Terraria Fishing Guide: How to Catch Fish Like a Pro

In Terraria, fishing is fun because the activity gives you a sense of achievement when you reel in rare fish. It also lets you obtain special gear, just like fighting Terraria bosses. Fishing in the 2D sandbox game could be difficult, though, if you do not know what you need for it, where to do it, and how to get the best catch.

If you are having trouble or want to improve your skills in Terraria fishing, read this article in full. We will teach you everything about the activity for you to become like a pro angler in no time.

Prepare Terraria Fishing Requirements

The first step to becoming an expert in Terraria fishing is knowing and preparing what you need beforehand. If you already know these, feel free to skip to the succeeding sections.

Body of Water

The depths of the lakes, seas, and oceans are home to fish and sunken treasures. That said, you must head to the biomes with bodies of water or create one to reel in the critters and items. In Terraria, you can also fish in lava or honey.

Note that the fishing spot should be 1,000, 50, and 75 tiles deep if you are required to go to the ocean, a pool of honey, and other bodies of water, respectively.

Fishing Pole

The fishing pole is the primary equipment for Terraria anglers. You can craft the said rod with your supplies or get it from non-playable characters (NPCs), defeated enemies, chests, and crates.

Furthermore, Terraria fishing poles vary in terms of effectiveness. That means if you have many, you still have to pick the best one. To make the decision easy for you, we present an overview of the rods you can get in the game via the table below. The equipment is ranked according to fishing power, the weakest to the strongest from top to bottom.

Bug Net

If you are surprised that there is a Bug Net in the bucket list of requirements, it is for catching bait such as worms, snails, and insects. It is easy to obtain. You can buy the basic net from the Merchant for 25 silver coins.

The Bug Net can be upgraded to the Lavaproof Bug Net when combined with 15 Hellstone Bars at a Hellforge. The resulting equipment is great to use for fishing in lava or the Underworld. Alternatively, you can have a go at fishing quests from the Angler to get the best net in the game, the Golden Bug Net. The premium net can work in the Overworld and Underworld, and it makes bait-type critters spawn quicker from the grass and flowers it hits.

Bait

In Terraria fishing, bait is what lures the fish or treasures. It is not hard to get. You can receive some by breaking crates open, completing quests, or catching them yourself.

Like the fishing poles, bait comes in various forms. Refer to the table below to see all the kinds of bait you can acquire and where to find them. The entries are sorted by fishing power level.

NOTE

The Truffle Worm from the Glowing Mushroom biome was excluded because it is an item used to summon Terraria boss Duke Fishron. It cannot attract underwater critters.

Learn the Terraria Fishing Mechanics

You now have your equipment ready, so the next step is to learn or get a refresher on how to fish in the game. This should be easy for Terraria’s mechanics are less complicated compared to that of other pixel-style games, such as Stardew Valley fishing. You do not need to time your clicks or taps to follow a fishing meter, unlike in the latter game.

Here is how to reel in fish or items in Terraria:
1. Talk to the Angler to take on a fishing quest or skip to the next step.
2. Head to the fishing spot where the underwater critter you are tasked to look for or want to catch is.
3. Walk to the edge of the body of water and not directly on it.
4. Equip your fishing pole.
5. Add at least one bait to your inventory.
6. Cast the fishing pole afterward.
7. Wait for the submerged lure to move up and down.
8. Pull the fishing pole out of the water once you hear a plop sound.

NOTE

The Angler is an NPC sleeping on the sand near the ocean or in the Underworld. If already encountered, he can be found inside one of your empty homes. The Angler will only give you one fishing quest per day and you cannot change it. A new quest will be available every 4:30 am in the game.

Level Up Terraria Fishing Skills

You are good to go if you already know the basics and have a lot of patience. That is because you will eventually get rare fish and items the more you try. What sets pro anglers apart from beginners, though, is the know-how in making Terraria fishing more efficient. You do not need to go elsewhere for that because the best tips for leveling up your fishing skills are here.

