How to find a Catfish in Stardew Valley
The Stardew Valley Catfish is a river fish that can be tricky to track down initially as it only spawns in rainy weather. However, it is well worth knowing where and when this fish appears as you’ll need it to complete the River Fish Bundle for the Fish Tank upgrade in the Stardew Valley Community Centre. To find out all there is to know about the Stardew Valley Catfish, read on.
- If you’re interested in learning how to unlock Blue Chickens, read our Stardew Valley Shane guide for everything you need to know.
Where can you catch a Catfish in Stardew Valley?
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The Catfish can only be caught when it rains in the Spring and Fall seasons (it may be caught in Winter too if the Rain Totem is used). The fish can be caught all morning and night (6 am-12 am), in freshwater locations. That being the Lake opposite the Joja Mart and the Lake south of Leah’s Cottage in Cindersap Forest.
Click to enlargeIt can also be found in the Secret Woods and Witch’s Swamp in any season if it is raining, and if the player has unlocked these hidden locations.
The Rain Totem recipe (if needed) is given to the player when they achieve level 9 of the foraging skill. The ingredients are 1 Hardwood, 1 Truffle Oil, and 5 Pine Tar so an upgraded axe will be needed to collect the Hardwood.
- If Leah is also catching your eye, try our Stardew Valley Leah guide.
Tips for catching a Catfish
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The Catfish poses a moderate challenge to catch. The fishing bar can be slow to lock onto it, as a result, some fishing tackles will be more useful than others to successfully get it.
The Trap Bobber is a type of tackle that is particularly useful as it slows down the rate of the fishing bar disappearing when you aren’t reeling the fish in. This gives you a precious few seconds to get the bar back on the fish before it escapes. It is unlocked at fishing level 6, and after unlocking can be purchased from Willy for 500g.
It is worth noting that tackles can only be equipped with Iridium Rods. These are also unlocked at fishing level 6 and sold afterward for 7,500g from Willy.
Using Catfish as gifts in Stardew Valley
Listed are the villager’s reactions to receiving the Catfish as a gift:
Love
Willy
Like
No villagers
Neutral
Demetrius, Elliott, Leo, Linus, Pam, Sebastian
Dislike
Any who aren’t mentioned elsewhere in this list dislike the Catfish as a gift.
Hate
Evelyn, Haley, Pierre
- If you wish to find more hated gifts for Haley, or want to know her favourites, read our Stardew Valley Haley Guide.
Cultivating Catfish in a Fish Pond
When placed in a Fishpond the Catfish will produce Roe and reproduce after every 4 days with a maximum capacity being ten. It is among the more common Roe which means it isn’t the most profitable choice to farm.
The Sturgeon is a more popular choice of Fish to farm in a Fishpond as its Roe can be used to produce Caviar, a higher-value item. Catfish Roe, when added to a preserves jar, will produce Aged Roe.
Using Catfish for Tailoring
When placed in the sewing machine, the Catfish can produce the Fish Shirt, which is a black shirt with the silhouette of a fish printed on it.
For more Stardew Valley content, check out our Stardew Valley Penny Guide.
