Fishing

Overview

Fishing is a gathering activity in inZOI that allows Zois to catch a wide variety of fish species from freshwater and saltwater locations. The fishing system was introduced in the v0.3.0 update (August 20, 2025) alongside the free Island Getaway DLC, which added the tropical region of Cahaya and dramatically expanded the number of available fishing spots. Fishing is now available across all three playable regions: Dowon, Bliss Bay, and Cahaya.

Fishing is also a dedicated skill that improves with practice, increasing a Zoi's success rate and ability to catch rarer species. Fish can be kept as trophies, displayed in aquariums, filleted for cooking ingredients, or sold for Meow. Every species caught is tracked in the Collection Log. As of the v0.4.0 update (October 2025), ghost fish variants were added, expanding the total number of catchable species and giving collectors even more to pursue.

How to Fish

To start fishing, locate a fishing spot in the world. Fishing spots are indicated by a cooler bag (also referred to as a duffel bag, tackle box, or holdall) placed near bodies of water. Walk your Zoi to the cooler bag and interact with it to open the fishing menu. In Cahaya, you can also fish from the back of a boat as long as your Zoi owns, has found, or has crafted a fishing rod.

The fishing interaction offers two options:

• Go Fishing: free to use. Your Zoi fishes with standard bait and has a normal chance of catching common species and non-fish items.

• Fish with Advanced Bait: costs 5 Meow per attempt. Increases the odds of catching rarer and more valuable fish. Advanced bait does not guarantee a rare catch but noticeably shifts the probability toward higher-quality results. The "Fish 5x" shortcut lets you queue five consecutive casts at once for 25 Meow total.

Catch Mechanics and Influencing Factors

The fishing process is largely automatic; your Zoi casts the line, waits, and eventually pulls something out of the water without requiring timed button presses or a minigame. At lower skill levels, your Zoi may slip or fall during the casting or reeling animation, wasting that attempt. This happens less frequently as the Fishing skill increases, and becomes very rare from level 8 onward. Catches happen fairly quickly when successful, so it is common practice to queue up multiple fishing actions in a row.

Results are randomized, with the specific pool of possible catches determined by your location (freshwater vs. saltwater), the fishing rod tier being used, whether you opted for advanced bait, and the time of day (some species only appear during the day, at night, or both). Your Zoi's current mood can also influence results. Players report that the "Feeling Concentrated" mood state improves catch rates, particularly for rare species like the Giant Sea Turtle.

The Fishing Skill

Fishing is one of the 30-plus skills in inZOI. It is classified as a resource-gathering skill available to teenagers through seniors, progressing from level 0 to level 10. As your Zoi's Fishing skill level increases through repeated fishing activity, their success rates improve and they become more effective at catching rarer species. The slipping and falling animations that interrupt casts at lower levels become much less frequent, and the time spent per catch decreases.

Children have a related skill called Curious Mind, which can be increased by fishing and mining activities, giving younger Zois a head start before they gain access to the full Fishing skill as teenagers.

Skill Progression Timeline

Based on community testing (post-December 2025 update), reaching level 10 from scratch takes approximately 27 hours and 20 minutes of dedicated fishing, not counting travel time or need fulfillment. Progression speed varies significantly between levels:

Early levels progress quickly, but mid-game levels spike dramatically. The level 7 to 8 jump is the longest, requiring nearly five hours of continuous fishing. From level 8 onward, slipping and falling during casting is nearly eliminated, making sessions more productive.

Godlike Angler Aspiration

The Godlike Angler aspiration is tied to reaching Fishing skill level 10 and fulfilling its associated objectives. Upon completion, players unlock the ability to purchase Silver, Gold, and Jewel fishing rods directly from supply stores, bypassing the need to craft them or rely on the Whatever Tiny Shop's random rotation. This makes it significantly easier to maintain top-tier fishing equipment for ongoing sessions.

Fishing Rod Tiers

Fishing rods determine which species your Zoi can catch. Higher-tier rods unlock rarer fish. Rods can be purchased at the Fishing Supply Store in Cahaya (located on the eastern side of the Main Island, open 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily), at a similar shop in Bliss Bay, found at the Whatever Tiny Shop (which rotates three random items daily and occasionally stocks high-tier rods), or crafted at a Crafting Table using materials gathered through mining. Crafting rods requires the Handiwork skill. The better the rod material, the rarer the fish you can catch.

Investing in higher-tier rods is essential for completing the fish section of the Collection Log. The Diamond Fishing Rod occasionally appears at the Whatever Tiny Shop, saving you the crafting grind if you check the shop daily. After reaching Fishing level 10 and completing the Godlike Angler aspiration, Silver, Gold, and Jewel rods become purchasable at supply stores, removing much of the difficulty in acquiring top-tier equipment.

