Terraria fishing guide: quest rewards and fish locations
How to catch fish
If there's one thing about Terraria that is relatively peaceful, it's sitting on the bank of a large body of water, hooking your bait and casting out a lure. Of course, while fishing you need to keep a watchful eye for not just the moment when you get a bite, but also on enemies sneaking up behind you.
In this Terraria fishing guide, we will tell you how to catch fish in Terraria, detail all of the fishing quest rewards, and give you the locations of every single quest fish in the game.
How to fish in Terraria
To fish in Terraria, you need to have unlocked the Angler NPC to your town. You'll also need to create a fishing rod (the most basic one just needs 8 wood and a basic table) and some bait. Buy a bug catching net from the trader and catch some bugs flying around. Ponds are your best bet, though there are others in the underground regions that have a higher bait lure chance.
Once you have a fishing rod and bait, head to a body of water (or make your own large body of water with buckets). We're talking the size of a small pond that you can fully submerge yourself in. Stand by the edge and use the fishing rod. When you see the lure bob up and down, or hear a "blub" sound, use the rod again to reel in your catch.
Fishing in lava
Yes, it is possible to fish in lava, but you need to use particular items to help you to fish them up. Here are just some of the items that make fishing in lava possible.
- Hotline Fishing Hook (complete 25 or more fishing quests)
- Lavaproof Fishing Hook (fish this hook out of lava)
- Magma Snail as bait (catch in the underworld biome with Lavaproof Bug Net or Golden Bug Net)
- Lavafly as bait (catch in the underworld biome with Lavaproof Bug Net or Golden Bug Net)
- Hell Butterfly as bait (catch in the underworld biome with Lavaproof Bug Net or Golden Bug Net)
Fishing quest rewards
The thing that bringing the Angler to your town unlocks is the option to take on a fishing quest. You will be able to participate in one fishing quest per in-game day and there are rewards for completing each one. Some are guaranteed, while others only have a chance to unlock once you've reached Hardmode. Here are all of the quest rewards:
Guaranteed quest rewards
- Fuzzy Carrot: 5th quest (Guaranteed)
- Angler Hat: 10th quest (Guaranteed)
- Angler Vest: 15th quest (Guaranteed)
- Angler Pants: 20th quest (Guaranteed)
- Golden Fishing Rod: 30th quest (Guaranteed)
Hardmode only quest rewards
- Fin Wings: After 10th quest (1.43% chance to unlock)
- Bottomless Water Bucket: After 10th quest (1.43% chance to unlock)
- Super Absorbant Sponge: After 10th quest (1.43% chance to unlock)
- Hotline Fishing Hook: 25th quest (1% chance to unlock)
All other fishing quest rewards
- Golden Bug Net: 1.25% chance to unlock
- Life Preserver: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Ship's Wheel: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Compass Rose: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Wall Anchor: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Pillagin' Me Pixels: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Treasure Map: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Goldfish Trophy: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Bunnyfish Trophy: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Swordfish Trophy: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Sharkteeth Trophy: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Ship in a Bottle: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Seaweed Planter: 1.43% chance to unlock
- Fishing Potion (2-5): : 1.43% chance to unlock
- Sonar Potion (2-5): 1.43% chance to unlock
- Crate Potion (2-5): 1.43% chance to unlock
- Fish Hook: 1.67% chance to unlock
- Minecarp: 1.67% chance to unlock
- Mermaid Set: 2.5% chance to unlock (All 3 pieces rewarded at once)
- Fish Set: 2.5% chance to unlock (All 3 pieces rewarded at once)
- High Test Fishing Line: 2.5% chance to unlock (Appears if you have no duplicates in your possessions, unless Angler Tackle Bag or all of its components are in your possessions.)
- Angler Earring: 2.5% chance to unlock (Appears if you have no duplicates in your possessions, unless Angler Tackle Bag or all of its components are in your possessions.)
- Tackle Box: 2.5% chance to unlock (Appears if you have no duplicates in your possessions, unless Angler Tackle Bag or all of its components are in your possessions.)
- Fisherman's Pocket Guide: 3.33% chance to unlock (Appears if you have no duplicates in your possessions, unless Fish Finder, PDA, Cellphone, or Fish Finder's components are in your possessions.
- Weather Radio: 3.33% chance to unlock (Appears if you have no duplicates in your possessions, unless Fish Finder, PDA, Cellphone, or Fish Finder's components are in your possessions.
- Sextant: 3.33% chance to unlock (Appears if you have no duplicates in your possessions, unless Fish Finder, PDA, Cellphone, or Fish Finder's components are in your possessions.
Quest fish locations
Finally, here are all of the 41 quest fish that the Angler will ask you for and each of their locations:
| Quest fish | Biome | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Amanita Fungifin | Glowing Mushroom | Any |
| Angelfish | Forest | Sky |
| Batfish | Forest | Underground, Cavern, or Underworld |
| Bloody Manowar | Crimson | Any |
| Bonefish | Forest | Underground, Cavern, or Underworld |
| Bumblebee Tuna | Any | Any (fished from Honey) |
| Bunnyfish | Forest | Surface |
| Cap'n Tunabeart | Ocean (Hardmode) | Sky or Surface |
| Catfish | Jungle | Surface |
| Cloudfish | Forest | Sky |
| Clownfish | Ocean | Sky or Surface |
| Cursedfish | Corruption (Hardmode) | Any |
| Demonic Hellfish | Forest | Cavern or Underworld |
| Derpfish | Jungle (Hardmode) | Surface |
| Dirtfish | Forest | Surface or Underground |
| Dynamite Fish | Forest | Surface |
| Eater of Plankton | Corruption | Any |
| Fallen Starfish | Forest/Any | Sky or Surface |
| The Fish of Cthulhu | Forest | Sky or Surface |
| Fishotron | Forest | Cavern or Underworld |
| Fishron | Snow (Hardmode) | Underground or Cavern |
| Guide Voodoo Fish | Forest | Cavern or Underworld |
| Harpyfish | Forest | Sky or Surface |
| Hungerfish | Forest (Hardmode) | Cavern or Underworld |
| Ichorfish | Crimson (Hardmode) | Any |
| Infected Scabbardfish | Corruption | Any |
| Jewelfish | Forest | Underground, Cavern, or Underworld |
| Mirage Fish | Hallow (Hardmode) | Underground or Cavern |
| Mudfish | Jungle | Any |
| Mutant Flinxfin | Snow | Underground, Cavern, or Underworld |
| Pengfish | Hallow | Sky or Surface |
| Pixiefish | Hallow | Sky or Surface |
| Scarab Fish | Desert | Surface |
| Scorpio Fish | Desert | Surface |
| Slimefish | Forest | Surface |
| Spiderfish | Forest | Underground, Cavern, or Underworld |
| Tropical Barracuda | Jungle | Surface |
| Tundra Trout | Snow | Surface |
| Unicorn Fish | Hallow | Any |
| Wyverntail | Any (Hardmode) | Sky or Surface |
| Zombie Fish | Forest | Surface |
Those are all of the quest fish and fishing quest rewards! Thanks for reading our guide. For more on Terraria, you can head to our Terraria NPCs guide to learn how to how to attract NPCs to your town or our Terraria bosses guide if you want information about summoning and defeating every single boss fight in the game. We also have a guides on How to make a bed in Terraria and Best wings in Terraria.