How to Get Fish Fillet

Overview

Fish Fillet is a gatherable cooking ingredient in Crimson Desert, classified under the Meats and Grains category. Its in-game description reads: "has a clean and delicate flavor with a tender texture. Pairs well with various dishes due to its subtle aroma and versatility." Fish Fillet is used in several cooking recipes, from simple Battered Fish to hearty Fish Porridge and beyond. You cannot find Fish Fillet sitting on the ground or in loot containers. Instead, you produce it by cleaning whole fish in your inventory.

Item Properties

How to Get Fish Fillet

Getting Fish Fillet is a two-step process: first catch a fish, then clean it through your inventory. Any species of fish can be cleaned into Fish Fillet; there is no restriction on which type you use.

Step 1: Obtain a Fishing Rod

Before you can fish with a rod, you need to acquire one. There are two main ways to get a Fishing Rod:

• Free rod from Annabella: Trigger Annabella's Request, which asks you to catch a Tench. Annabella gives you a fishing rod as part of the quest.

• Purchase from a vendor: Buy one from Alden at the Provisioner's Shop in Hernand for 15 copper coins. Hailard at the Rodbel Fishing Dock also sells rods at the same price.

Upgraded fine fishing rods become available later in the game and offer faster reeling speed.

Step 2: Catch a Fish

With a fishing rod equipped (hold left D-Pad on controller or press T on PC to open the quick menu, then select the rod), head to any body of water that is at least knee-deep. The Nas River near Howling Hill is a solid beginner spot. Follow these steps to catch a fish:

1. Cast your line: Press and hold the Aim button, then release to throw your line into the water. Look for blue circles on the surface, which indicate active fishing spots.

2. Wait for a bite: Stay still and listen for a splash sound or feel for controller vibration. When a fish bites, press the Hook button immediately.

3. Tire the fish out: Pull your rod in the opposite direction of the fish's movement using the left stick or WASD. If it swims left, pull right. If it swims right, pull left. Keep this up until the bubbles stop and the fish settles.

4. Reel it in: Once the fish stops struggling, rotate the right stick clockwise (controller) or roll the mouse wheel (PC) to reel the fish into your inventory.

Alternative: Catching Fish by Hand

You do not strictly need a fishing rod. If you wade into shallow water and spot a fish rendered in the water, you can press the interact button to grab it directly. This skips the fishing minigame entirely and places the fish in your inventory. Hand-catching is faster but only works in shallow areas where fish are visible.

Alternative: Buying Fish from Vendors

If you prefer to skip fishing altogether, you can buy fish from Hailard's Fish Market at the Rodbel Fishing Dock or from the Vellua Fishermen's Guild. Some of the fish available for purchase include:

Purchased fish can be cleaned into Fish Fillet just like any fish you catch yourself.

Step 3: Clean the Fish

Once you have a fish in your inventory, open your inventory screen, select the fish, and hold the Use button. You will be given the option to either eat the fish raw (which restores a small amount of HP) or Clean it. Choose Clean to convert the whole fish into Fish Fillet. The fillet is then added to your crafting materials and can be used in any recipe that calls for it.

Fish Species That Yield Fillet

Every fish you catch or buy can be cleaned into Fish Fillet. There are 43 fish species in the game, ranging from common freshwater fish to rare deep-water catches. Some of the species you will encounter include:

The type of fish does not affect the quality or quantity of Fish Fillet produced. Cleaning any fish yields the same result.

Recipes That Use Fish Fillet

Fish Fillet is a versatile ingredient used across both Field Pot (cauldron) and Field Grill recipes. In most recipes, 2 Fish Fillet can substitute for 1 whole Fish. Below is a table of confirmed recipes that accept Fish Fillet.

The substitution ratio is always 2 Fish Fillet per 1 whole Fish. If a recipe calls for 2 Fish, you would need 4 Fish Fillet instead.

Fish Fillet and Renee's Request

Renee's Request is a Hernand commission quest that asks you to cook Fish Porridge. This is often the first time players need Fish Fillet as a specific crafting ingredient. To complete the quest, catch any fish (or buy one), clean it in your inventory to produce 2 Fish Fillet, then gather the remaining ingredients (1 grain, 1 Salt, 3 Water) and cook Fish Porridge at a Field Pot.

Tips

• Clean, don't eat raw: Eating a raw fish restores only a small amount of HP. Cleaning it into Fish Fillet and then cooking a recipe provides significantly more healing and useful buffs like elemental resistance.

• Stock up early: Fish Fillet is used across multiple recipes. When you visit a body of water, catch several fish at once and clean them all so you have a reserve of fillets for cooking on the go.

• Hand-catching saves time: In shallow water where you can see fish swimming, grab them by hand to skip the fishing minigame. This is the fastest way to gather fish for fillet production.

• Buy cheap fish for fillets: Pond Loach, Small Rasbora, and Small Gudgeon cost only 27 copper coins each at Hailard's shop. Since all fish produce the same Fish Fillet when cleaned, these are the most cost-effective options if you are buying in bulk.

• Feed cats with raw fish: Before cleaning all your fish, consider setting aside a few raw fish. Feeding raw fish to stray cats builds trust toward adopting them as pets. You need 100 trust to adopt a cat.

• Rodbel Fishing Dock: This location south of Rocca's Hill and east of Hernand is one of the best fishing spots. Clear the bandits occupying the area first, then fish freely and buy from Hailard's market.