Fishing Locations

Dowon: Harang River Park (Freshwater)

Harang River Park in Dowon offers two fishing spots along the river: Harang River Park East and Harang River Park West. Both spots provide access to the full freshwater fish catalog. Cooler bags are available at both locations. This is one of only two freshwater fishing areas in the game (the other being Cahaya Park), and the species pool is identical between them. Community income testing indicates Dowon produces the highest reliable Meow income from fishing, particularly during evening and nighttime hours when higher-value nocturnal species become available.

Bliss Bay: Beaches and Piers (Saltwater)

Bliss Bay has two main fishing spots. Sunset Bay features a railing overlooking the sea where Zois can fish. North Beach has docks and piers extending into the ocean with cooler bags available for interaction. Both locations provide access to saltwater beach species. Bliss Bay also has a fishing supply shop where rods can be purchased. Bliss Bay does not offer boat fishing or freshwater spots, and generally produces lower Meow income per session compared to Dowon or Cahaya.

Cahaya: Beach, Boat, and Park

Cahaya, added with the Island Getaway DLC, is the most diverse fishing region with three distinct fishing zones:

• Cahaya Beach (saltwater): similar species to Bliss Bay, plus Cuttlefish and Sea Turtle variants (regular and ghost). Higher-tier rods like Silver and Gold unlock additional species here. The Fishing Supply Store on the eastern side of the Main Island is open daily from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM and sells rods and supplies.

• Cahaya Boat (saltwater): premium offshore fishing. Requires a boat and a fishing rod. This is where the rarest and most valuable catches appear, including Blue Marlin, Cobia, Mahi Mahi, Sea Bream, Great White Shark, Skipjack Tuna, Zebra Shark, Orca, Giant Manta Ray, Giant Sea Turtle, Bluefin Tuna, Whale Shark, Black Marlin, French Angelfish, and various ghost variants. Many of these require Gold, Diamond, or Jewel rods. The v0.7.0 patch (March 2026) fixed an issue where fish catch rates from boats were not applied correctly.

• Cahaya Park (freshwater): shares the same freshwater catalog as Dowon's Harang River Park. Includes Archer Fish, Carp, Catfish, White Catfish, Fahaka Pufferfish, Guppy varieties, Koi varieties, Seahorses, Red Arowana, Trout variants, and more. Income testing shows Cahaya Park consistently outperforms Bliss Bay, especially during evening and nighttime hours.

Fish Species

inZOI features dozens of catchable fish and other items. Species are divided into freshwater and saltwater categories. Many species have specific time-of-day requirements (day only, night only, or any time), minimum rod tier requirements, and designated tank sizes for display. The following tables list every confirmed species, organized by habitat.

Freshwater Species

Found at Dowon Harang River Park (East and West) and Cahaya Park. The species pool is identical at both freshwater locations.

Saltwater Beach Species

Found at Bliss Bay (Sunset Bay, North Beach) and Cahaya Beach. Some species are exclusive to Cahaya Beach.

Saltwater Boat Species (Cahaya Only)

Found exclusively at Cahaya boat fishing spots. Requires a boat and a fishing rod. This area contains the rarest and most valuable catches in the game.

Non-Fish Catches

In addition to fish, Zois can pull up miscellaneous items while fishing:

• Garbage: the most common non-fish result. Catching garbage (or getting no catch at all) makes your Zoi "Annoyed." Can be discarded. Garbage catches are more frequent when not using Advanced Bait.

• Biko Doll (also called Boki Doll): a small collectible decorative plushie. A rare find that can be kept as a decoration in your Zoi's home. Using Advanced Bait increases the chance of finding one.

Note that while snorkeling in Cahaya allows collecting sea urchins and other sealife, those items are gathered through the snorkeling system rather than fishing. Snorkeling collectibles are sold at the Coin Exchange Kiosk at the Sri Lestari Resort for resort-specific currency, while fish are sold for Meow through stalls and the Pocket Market.

Filleting Fish

Larger fish species can be turned into Fish Fillet items. To fillet a fish, have your Zoi hold the caught fish in hand (either immediately after catching or by removing it from the Zoi's bag), then click on it and select the Fillet Fish action. The fish will be converted into one or more Fish Fillet items that are stored in the household inventory.

Fish Fillets have a key advantage over whole fish: they do not expire. Whole fish will spoil if left out for too long, but fillets remain fresh indefinitely, making them the preferred storage method for cooking ingredients. Fillet large fish immediately after catching them to avoid waste.

