Summary
Fishing is considered one of the hardest mechanics inStardew Valley. The green bar is small, and the fish move quickly and escape easily. Of course, there are ways to improve your fishing abilities. you’re able to level up your fishing skills, upgrade your rod, use bobbers and bait, and even eat foods that will make fishing just a bit easier.
Regardless of this, some fish are still easier to catch than others. There are some that are only available in certain seasons, at a specific time of day, or only in one kind of weather, such as sunshine or rain. Other fish are difficult because of how hard they are to catch. These are the toughest catches.
Updated August 03, 2025 by Noura Costany:We’ve updated this article to add some fish that are difficult to catch, including ones that you can only fish for late at night. Fishing is one of the best minigames in the game, and knowing how to capture rare and elusive fish will help you catch them all.
13Pufferfish
Puffiest Boy
ThePufferfishcan be caught in the Ocean during Summer (or on the Beach Farm if you chose it). It can also be foundduring any season on Ginger Island, which makes it a bit easier than others to catch. The weather has to be sunny, and you canonly catch these fish between 12pm and 4pm.
This fish is difficult because of the limited time period and the fact that you have to unlock Ginger Island to increase your chances of catching it. Its difficulty is level 80.
12Eel
Slippery Slope
Eels are hard to reel in because of how small your window is to catch them. You canonly catch Eels at night from 4pm - 2am when it’s raining. You also can only find an Eelduring Spring or Fall,which means it’s only available twice a year.
You can use a rain totem to make it rain!
Once you find an Eel, it’s not impossible to catch. It’s gotsmooth behavior,which means that it’s pretty steady and easy to follow. It is considered 70 in difficulty, and is only found in the Ocean.
11Lava Eel
This Eel Is On Fire
TheLava Eelis one of the hardest fish to catch for multiple reasons. First and foremost, the location. You can only get the Lava Eel byfishing in the hundredth floor of the mine, or at the Volcano on Ginger Island.Both locations require a lot of work to unlock. Secondly, you canpull up a lot of trash from both places, and it takes a while for a Lava Eel to actually appear.
Once you’ve managed to find a Lava Eel, you have to actually catch it.It moves incredibly quickly,and it’s very easy to lose the fish. It’s best to go after them when you have at least one of the following: A high fishing level, a high luck day, a great rod, or fishing boosts from food.
10Octopus
Ocean Octopus
Octopuscan be foundin the Ocean, on Ginger Island from 6am - 1pm, or anytime during theNightmarket Submarine Ride. Octopus don’t appear very often,the likelihood of one appearing being between four and 18 percent,depending on season, location, and weather.
The fish in Stardew Valley have different behaviors, andOctopus are sinkers. This means that they have afast downward acceleration.This makes it difficult to catch this fish without using a bobber that increases the size of the green bar.
9Stingray
Pirate’s Cove
Stingrays can be rough, because you have a lot to unlock before you’re able to get to them. You have to finish the community center, which unlocks Willy’s boat. From there, you can go toGinger Island.
After that, you have tounlock the Pirates Cove, which can take a decent amount of time. Finally, you can fish in the Pirate’s Cove, the only place the Stringray is located.
8Catfish
Meow
Catfishcan only be foundin the morning from 6am - 12am.If you’re not on the river farm, this means you have to run to theriveras quickly as possible. Catfish only appearwhen it is raining in the Spring and Fall, or in theSecret Forestduring Summer, Spring or Fall.
Catfish havemixed behavior,which means it can be sporadic. It can sink, move quickly, be more fluid, and there’s no way to know if the fish you have on your rod is a catfish or not.
7Super Cucumber
Super Duper
Super Cucumberis an elusive fish that can only be foundin the evening from 6pm - 2am.It hasSinker Behavior,which means it sinks downwards quickly, making it difficult to catch. This fish only appears in theSummer or during Fall.
You can use a tent to sleep outside your house without crashing and falling asleep in order to fish later into the evening.
If you’re looking for other ways to find Super Cucumbers, check your trash cans! They occasionally appear when digging through the trash. You also have avery low chance of finding Super Cucumber in the Night Market Deep Sea Submarine Ride.
6Lingcod
Lingcod Difficulties
Lingcodarewinter fish with mixed behavior. This means that sometimes Lingcod might be easy to catch, and other times, impossible. Its difficulty level is 85.
Luckily, Lingcod is one of the fishes that can be found in other ways. You canbuy it occasionally from Krobus,or from thetraveling cart.
5Midnight Carp
Late Night Friend
TheMidnight Carpcan be an elusive fish to catch. It is available during two seasons, Winter and Fall, and is a freshwater fish. The main difficulty with our midnight friends is that you may only catch them from 10pm - 2am. That’s a short window, and with one that late at night, it’s less likely you’re going to get home to bed safely.
The Midnight Carp’s difficulty is 55, which isn’t that bad, but it has mixed behavior, so it’s hard to track when you’ve got it on your line. ASonar Bobbermight help you if you’re trying to pursue it.
Keep these guys when you get them! They can be used in theSeafoam Puddingrecipe.
4Scorpion Carp
Ooh, Sharp!
TheScorpion Carpis a fish that is often considered one of the most difficult to catch. This fish can be found inthe Desert Pond during all seasons.The Scorpion Carp is hard to acquire because it has a prettylow bite rate, and you have to unlock the desert in order to go after it.
The Scorpion Carp is one of the few fish that require you to be of a certainfishing level. Youcan’t catch it unless you’re at least fishing level four(though you can reach this level through boosts). Its difficulty is 90.
