This Crimson Desert Fishing Guide details everything that you need to know about fishing in the game, such as where to fish, where to get a fishing rod, legendary fish locations, and more. Fishing in Crimson Desert is a relaxing and useful side activity that helps you gather food, complete certain tasks, and earn some extra money while exploring. It can feel tricky at first because timing and control matter a lot, but once you understand, it becomes much easier and even enjoyable.
Fishing Guide – Crimson Desert
To start fishing, you need a fishing rod to do so. As you know, it is difficult to catch a fish by hand. But you can do it in the game when in the shallow waters.
You can actually find a fishing rod for free near Hernand. Look beside some boxes close to the river just south of the city. Since money is limited at the start, picking up this free rod is a smart choice. However, if you miss it for some reason, you can simply buy one for a small cost, around 10 Copper.
After getting the rod, open your inventory, select it, and place it in your quick slot. When you want to fish, just open your wheel menu and switch to the rod.
Where and How to Fish
Choosing the right spot makes a big difference. Deep water is the best choice because shallow areas usually have rocks that can interfere with your line. Fishing in open water is much smoother and easier.
To start fishing, equip your rod and hold the aim or block button to prepare your cast. Throw the line a moderate distance, not too close and not too far. If it is too near, fish might ignore it, and if it is too far, reeling becomes harder.
Once your float is in the water, don’t move it much. Start listening carefully for three splashes. That is your signal that a fish is interested. If nothing happens, slightly adjust the float’s position to attract attention.
When a fish bites and starts pulling, move in the opposite direction of the fish. Avoid reeling while it is struggling. Wait until it calms down, then quickly reel it in to catch it successfully.
What to Do After Catching Fish
After catching a fish, you have two choices: keep it as it is or clean it. Cleaning is done from the inventory by selecting the fish and holding the use button.
Keeping them as they are is often better early in the game because many recipes require the full fish instead of fillets. You can also keep the fish whole if you are unsure how you want to use it yet.
However, cleaning gives you useful items like Fish Fillets and Abyss Core. These can be helpful later, especially for crafting or other purposes.
Different Fishing Rods
There aren’t many rods available in the game, but you will still find a few as you progress. The available rods include Basic Fishing Rod, Fine Fishing Rod, Pororin Fishing Rod, and The Claw.
You can buy a better early-game rod from the Provisioner’s Shop in Hernand, which is located opposite the Blacksmith. It costs around 15 copper and is a simple upgrade.
To get your hands on the Fine Fishing Rod, you need to go to the Back Alley Shop and speak to Grimrak. There, you will get a blueprint of this rod for a cost of 10 Silver. It only improves how fast the fish bites. After buying it, the blueprint has all the required materials written on it. Take the materials to the Blacksmith, who will craft it for you. You will need: 10x Fine Timber, 10x Iron Ore, 3x Thick Hide, and 10x Feathers.
The Pororin Fishing Rod is obtained through the research system in Porin. By sending teams on missions, you will eventually unlock it as a reward. This rod is useful for catching rare fish.
The Claw is a special rod given by a hidden trader named Patrigo in Greymane Camp after Chapter 3. You will need to build his trust to 100, which can be done by giving him 20 copper pouches. Once you reach that level, he rewards you with the rod.
Legendary Fish Locations
There are five rare fish in the game, and each one sells for a good price, about 10 Silver. These are harder to catch, so using the Pororin Fishing Rod is recommended.
- Clockwork Fish: You can find this one in Tashkalp. It is in a small stream southeast in a narrow area.
- Coelacanth: This one appears in the river between Delysia and Dewhaven, especially near the Cliff of Despair.
- Golden Carp: It is located near Pailun in a small water area marked on the map.
- Golden Coelacanth: It is also around Pailun, closer to Deadfire Mountain.
- Golden Tench: It is found on the southwestern side of the map, in water near the Mountain of Frozen Souls.
Finding Specific Fish Easily
If you are searching for a certain fish, use the Knowledge menu. Go to Creatures and then Aquatic Creatures. This section shows all the fish you have already discovered.
Once a fish is unlocked, you can select it and choose the option to view its location on the map. This helps you quickly find where to fish next, although catching the exact fish may still take a few tries.
Common Fishing Issues
Fishing doesn’t always work perfectly, and sometimes it is not your fault. Some players have noticed bugs where fish don’t reel in properly, even after doing everything right.
Some reports said that using a wired controller instead of a wireless one can fix certain issues. In addition, fishing near objects like boats or obstacles can cause problems, so it is better to fish in open water.
That is all for this guide. Additional Crimson Desert guides are linked below:
- Crimson Desert Beginner’s Guide – Important Tips and Tricks to Know Before Starting the Game
- Crimson Desert Weapons Guide – All Types, Upgrade Weapons
- Things to Do First in Crimson Desert
- Things Crimson Desert Doesn’t Tell You
- Crimson Desert Fast Travel Guide – How to Unlock, Abyss Nexus Locations
This concludes our Crimson Desert Fishing Guide. If you want to add anything to this guide, feel free to use the comments section below.