Filletable Species

The following species can be converted into Fish Fillet:

• Carp

• Cobia

• Great Barracuda

• Painted Sweetlips

• Swordfish

• Great White Shark

• Other large species (most boat catches of significant size)

Non-Filletable Species

Smaller species cannot be filleted. These include:

• Butterflyfish

• Archer Fish

• Banded Butterflyfish

• Guppies, Seahorses, and other small ornamental fish

Selling Fish

There are several ways to sell your catches for Meow:

• Secondhand Sale Stall: purchase a Secondhand Sales Counter or Wider Sales Stall from the Social Event category in Build Mode. Place the stall in a public location, drag fish from your inventory into the stall's storage slots, set your prices, and select "Start Selling." The sale lasts three hours. Be warned: NPC thieves may steal items from your stall. You can click on a thief and select "Fight the thief" to recover your lost Meow and earn Karma.

• Pocket Market: use the Pocket Market app on your Zoi's smartphone to list items for sale to other Zois, similar to an online marketplace. You receive a notification when items sell.

• Market Stall: added in the Island Getaway update. You can set up a stall in Cahaya to sell items directly to passersby.

Rarer and larger fish generally sell for more Meow. Using Advanced Bait (5 Meow per use) when fishing from the Cahaya boat can be profitable, as premium species like Blue Marlin and Mahi Mahi sell for significantly more than the bait cost.

Bait Economics

Advanced Bait costs 5 Meow per cast (or 25 Meow for the "Fish 5x" option that queues five consecutive casts). The primary benefit is not dramatically increasing maximum catch value but rather reducing low-end catches and improving the reliability of each session. With bait, you are less likely to pull up garbage or low-value common fish, resulting in a more consistent income stream.

Earnings by Location

Community testing at Fishing skill level 10 shows the following approximate earnings per session:

Dowon freshwater fishing during the evening and night yields the most consistent income. Cahaya boat fishing has the highest potential single-catch value (a Ghost Great White Shark, for instance, can push a single session past 600 Meow), but the variance is higher. Bliss Bay is the weakest location for income and is only recommended for early-game players who have not yet accessed Cahaya.

Cooking with Fish

Fish Fillets serve as ingredients for certain recipes in the Cooking skill. Once a Zoi reaches Cooking Skill Level 3, they unlock the ability to prepare Flatfish Sushi, which requires Fish Fillet as a primary ingredient. This is notable because Fish Fillet is the only cooking ingredient in the current build that cannot be ordered through the PocketMarket app; you must catch and fillet a fish yourself. Higher cooking levels may unlock additional fish-based recipes as development continues. Cooked fish dishes restore hunger and can also be sold for profit.

Fish Tanks and Display

Caught fish can be placed in fish tanks purchased through Build Mode to serve as living decorations in your Zoi's home. Tanks come in four sizes, and certain species require specific tank sizes. Fish tanks add to the aesthetic quality of a room and can serve as a visual showcase of your fishing progress.

Not all fish can be placed in tanks. Many larger boat catches (Whale Shark, Orca, Giant Manta Ray) and some common species (Carp, Trout, basic Butterflyfish) do not have tank compatibility. Fish that can be displayed show their required tank size in the inventory tooltip. You can also purchase fish from the fish stall at the Cahaya Resort resale store if you want to add species to your aquarium without catching them yourself.

Day and Night Mechanics

The time of day significantly affects which fish species are available. Some fish can only be caught during the day, others only at night, and some are available at any time. Planning your fishing trips around the in-game clock is essential for targeting specific species and completing your Collection Log.

Night fishing (roughly 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM in-game time) is especially important for ghost fish variants and several high-value species. Dowon freshwater fishing during the evening and night produces the highest reliable income among all locations, as higher-value nocturnal species like Yellow Koi and Ghost Koi become available alongside the standard daytime catalog.

Collection Log Integration

Every fish species caught is automatically recorded in the Collection Log under the Fishing category. The Collection Log tracks which species you have caught and which remain undiscovered, showing silhouettes for uncollected fish. Completing fish sets by catching all species in a category can unlock exclusive furniture rewards.

Since some species are location-exclusive (boat fishing species only appear in Cahaya), time-gated (day or night only), and rod-tier gated, completing the full fish collection requires investing in higher-tier rods, visiting all three regions, and fishing at different times of day. The Whale Shark and Orca are widely considered the two hardest species to collect. The developers buffed Whale Shark spawn rates in v0.3.5, expanding previously low-probability areas and adding new zones near the underwater ruins between the Deserted Island and Resort Island in Cahaya.

Ghost Fish

Ghost fish are a special category added in the v0.4.0 update (October 2025) as part of the Halloween seasonal event. These spectral fish only appear at night (6:00 PM to 6:00 AM) and cannot be caught during daytime. They have a distinctive translucent glow and are highly sought-after for the Collection Log.

