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Fishing
April 17, 2026 at 10:40 PM
Replaced em-dashes with standard punctuation (2026-04-17)
Fishing is part of Windrose's broader resource gathering and food system. It is confirmed as a launch gameplay system at the April 14, 2026 Early Access release, alongside farming, crafting, and trading. Launch-day coverage from Engadget and others lists fishing among the core gameplay systems included with the initial Early Access build.
The demo released during Steam Next Fest in February 2026 did not include a dedicated fishing minigame, but the launch build introduces it as a full activity integrated with cooking and alchemy.
Fishing supplies Fish Fillets and other aquatic ingredients that are used in mid- and late-game cooking recipes. Fish Fillets specifically appear in the Seafood Skewer recipe (1 Crab Meat + 4 Fish Fillets + 2 Tomatoes). Because there are no hunger or thirst meters, fish-based food serves the same role as other foods: a buff that boosts health, stamina, or a specific stat for 7 to 30 minutes depending on recipe rarity.
Source | Details |
|---|---|
Fish (fishing) | Caught with a fishing rod from ocean or lake tiles. Yields Fish Fillets; specific fish species vary by biome and time of day (launch specifics vary and are being documented by the community) |
Crabs (beach) | Found on coastlines. Killed with melee for Crab Meat and Crab Shell trophies (Crab Meat is a cooking ingredient; trophies are comfort decorations) |
Coastal Dodos | Found near beaches. Drop meat for broth and other basic recipes |
Shipwreck salvage | Breaking shipwreck wreckage with an axe yields Planks, Nails, and sometimes aquatic loot; not the same as fishing but part of the ocean resource loop |
Community resources and the official in-game Curios menu are the best authoritative reference for the current list of fish species, tackle tiers, and best fishing locations, as these are likely to evolve during Early Access.
Fish Fillets are a mid-tier cooking ingredient. At launch, they appear in known recipes like the Seafood Skewer. Cooking Fish Fillets requires a Cooking Fire and potentially an upgraded station such as a Cutting Table or Cookware Shelf for higher-rarity recipes. See the cooking recipes article for the current recipe list.
Fishing is one of several ways to interact with the ocean. The ocean also serves as:
Naval combat arenas for ship-to-ship battles
Ship customization territory with cannons, hull bracing, and boarding gear
Island discovery through procedurally generated archipelago exploration
Trading routes between player bases and Tortuga
Underwater exploration near shipwrecks and dungeons
Fishing is one of several food sources. Players can also gather food through:
Method | Details |
|---|---|
Hunting | Kill Dodos, Sows/Boars, Crocodiles, and other animals for meat |
Foraging | Collect coconuts, bananas, peppers, and herbs from the environment |
Looting | Find food items in pirate camps, dungeons, and shipwrecks |
Cooking | Combine gathered ingredients at a Cooking Fire into buffing meals |
Farming | Plant crops at Seedbeds with Fertile Soil from Ancient Farms |
Farming and Fishing, broader farming, fishing, and mining guide
Cooking Recipes, full recipe list including seafood dishes
Food and Potions, how food buffs work in the absence of hunger bars
Resources, all gathering activities
Fishing is not immediately available on a fresh character. The rod recipe stays locked until the player has cleared enough of the main story to open the second biome.
Finish the Coastal Jungle main-story beats on the starter island, including the Coastal Jungle boss encounter. The boss fight is the narrative gate between the first and second biomes.
Travel to the Foothills region once it becomes available. The Foothills are the only biome that spawns the oversized hardwood trees the rod recipe requires.
Harvest Hardwood from those trees using an axe. Picking up Hardwood for the first time auto-unlocks the rod crafting recipe in the Workbench menu.
Because Windrose generates each island's layout per save, the exact coordinates of the Hardwood trees change run to run. They tend to cluster on higher ground toward the north of the Foothills landmass, but a direct coordinate is not useful; the reliable identifier is the distinctive oversized silhouette next to normal jungle trees.
Once Hardwood is available, the fishing rod itself is a short craft at the Workbench. Community reporting during Early Access settles on the same simple recipe.
Material | Where to Source |
|---|---|
Foothills oversized trees, chopped with an axe | |
Basic foraging on any island with grass cover | |
Crafted from Plant Fiber at the Workbench |
Rod durability is not prominently shown during casting, but community testing suggests the baseline rod tolerates long foraging sessions without needing constant replacement. Carrying a single spare in the inventory is usually enough margin for a full fishing trip that includes multiple coastal spots.
Because the unlock path routes through combat, most players benefit from handling the Coastal Jungle boss with upgraded early armor before attempting the Foothills harvest run.
Upgrade chest and legs armor at least one tier before the boss fight. Damage reduction compounds with every swing the boss lands.
Carry Bandages or a stack of Healing Potion into the boss encounter. The jungle approach leaves less room for mid-fight base runs than later biomes do.
Scout the Foothills coast before committing to a long interior hike for Hardwood. A shoreline base nearby shortens every subsequent fishing trip.
