Published , by Josh Hawkins
Published , by Josh Hawkins
Fishing is one of the most basic tasks in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. But if you want to master the seas, rivers, and lakes, you’re going to need to know what you can catch and when you can catch it. Thankfully, we’ve put together this friendly fish guide which will break down everything you can catch, the best times to catch them, and even what time they are available.
There are 80 different species of fish for players to catch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, each of which will be available at different times of the day, year, and even in different bodies of water. We’ve taken all of the guess work out of the process, and below you’ll find a full list of all the fish and the other info you need to know about them.
Before you get started, make sure you know how to get a fishing rod.
Note: Below you'll find that some months include the words Northern and Southern in parentheses. This indicates that these fish are available during those months in that particular hemisphere as Animal Crossing: New Horizons can be played in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
| All Fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish Name | Location | Size of Shadow | Value (in Bells) | Time | Month |
| Bitterling | River | Smallest | 900 | All day | November - March (Northern) / May - September (Southern) |
| Pale Chub | River | Smallest | 160 | 9 AM - 4 PM | Year-round |
| Crucian Carp | River | Small | 160 | All day | Year-round |
| Dace | River | Medium | 240 | 4 PM - 9 AM | Year-round |
| Carp | Pond | Large | 300 | All day | Year-round |
| Koi | Pond | Large | 4,000 | 4 PM - 9 AM | Year-round |
| Goldfish | Pond | Smallest | 1,300 | All day | Year-round |
| Pop-eyed Goldfish | Pond | Smallest | 1,300 | 9 AM - 4 PM | Year-round |
| Ranchu Goldfish | Pond | Small | 4,500 | 9 AM - 4 PM | Year-round |
| Killifish | Pond | Smallest | 300 | All day | April - August (Northern) / October - February (Southern) |
| Crawfish | Pond | Medium | 200 | All day | April - September (Northern) / October - March (Southern) |
| Soft-shelled Turtle | River | Large | 3,750 | 4 PM - 9 AM | August - September (Northern) / February - March (Southern) |
| Snapping Turtle | River | Extra Large | 5,000 | 9 AM - 4 AM | April - October (Northern) / October - April (Southern) |
| Tadpole | Pond | Smallest | 100 | All day | March - July (Northern) / September - January (Southern) |
| Frog | Pond | Small | 120 | All day | May - August (Northern) / November - Feburary (Southern) |
| Freshwater Goby | River | Small | 400 | 4 PM - 9 AM | Year-round |
| Loach | River | Small | 400 | All day | March - May (Northern) / September - November (Southern) |
| Catfish | Pond | Large | 800 | 4 PM - 9 AM | May - October (Northern) / November - April (Southern) |
| Giant Snakehead | Pond | Extra Large | 5,500 | 9 AM - 4 PM | June - August (Northern) / December - February (Southern) |
| Bluegill | River | Small | 180 | 9 AM - 4 PM | Year-round |
| Yellow Perch | River | Medium | 300 | All day | October - March (Northern) / April - September (Southern) |
| Black Bass | River | Large | 400 | All day | Year-round |
| Tilapia | River | Medium | 800 | All day | June - October (Northern) / December - April (Southern) |
| Pike | River | Extra Large | 1,800 | All day | September - December (Northern) / March - June (Southern) |
| Pond Smelt | River | Small | 500 | All day | December - February (Northern) / June - August (Southern) |
| Sweetfish | River | Medium | 900 | All day | July - September (Northern) / January - March (Southern) |
| Cherry Salmon | River | Medium | 1,000 | All day | March - June, September - November (Northern) / March - May, September - December (Southern) |
| Char | River or Pond | Medium | 3,800 | 4 PM - 9 AM | March - June, September - November (Northern) / March - May, September - December (Southern) |
| Golden Trout | River (High Cliffs) | Large | 15,000 | 4 PM - 9 AM | March - June, September - November (Northern) / March - May, September - December (Southern) |
| Stringfish | River (High Cliffs) | Largest | 15,000 | 4 PM - 9 AM | December - March (Northern) / June - September (Southern) |
| Salmon | River (Mouth) | Small | 700 | All day | September (Northern) / March (Southern) |
| King Salmon | River (Mouth) | Smallest | 1,800 | All day | September (Northern) / March (Southern) |
| Mitten Crab | River | Small | 2,000 | 4 PM - 9 AM | September - November (Northern) / March - May (Southern) |
| Guppy | River | Smallest | 1,300 | 9 AM - 4 PM | April - November (Northern) / October - May (Southern) |
| Nibble Fish | River | Small | 1,500 | 9 AM - 4 PM | May - September (Northern) / November - March (Southern) |