Confirmed ghost variants:

To target ghost fish, head out after sunset with Advanced Bait and a high-quality rod. Ghost fish have lower catch rates than their living counterparts, so expect to spend several in-game hours fishing before landing one. The "Feeling Concentrated" mood state may improve your odds.

Rare Fish Strategies

Whale Shark

The Whale Shark is one of the most elusive catches and the largest fish in the game. The v0.3.5 hotfix specifically increased the chance of obtaining a Whale Shark and expanded the fishing zones where it appears. Developers confirmed they "expanded the previously low-probability areas and added new zones." The Whale Shark inhabits waters near the underwater ruins between the Deserted Island and Resort Island. Use a high-tier rod (Gold or above) and Advanced Bait from Cahaya boat fishing during the day.

Orca

The Orca is one of the rarest catches in inZOI. It requires a Jewel Rod and appears through deep-sea boat fishing. Community reports indicate the Orca tends to appear near underwater ruins with columns arranged in a circle. Some players have reported success while in the "Immersed" mood state, though this has not been officially confirmed as a factor. Use Advanced Bait for every attempt.

Great White Shark

Found through deep-sea boat fishing in Cahaya, the Great White Shark requires a Diamond or Jewel rod and appears at night. Use Advanced Bait to improve your odds. The Great White can also be filleted, producing multiple Fish Fillets. Its ghost variant, the Great White Ghost Shark, is even rarer and only appears at night with a Jewel rod.

Red Arowana (Protected Species)

The Red Arowana is classified as a protected species in inZOI. If you catch one, the game prompts you to release it. You must release it to avoid fines. An earlier bug imposed fines even after releasing a protected fish species, which was patched in v0.4.0. The Red Arowana still counts toward Collection Log completion even after release. It requires a Gold rod and appears in freshwater at both day and night.

Giant Manta Ray

An extremely rare catch from Cahaya boat fishing. Community members have reported specific coordinates near underwater landmarks where it appears. There is no confirmed time-of-day restriction, but Advanced Bait and a Gold or higher rod are strongly recommended.

Snorkeling vs. Fishing

Cahaya also offers snorkeling as a separate water-based activity. While both involve marine life, the two systems are distinct:

Both activities complement each other. Fishing provides Meow income and cooking ingredients, while snorkeling gives access to resort-exclusive items and currency. Players visiting Cahaya should pursue both for maximum collection progress.

Tips and Strategies

1. Queue multiple fishing actions in a row to maximize your time at a fishing spot. Each catch resolves relatively quickly. The "Fish 5x" option with Advanced Bait (25 Meow) is the most efficient way to chain casts.

2. Invest in Advanced Bait when fishing from the Cahaya boat. The premium species available there sell for significantly more than the bait cost, making it profitable even with occasional garbage catches.

3. Fillet large fish immediately after catching them to avoid spoilage. Fish Fillets never expire, making them superior to storing whole fish.

Targeting Rare and Time-Gated Species

1. Pay attention to the time of day. Many rare species like Great White Shark, Orca, and Cuttlefish only appear at night, while others like Sea Turtle and Whale Shark only appear during the day. Night fishing in Dowon produces the highest reliable income.

2. If you catch a Red Arowana, the game will prompt you to release it as it is a protected species. Always release it to avoid fines. It counts toward Collection Log completion regardless.

Rod Upgrades and Aspiration Rewards

1. Upgrade your fishing rod progressively. The Jewel Rod is the most powerful but expensive to craft. Check the Whatever Tiny Shop in Cahaya daily; it rotates three random items and may occasionally stock high-tier rods like the Diamond Fishing Rod, saving you the crafting grind.

2. Complete the Godlike Angler aspiration by reaching Fishing level 10 and fulfilling its objectives. This unlocks the ability to purchase Silver, Gold, and Jewel rods at supply stores, removing the need to craft them or wait for shop rotations.

3. Use the "Feeling Concentrated" mood before targeting rare catches. Players report improved success rates for species like Giant Sea Turtle and other difficult-to-catch fish when their Zoi is in this mood state.

Collection Completion and Boat Fishing

1. Fishing pairs well with mining and gardening since gathering spots are often near each other in Cahaya. Plan trips that combine multiple gathering activities to maximize your time.

2. For Collection Log completion, you will need to fish at all three regions, at both day and night, with rod tiers ranging from Wooden to Jewel. The Orca and Whale Shark are widely considered the last two species most players catch.

3. Fish from the boat in Cahaya for the highest-value catches. Even common boat species sell for more than most freshwater or beach catches. The v0.7.0 patch fixed an issue where boat catch rates were not applied correctly, so boat fishing is more reliable than ever.