live in a specific body of water, use the Knowledge tab. You can gain knowledge on almost every fish without catching them, simply by visiting vendors and hovering over fish items that display as silhouettes. Learning about a fish also reveals its suggested catch locations on your map.

Buying Fish from Vendors

If you need a specific fish for cooking or a quest and do not want to catch it yourself, certain vendors sell common fish.

Common Fish and Values

Below are some of the common fish you can catch or buy in the Hernand region, along with their vendor prices.

Legendary Fish

Five legendary fish are hidden throughout Pywel. Each one requires the Pororin Fishing Rod and puts up a much longer fight than any common catch. They involve multiple fight-and-reel cycles and sell for approximately 10 Silver each, making them some of the most valuable individual catches in the game.

Legendary fish tied to specific quests and map challenges may offer progression rewards beyond their monetary value. Check the Knowledge System for clues about each legendary fish's habits and preferred water.

Cleaning and Using Your Catch

Cleaning Fish

You can clean a whole fish in your inventory to produce Fish Fillet and occasionally bonus items (including rare Abyss cores). Open your inventory, highlight the fish, hold the use button, and select the "Clean" option. Be aware that this is a one-way process: fillets cannot be converted back into whole fish.

Most cooking recipes use whole fish rather than fillets, so consider what you need before cleaning your catch. If a recipe calls for a whole Tench, cleaning it into fillets will not satisfy the requirement.

Cooking with Fish

Fish serve as key ingredients in a wide range of cooking recipes. Cooked meals restore health and stamina and can provide temporary stat buffs. Some notable fish-based dishes include Fish Porridge, Grilled Fish, Battered Fish, Fishball Soup, Fish Stew, and Fish Skewers. Eating cooked fish before boss fights is one of the simplest ways to gain an edge in difficult encounters.

Selling Fish

Selling raw or cooked fish to vendors is a dependable source of early-game income. Fishing is safer and more consistent than bounty hunting for building up copper in the first several hours. Cooked fish generally sell for more than raw fish, so cooking your catch before selling maximizes profit.

Fishing-Related Quests

Several quests in Crimson Desert involve catching specific fish or visiting fishing locations.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Do Not Reel Too Early

The single most common mistake is pressing reel before the fish is exhausted. If the fish is still thrashing and producing splashes, reeling will snap the line. Wait until the splashing stops and the bubbles disappear before you begin rotating the stick.

Avoid Obstacles

Rocks, fallen trees, and other underwater obstacles cause line snags. If your line keeps breaking in a particular spot, the problem is likely an obstacle. Move to a different section of the bank or find a cleaner body of water. Deep, clear water with nothing between you and the fish solves roughly 90% of line-break frustration.

Do Not Hold the Rod up Too Long

During the fight phase, you need to pull the rod in the opposite direction of the fish. However, holding the rod upward for an extended period puts too much strain on the line and snaps it. Pull in short bursts opposite to the fish's direction, then ease off, then pull again.

Use the Knowledge Tab

Open the Knowledge tab and click on any fish to see its suggested catch locations marked on your map. You can learn about species by visiting vendors and hovering over fish items, even without catching them first. This saves time when you need a specific species for a recipe or quest.

Skip the Fine Fishing Rod

The Fine Fishing Rod offers only a marginal improvement in bite timing. For most players, the basic rod is adequate for the entire main story. Save your crafting materials for other upgrades and invest in the Pororin Fishing Rod when you are ready to hunt legendary fish.

Fish in Batches

Fishing works well as a downtime activity between story missions. When you are near a river or lake and waiting for something, cast a few lines. Batch fishing builds up a supply of cooking ingredients and vendor income without requiring dedicated farming sessions.

Hand-Catch for Quick Quests

If a quest asks for a single common fish and you are near shallow water, use hand fishing instead of the rod. Wade in, grab the fish, and turn in the quest. It is faster than going through the full casting and fighting minigame for a small catch.

See Also

• Fishing (overview article)

• Complete Fish List

• Fishing Rod

• Fine Fishing Rod

• Pororin Fishing Rod

• Cooking

• Life Skills

• Fish Fillet

• Fish Meat

• Nas River Fishing Dock

• Vellua Fishermen's Guild