Valheim Fishing Guide: Rod Location, Baits, and Every Fish You Can Catch

Fishing in Valheim is one of the calmer activities on offer between Greydwarf raids. It also fills your pantry without forcing you to chase boars across half the map. This guide covers the two ways to gather fish, where to buy the rod, and which bait pulls each species out of the water.

Two Ways to Catch Fish

There are two paths to a Viking seafood dinner:

1. Scavenge after a storm. Dead fish wash up along the shoreline once the weather clears. Free food, but you depend on a storm hitting first.
2. Use a rod and bait. Reliable, repeatable, and the only option for most species. This is the one you actually want.

Where to Find the Fishing Rod

The rod is not crafted. It is sold by Haldor, a trader who roams the Black Forest biome. His spawn is randomized, so locating him can take anywhere from a quick scout to several hours of biome-combing.

Look for a small camp tucked inside the Black Forest. That marks Haldor's territory. You only need to find him once per world, but switching worlds means restarting the hunt. Once you locate the camp, drop a portal nearby. Future you will thank you.

The rod costs 350 coins, and Haldor also stocks Fishing Bait at 10 coins per pack of 20. His camp is a safe zone, so hostile creatures cannot enter and you cannot destroy any structures inside it.

How Fishing Works

Once you own the rod, equip it and walk to the edge of a body of water. Press the attack button to cast the line and watch the bobber. When it sinks underwater, press the reel button. A Hooked prompt confirms the bite.

Reeling burns stamina. If you drain the bar completely, the fish slips. Pull in short bursts and let stamina recover between tugs. Once the fish is close to your character, press interact to add it to your inventory.

Spears and bows do not damage fish. The rod is the only viable tool.

Every Fish, Biome, and Bait

The Mistlands update added two new species to the existing roster. Here is the complete list of catchable fish, where they live, and the bait required for each:

| Fish | Biome | Bait | |---|---|---| | Perch | Meadows | Normal Fishing Bait | | Pike | Meadows | Normal Fishing Bait | | Tuna | Meadows | Normal Fishing Bait | | Trollfish | Black Forest | Mossy Fishing Bait | | Giant Herring | Swamp | Sticky Fishing Bait | | Tetra | Mountains and Frost Caves | Cold Fishing Bait | | Grouper | Plains | Stingy Fishing Bait | | Coral Cod | Ocean | Heavy Fishing Bait | | Pufferfish | Mistlands | Misty Fishing Bait | | Anglerfish | Mistlands | Misty Fishing Bait |

Crafting Specialty Bait

You can buy basic bait from Haldor, but advanced bait is crafted using fish you already caught plus a relevant trophy. The recipes are:

• Cold Fishing Bait: 1x Tuna, 1x Ulv Trophy
• Frosty Fishing Bait: 1x Magmafish, 1x Drake Trophy
• Heavy Fishing Bait: 1x Pike, 1x Serpent Trophy
• Hot Fishing Bait: 1x Anglerfish, 1x Surtling Trophy
• Misty Fishing Bait: 1x Grouper, 1x Lox Trophy
• Mossy Fishing Bait: 1x Perch, 1x Troll Trophy
• Sticky Fishing Bait: 1x Trollfish, 1x Abomination Trophy
• Stingy Fishing Bait: 1x Giant Herring, 1x Fuling Trophy

Fish Quality and Cooking

Every catch is rated from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. Quality carries over when you cook the fish, so a top-grade catch produces stronger food buffs. If you have the patience, keep releasing the small ones and aim for the larger trophies.

Ready to fire up your own Viking camp with friends? Spin up a Valheim dedicated server on HolyHosting and start fishing on your own world today.