Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Fish - Complete Fish List, Fishing Tips, Times, Locations And Prices

All the fishy facts you need to complete your Critterpedia

by Gavin Lane Mon 2nd May 2022

Animal Crossing New Horizons Gone Fishin — *Image: Nintendo Life*

If you're looking for information about fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you've come to the right place. Below you will find a complete Animal Crossing: New Horizons fish list featuring a gallery of every fish and collectable underwater creature in the game and some basic fishing tips.

There are a total of 80 fish to catch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The creatures in this guide are listed in the order they appear in Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Critterpedia, and each entry includes a picture, the time of day/year it is available (in each hemisphere), the spawn location and the selling price you'll get if you sell your catch at Nook's Cranny.

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If you're after rare fish, check out our guides on how to catch the rare Golden Trout and Stringfish, and find out every creature (including bugs) leaving at the end of the month, too. Bug catchers may want to check out our Animal Crossing: New Horizons bug guide with all the same information as below, except for bugs, insects and creepy crawlies instead of fish and marine life.

Remember: Certain fish and bugs will be leaving Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ytemporarily) at the end of the month, so you'll want to catch these fish before they leave.

How to catch fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Equipment You'll Need

To catch fish you'll need a fishing rod. You will need the following ingredients to craft a Flimsy Fishing Rod:

x5 tree branch

However, serious anglers will want to upgrade that to a proper Fishing Rod. To do so, you'll need:

x1 Flimsy Fishing Rod
x1 iron nugget

Once you've got the gear, it's time to head out and hook some fish.

Fishing Tips & Techniques

Fishing in Animal Crossing is a simple yet delicate art. It requires intense observation, precision and timing to hook a fish, but the principle is always the same whether you're snagging a Snapper or bagging a Bitterling.

Fish appear as shadows beneath the surface of the water. The size relates to the type of fish, but just as in real life you'll never be sure exactly what you've hooked until you pull it out of the water.

Approach the riverbank or shore slowly so as not to scare away your catch. Cast your line so the lure lands within the viewing range at the front of the fish.

Images: Nintendo Life
Once you have its attention, the fish will start investigating at the lure. Sometimes it will take it immediately, other times it may poke and prod at it multiple times before taking the bait.
Wait until you hear the 'plop' and see the lure disappear beneath the water's surface. You now have a limited window to press 'A' and catch the fish. Both the visual and audio cues will help you, so if you're having trouble make sure you have the volume turned up.

Images: Nintendo Life
If you do this in time, the fish will start swimming rapidly in a circle before you hoist your catch out of the water. Once this begins you can relax. Hammering 'A' will make no difference; you've already won.
If you're too late with your button press, the fish will swim away.

Fish Bait - How to craft fish bait with a Manila Clam

As you've been beach-combing you've probably seen Manila Clams squirting water from beneath the sand. These can be dug up with your shovel and turned into fish bait at any crafting bench. Use this bait in any body of water and a fish shadow will spawn ready for you to (attempt to) catch.