How to Fish in Valheim

Hail warriors. This will be a guide on Valheim and how to catch some slippery little fish to up your food game. Fishing was one of the best ways Vikings used to catch their food. Always being at sea a good reliable source of food can be gathered from fishing. Luckily in Valheim, you can also fish to sate your hunger. It may not be obvious, as fishing rods are relatively hard to come by in this world. Good for you that I will teach you how to get a fishing rod and catch some fish.


What You Will Need To Fish

There are two things that you are going to need before you plan to start your fishing adventure in Valheim. Both of these things can only be obtained once you have found Haldor, the trader. Haldor lives in the Black Forest biome and although every map is randomly generated he generally appears relatively close to the starting location. You will have to explore around the Black Forest until you find him. If you are relatively close to him, a symbol will appear on the map which designates where he is. The symbol is a pouch.


How to Get a Fishing Rod and Bait in Valheim

Buy fishing rods and bait from the trader in the black forest

Once you have found Haldor you can buy both a fishing rod and bait to use for fishing. The fishing rod will cost 350 gold and you can buy bait in packs of 50 for 10 gold. You will need both to catch fish. You can get gold as loot from defeated trolls, or by exploring the crypts and buildings throughout Valheim. One of the best ways of getting relatively easy money is by exploring the burial crypts found in the Black Forest and finding items like amber and ruby which can then be sold for gold.

Once you have gotten both a fishing rod and some bait to use for fishing you will just have to find a nice body of water where you will be able to catch fish.


How to Use the Fishing Rod

in-game description for the fishing rod in Valheim which reads, 'Standard issue dverge fishing rod.'
The in-game description for the Fishing rod

Once you have yourself a fishing rod and bait it’s time to get to work. Go to the waters edge and look out for fish that can be found swimming around below the water’s surface. By using the left-mouse click you can cast your rod. The longer you hold the left-click in, the further the line will be cast. Try to cast the line rather short, as you will have to keep an eye on the float to hook a fish.

Once you have cast the line out with bait attached fish will occasionally swim by and bite at the line. When you see a fish come and bite the line now is your chance to hook it! If you right-click while a fish is feeding on the line you will hook the fish can can begin trying to reel it in. If you have successfully timed the right-click as to when the fish took a bite you will see the message ‘fish hooked’ on the screen.

Trying to get the fish to bite in valheim
Fishing is a great break from fighting giant thunder deer creatures

To reel in the fish in Valheim, hold down the right mouse button until the fish is coming to shore where you are. You are free to walk around while you are fishing and this can help get the fish in quicker. Once you have reeled the fish in close enough, you can interact with it to pick it straight up off the line, or your can just keep on holding right-click until the fish enters your inventory.

You can catch a fish straight away like this, or if you are having trouble, or want to catch fish faster, you can simply drag them to shore and then cast the line out again. Once the fish is beached it cannot swim away and you are free to pick it right up off the ground.


What is Fishing Good For?

Having a fish on the hook in Valheim ready to reel in

Once you’ve followed the steps above you should have caught your first fish. Congratulations! While there is no fishing skill in the current version of the game, fishing is just a means of finding food. You can cook the raw fish that you’ve caught directly on the cooking station of the fire. This will make it edible.

You can also use the raw fish in a number of different recipes which can be made at the cauldron once you have found some tin and unlocked it. Not only is fishing a great way of finding food, it’s also fun. Everyone loves a good fishing minigame in their videogames, and fishing in Valheim is no exception.

the in-game description for raw fish in valheim
Cook raw fish to make it edible

You can also use fishing as a way to pass time on long boat journeys. Although you’d have to stay a little while in one spot in order to have fish spawn.


Fishing Without a Rod

There are a few ways players are managing to catch fish without the use of a fishing rod and bait. By using the hoe one can manipulate the terrain in a way that fish are beached and cannot swim away. Sometimes the fish will accidently wash ashore depending on the type of beach you have and can be collected straight up off the ground.

pick up fish and fish easily
You can pick up fish straight from the shore and water if you’re quick enough

You can also use a bow to shoot at fish that can be seen in the water and go and pick up their bodies. Get creative and get fishing!


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