Boost Your Fishing Power

The higher your fishing power is, the faster you can catch fish and the better the species caught will be. Fishing power primarily comes from the poles and bait you use, but do you know that you can increase the total percentage further?

That is possible by fishing when it is overcast or raining. The said conditions boost fishing power by 10 and 20 percent, respectively.

The other two ways to add more fishing power are Terraria potions and gear. In terms of potions, players typically use the Fishing Potion that boosts power by 15 percent temporarily. As regards gear, the top picks are the Angler Tackle Bag or Earring and Angler Armor that add 10 and 15 percent to the rating as long as they are equipped. The best item to use, though, is the Chum Bucket that drops from the slain Wandering Eye Fish, Hemoglobin Shark, Blood Eel, Dreadnautilus, or Zombie Merman. It gives an 11 to 20 percent boost, depending on how many are thrown in the water.

Improve Your Luck

Luck affects your chances of reeling in rare fish or items. Although you cannot see your specific rating for it, there are methods to improve luck in the game.

Like Terraria fishing power, luck can be improved by consuming potions. The concoctions you need to boost luck for three to 10 minutes are the Lesser Luck, Luck, and Greater Luck Potions.

Alternatively, you can equip torches to raise your luck level. The torch has to match the biome you are at for it to work. For instance, you need to carry a Hallowed Torch in a Hallowed biome or a Crimson Torch in the Crimson biome.

Critters to Catch Via Terraria Fishing

Terraria is teeming with underwater critters, from the endemic to the rare species. The creatures are found in different biomes and caught at different heights: Sky, Surface, Cavern, and Underground. Sky means more than half of the world’s height from the ground, while Surface is ground level to half of the world’s height above it. Cavern and Underground, meanwhile, are 300ft above and below the bottom of the Terraria world, respectively.

If you want to know more about all the critters you can catch via Terraria fishing, read on.

Quest-independent Critters

Underwater critters you can catch without an active quest include common to rare fishes and arthropods. The table below lists the creatures according to rarity, with common species on the upper-half part and the rare types on the lower-half portion. It also lists where you can catch each one and at what level from the ground that can be done.

Quest-based Critters

Quest critters are all fishes that the angler will request for you to catch. You will learn where every critter is located and at what height each one should be caught below.

Best Items to Get via Terraria Fishing

As previously mentioned, Terraria fishing can give you cool items you can use in your sandbox adventure. Although the tools, weapons, and miscellaneous things you get are random, it is good to know the best items that can be reeled in. That is so that you would not just discard or have those unused in your inventory. To help you out with that, we are sharing some of the top-tier items you can obtain via Terraria fishing.

In water, the best things you can get are the Toxicarp, Blade Tongue, and Crystal Serpent. The Toxicarp is a Corruption weapon that fires bubbles and poisons enemies. The Blade Tongue is a Crimson swinging sword that strikes and lowers the defense of multiple enemies. The Crytal Serpent, meanwhile, is a magic Hallow weapon that shoots ricocheting projectiles.

In lava, the must-catch items are the Obsidian Swordfish, Bottomless Lava Bucket, and Demon Conch. The Obsidian Swordfish is the second strongest spear in the game, and the Bottomless Lava Bucket lets you add lava anywhere for world customization. The Demon Conch transports you to the Underworld, making it a better teleportation item than those that bring you to random places.

In honey, the best object to reel in is the Honeyfin that resembles a golden fish. It works like the most effective Recovery Potions because it can restore 120 Health Points (HP).

Reel in Fish Like an Expert Now

It’s a wrap. With basic to advanced guidelines and tips laid out in this comprehensive guide, you can now fish like a pro. You’ll become an expert fisherman no matter what biome you are in and how long you have been playing Terraria. If this article helped you, share this and let us know what was your rarest catch!

Want more games with fishing as part of the gameplay? Check out our list of the best open-world games for Android and iOS devices today.