Valheim fishing
Every fish takes exactly one bait. Cast a 
Fishing Rod with the right bait where that fish lives, wait for the float to dip, then hold block to reel in. Plain 
Fishing Bait catches Perch and Pike; every other fish needs a bait made from it and a trophy.
- 12 fish one bait each
- Up to 4 stars levels 1 to 5
- 20% extra catch an item along with the fish
- From the game files Valheim 1.0.21
How fishing works
From the game’s fish and fishing float code.
1. Cast with baitEquip the rod with bait in your inventory and cast into water where the fish lives. Sold by Haldor: 1 for 350 coins.
2. Fish come to the floatEach time a fish picks where to swim next, it has a 10% chance to head for a float within 50 m. A fish that does not take your bait ignores that cast from then on.
3. Strike when it dipsWhen a fish bites, the float jerks down. Start reeling within half a second to hook it; reeling in without a catch gives the bait back.
-
4. Reel it inHold block to pull. Each fish drains stamina while you pull, more for higher-level fish and more again while it thrashes to escape, when the line also comes in half as fast. The line snaps if the fish gets 10 m beyond the line’s length or 30 m from you.
Fishing skillPulling trains Fishing, twice as fast with a fish on the line. At level 100 the line reels in at 6 instead of 2 and a hooked fish costs 0.2 stamina per second instead of 1.
Every fish and its bait
In biome order. Depth is how far below the surface the fish swims; stamina is what it costs per second to pull at level 1, and while it escapes.
| Fish | Bait | Where | Depth | Stamina/s | Extra catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Perch |
Fishing Bait |
Meadows, Black Forest, Plains | 1.5–3 m | 3 (10) | |
 Pike |
Fishing Bait |
Meadows, Black Forest, Plains | 2–4 m | 5 (15) | |
 Trollfish |
 Mossy Fishing Bait |
Black Forest | 1.5–3 m | 9 (25) | |
 Giant Herring |
 Sticky Fishing Bait |
Swamp | 1.5–3 m | 10 (30) | |
 Grouper |
 Stingy Fishing Bait |
Plains | 1.5–3 m | 12 (32) | |
 Pufferfish |
 Misty Fishing Bait |
Ocean, Mistlands | 1.5–3 m | 14 (40) | |
 Anglerfish |
Misty Fishing Bait |
Mistlands | 1.5–3 m | 14 (38) | |
 Magmafish |
 Hot Fishing Bait |
Ashlands | 1.5–3 m | 18 (50) | |
 Northern Salmon |
 Frosty Fishing Bait |
Deep North | 1.5–3 m | 20 (60) | |
 Tuna |
 Heavy Fishing Bait |
Ocean | 4–any m | 7 (20) | |
 Coral Cod |
Heavy Fishing Bait |
Ocean | 1.5–3 m | 12 (34) | |
 Tetra |
 Cold Fishing Bait |
 Frost Caves,  Howling Cavern |
0.5–1 m | 11 (28) |
Fish spawn at levels 1 to 5. Each level above 1 is a 15% or 20% roll before the world’s enemy level-up settings and the area of the world adjust it, and a fish’s pull stamina is multiplied by its level. Every catch has a 20% chance of one of the extra items as well.
How to make every fishing bait
The special baits are made from the basic bait and a trophy.
| Bait | How to get it | Catches |
|---|---|---|
| Fishing Bait |
Sold by Haldor: 20 for 10 coins. | |
| Mossy Fishing Bait |
Fishing Bait×20  Troll Trophy×1 at the  Food Preparation Table, makes 20 |
|
| Sticky Fishing Bait |
Fishing Bait×20  Abomination Trophy×1 at the Food Preparation Table, makes 20 |
|
| Stingy Fishing Bait |
Fishing Bait×20  Fuling Trophy×1 at the Food Preparation Table, makes 20 |
|
| Misty Fishing Bait |
Fishing Bait×20  Lox Trophy×1 at the Food Preparation Table, makes 20 |
|
| Hot Fishing Bait |
Fishing Bait×20  Warrior Trophy×1 at the Food Preparation Table, makes 20 |
|
| Frosty Fishing Bait |
Fishing Bait×20  Drake Trophy×1 at the Food Preparation Table, makes 20 |
|
| Heavy Fishing Bait |
Fishing Bait×20  Serpent Trophy×1 at the Food Preparation Table, makes 20 |
|
| Cold Fishing Bait |
Fishing Bait×20  Fenring Trophy×1 at the Food Preparation Table, makes 20 |
Questions
How do you fish in Valheim?
Buy a fishing rod and bait, cast where the fish lives, and start holding block within half a second of the float dipping. Keep holding block to reel the fish in.
Where do you get a fishing rod?
Sold by Haldor: 1 for 350 coins.
Why won’t fish bite?
Each fish takes only its own bait. A fish that does not want your bait ignores that cast, so match the bait to the fish in the table above and fish where that fish lives.
What bait catches what?
Fishing Bait: Perch and Pike. Mossy Fishing Bait: Trollfish. Sticky Fishing Bait: Giant Herring. Stingy Fishing Bait: Grouper. Misty Fishing Bait: Pufferfish and Anglerfish. Hot Fishing Bait: Magmafish. Frosty Fishing Bait: Northern Salmon. Heavy Fishing Bait: Tuna and Coral Cod. Cold Fishing Bait: Tetra.
Do you lose bait if you miss?
No. Bait is only used up when a fish is hooked. Reeling in an empty line gives it back.
Where do you catch Tetra?
In Frost Caves and Howling Cavern, with Cold Fishing Bait.
Fish, baits, depths, stamina and extra catches come from each fish’s Fish component; waters and levels from the world spawn lists and location spawners in game build 26249040; the float values from the fishing float prefab. Biting, hooking, escaping and line breaks come from the game code (assembly 9f959c03…).