| Angelfish | River | Small | 3,000 | 4 PM - 9 AM | May - October (Northern) / November - April (Southern) |
| Betta | River | Small | 2,500 | 9 AM - 4 PM | May - October (Northern) / November - April (Southern) |
| Neon Tetra | River | Smallest | 500 | 9 AM - 4 PM | April - November (Northern) / October - May (Southern) |
| Rainbowfish | River | Small | 800 | 9 AM - 4 PM | May - October (Northern) / November - April (Southern) |
| Piranha | River | Small | 2,500 | 9 AM - 4 PM, 9 PM - 4 AM | June - September (Northern) / December - March (Southern) |
| Arowana | River | Large | 10,000 | 4 PM - 9 AM | June - September (Northern) / December - March (Southern) |
| Dorado | River | Extra Large | 15,000 | 4 a.m - 9 PM | June - September (Northern) / December - March (Southern) |
| Gar | Pond | Largest | 6,000 | 4 PM - 9 AM | July - October (Northern) / January - April (Southern) |
| Arapaima | River | Largest | 10,000 | 4 PM - 9 AM | June - September (Northern) / December - March (Southern) |
| Saddled Bichir | River | Large | 4,000 | 9 PM - 4 AM | June - September (Northern) / December - March (Southern) |
| Sturgeon | River (mouth) | Largest | 10,000 | All day | September - March (Northern) / March - September (Southern) |
| Sea Butterfly | Sea | Smallest | 1,000 | All day | December - March (Northern) / June - September (Southern) |
| Sea Horse | Sea | Smallest | 1,100 | All day | April - November (Northern) / October - May (Southern) |
| Clown Fish | Sea | Smallest | 650 | All day | April - September (Northern) / October - March (Southern) |
| Surgeonfish | Sea | Small | 1,000 | All day | April - September (Northern) / October - March (Southern) |
| Butterfly Fish | Sea | Small | 1,000 | All day | April - September (Northern) / October - March (Southern) |
| Napoleonfish | Sea | Largest | 10,000 | 4 AM - 9 PM | July - August (Northern) / January - February (Southern) |
| Zebra Turkeyfish | Sea | Medium | 500 | All day | April - November (Northern) / October - May (Southern) |
| Blowfish | Sea | Medium | 5,000 | 6 PM - 4 AM | November - February (Northern) / May - August (Southern) |
| Puffer Fish | Sea | Medium | 250 | All day | July - September (Northern) / January - March (Southern) |
| Anchovy | Sea | Small | 200 | 4 AM - 9 PM | Year-round |
| Horse Mackerel | Sea | Small | 150 | All day | Year-round |
| Barred Knifejaw | Sea | Medium | 5,000 | All day | March - November (Northern) / September - May (Southern) |
| Sea Bass | Sea | Extra Large | 400 | All day | Year-round |
| Red Snapper | Sea | Medium | 3,000 | All day | Year-round |
| Dab | Sea | Medium | 300 | All day | October - April (Northern) / April - October (Southern) |
| Olive Flounder | Sea | Large | 800 | All day | Year-round |
| Squid | Sea | Medium | 500 | All day | December - August (Northern) / June - February (Southern) |
| Moray Eel | Sea | Extra Large | 2,000 | All day | August - October (Northern) / February - April (Southern) |
| Ribbon Eel | Sea | Narrow | 600 | All day | June - October (Northern) / December - April (Southern) |
| Tuna | Pier | Extra Large | 7,000 | All day | November - April (Northern) / May - October (Southern) |
| Blue Marlin | Pier | Extra Large | 10,000 | All day | July - September, November - April (Northern) / January - March, May - November (Southern) |
| Giant Trevally | Pier | Large | 4,500 | All day | May - October (Northern) / November - April (Southern) |
| Mahi-mahi | Sea | Large | 6,000 | All day | May - October (Northern) / November - April (Southern) |
| Ocean Sunfish | Sea | Largest with Fin | 4,000 | 4 AM - 9 PM | July - September (Northern) / January - March (Southern) |
| Ray | Sea | Extra Large | 3,000 | 4 AM - 9 PM | August - November (Northern) / February - May (Southern) |
| Saw Shark | Sea | Largest with Fin | 12,000 | 4 PM - 9 AM | June - September (Northern) / December - March (Southern) |
| Hammerhead Shark | Sea | Largest with Fin | 8,000 | 4 PM - 9 AM | June - September (Northern) / December - March (Southern) |
| Great White Shark | Sea | Largest with Fin | 15,000 | 4 PM - 9 AM | June - September (Northern) / December - March (Southern) |
| Whale Shark | Sea | Largest with Fin | 13,000 | All day | June - September (Northern) / December - March (Southern) |
| Suckerfish | Sea | Fin | 1,500 | All day | June - September (Northern) / December - March (Southern) |
| Football Fish | Sea | Large | 2,500 | 4 PM - 9 AM | November - March (Northern) / May - September (Southern) |
| Oarfish | Sea | Largest | 9,000 | All day | December - May (Northern) / June - November (Southern) |
| Barreleye | Sea | Small | 15,000 | 9 PM - 4 AM | Year-round |
| Coelacanth | Sea (on Rainy days) | Largest | 15,000 | All day | Year-round |
Now that you have all of the info you need, be sure to check out the rest of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons guide for even more helpful content.