Sea of Stars fishing guide | a complete guide to all fishing activities
Despite being a prominent mechanic in the game, learning how to go fishing in Sea of Stars is never explained. Seriously, not at all. You will just come across a fishing pond in Sea of Stars and be able to cast of with a rod you never knew you had, and start fishing. The mini-game is crucial to having a healthy supply of food to cook with at bonfires, but it’s also key to a side-quest in the early game, which requires you to have 40 fish on hand to give to a boy fishing with his dad. Also if you catch all the different fish in Sea of Stars, you’ll unlock the Master Angler trophy/achievement.
With that in mind, let’s explain fishing in Sea of Stars. However, just a cautionary note: if you’re early on, we’d suggest you pause after hitting the “Fishing Locations” part of this guide. There are spoilers abound after that point, because like everything else in the game, it gets bigger and deeper the further you get into the story.
Sea of Stars fishing: how to do it
It’s actually a lot more simple than it first appears. The Sea of Stars fishing minigame looks a bit manic, but it’s actually very easy and requires little input on the player’s part, but a keen eye to notice when things are going wrong.
Once you approach the lake you will see the fish very visibly swimming around. Cast off by hitting the correct button, and guide your line with the D-Pad or left analogue stick. If you’re trying to catch a particular piece of marine life then you’ll need to hit the action button again, which will duke the line left or right depending on your input. Don’t stress over this, as you can empty a pond very quickly, as the aquatic friends will pretty much jump onto your line to be caught.
I’ve hooked one, now what?
First of all: don’t panic. The music will go nuts and you’ll feel like a lot is going on, but there’s only three inputs you need to worry about at all: left, right, and the action button (the same you used to cast off).
While you will see a zoomed in picture of your chosen protagonist, what you need to pay attention to is the lighter blue water that’s suddenly appeared on screen. The normal darker waters will have a lighter blue tinge, and your job is to hold the action button to reel, while using left and right to pull the fish into that lighter blue stream. See below for an image, as it’s a faint change to the water and it’s easy to miss.
If you see the line start to blink red, that means it’s going to snap and you’ll lose the bite you’ve gotten. It rarely happens instantly, so don’t panic (seriously, stay calm!) and keep reeling. Then let go of the action (reel) button and let it all calm down while you still steer the fish with left and right on the D-Pad or analog stick. Once it’s calmed down, start reeling again and get it closer. If the fish jumps out of the water, you can hit the action button (X on PS5, etc) and it will stun the fish making it easier to reel in for a short time.
As time progresses in the game and you get further in, the fish will get harder to catch, so be patient, and keep fishing so you can finish the side quests related to it, of which there are quite a few.
Fishing Locations and what fish they host
There are several fishing locations throughout the game, with more unlocking as you progress. In total there are 23 types of fish to catch for the trophy, but there is also a side-quest that unlocks around the mid-point of the game. Scroll further down to find out more about that, but for now, here’s the locations, and what fish they all have.
- Sunglow Lake: Lunar Trout, Man O’ War
- Windy Loch (Sleeper Island): Grass Haddock, Hardshell, Lunar Trout
- Lavish Lake (Sleeper Island): Hardshell, Man O’ War, Grass Haddock
- Haunted Creek (Abandoned Wizard’s Lab): Lunar Trout
- Haunted Creek (Wraith Island): Spectral Eel, Ghosturgeon, Bone Pike
- Settler’s Rest: Crimson Bass, Seakjaw, Hardshell, Grass Haddock
- Sulfuric Basin (Basalt Isle): Rock Shrimp, Lava Koi
- Watcher’s Pond: Fluorescent Piranha, Crimson Bass, Sun Carp, Viridian Lobster
- Lake Turquoise: Clockwork Crab, Fluorescent Piranha, Swordfish, Ninja Starfish
- Skybound Lagoon: Sky Urchin, Cloud Skate, Ninja Starfish
- Cerulean Reservoir: Laser Burbot, Coil Flounder, Cybernardl Hermite, Silicium Sponge
Note that some fish are catchable in multiple lakes, and you cannot miss any of them, with all returnable to at some point.
Fishing side-quest at Mirth
There is a Sea of Stars fishing side-quest at Mirth, which will open up quite late in the game. Similar to the Rainbow Conch side quest, you have to catch all the fish for rewards from the fisherman. Once you’ve unlocked the town of Mirth (unmissable, it’s a story quest), you will find that you can get plans and give them to the town builder.
In order to unlock the fishing hut plans, you’ll need to have found 22 Rainbow Conches and turned them in at Mirna’s Market of Marvel. If you need help finding that side quest, we have a guide for that, too. Handing in 22 conches will get you “something bountiful”, which is the fishing hut plans. Turning this item in at Mirth will cause the town to gain a Fishing Hut, but you’ll need someone to run it.
The Merchant Citizen “Master Fisherman” can be found in the dining room at Mooncradle. Talk to him and he’ll relocate to Mirth. Combine the two aspects and you’ll open the fishing hut. Enter the Mirth fishing hut and speak to the fisherman, and he’ll explain all. He’ll ask you to catch all 23 fish, and give you rewards, as follows:
- 4 fish = Stereofilament line, a stronger fishing line.
- 9 = something reliable (Mithreel Rod relic)
- 14 = something alacritous (Bearing Reel relic)
- 23 = something flimsy (Flimsy hammer)
It’s easier to do this in two parts, getting up to the “9 fish caught” stage, which should give you a strong enough rod to catch most of the remaining fish, on the way to the achievement/trophy, and getting the flimsy hammer reward.
