How do I start How to Fish?
Buy it on Steam (Windows, App 4001890), launch, and crash on the lighthouse island. Catch something, haul it onto land, kill it, then sell it by throwing it into an NPC’s mouth (Q).
How to Fish Game Guide for Beginners
Crash on the lighthouse island with almost no gear. Catch something, haul it onto land, kill it, sell it (Q into an NPC mouth), buy a rod and a cheap gun, then leave. Full 5 islands and the multiplayer guide are separate pages.
Last checked 2026-08-26 · Patch 1.0.9 · Independent · Not affiliated with Dazed Games · No classic tension meter in our sources
Salt-Dock board · no capture on file
First-hour board: clams, rod, beer can, radar
How to Start Playing
- Own How to Fish on Steam for Windows (App 4001890). Broadband is listed even for solo.
- Launch from Steam. There is no console store page today.
- You start after a drinking-and-boating crash on the lighthouse island. No extra “create character” step is documented in our sources.
- Saves: Patch 1.0.6 saves on Save / Main Menu / Quit and autosaves every minute. Wiki LocalLow path is unverified here — we do not publish a folder how-to.
Basic Controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| E | Talk, interact, buy |
| Q | Throw held item into NPC mouth (sell / quest hand-in) |
| F | Inspect (value, quest flag) |
| Tab | Creature encyclopedia |
| RMB | Cast rod / drop catch on land |
| LMB | Reel; eat if holding a creature |
| X | Unequip rod |
Source: GrindnStrat. Full keybind list, controller map, and Steam Deck are unverified — playtest.
How to Catch Your First Fish
- Grab free clams near the crash; eat one if you need it, sell extras (GrindnStrat).
- Get a fishing rod. Cast (RMB), reel (LMB). ShowGamer: the rod pulls or launches a creature — there is no classic tension meter.
- Drop the catch on land (RMB), kill it (melee or gun), then sell with Q into an NPC mouth.
- Buy brass knuckles or a knife, then a pistol when you can. Inventory is limited; extra slots are a shop upgrade (GrindnStrat).
How to Unlock Islands
Community order through Patch 1.0.9. Patch 1.0.5 fixed traveling to locked islands. Full unlock notes: All Islands in How to Fish.
| Island | How to unlock | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse | Start island (crash). Spider Crab trophy → boat keys + radar pickup. | — |
| Forest | Boat keys + first engine. Giant Piranha trophy. | Community: first engine ~$230 (Nerdschalk) — not official. |
| Desert | Forest trophy turned in. Needlefish → tourist → Pufferfish. | Unverified — playtest |
| Rocks | Desert trophy. Keep the tuna for Albatross. | Unverified — playtest |
| Volcano | Rocks trophy. Fish Bucket whale, then mutated whale. | Unverified — playtest |
How to Earn Money & Upgrade
Official money: catch → kill → sell, trick shots, in-game fish gambling. Community: Killscore (ShowGamer) and Island 3 grill ~1.5x (GrindnStrat). No official price list.
| Step | Buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rod | Catch the first pool. KeenGamer: Ham / Hot Dog on the Crab-Fishing Rod. |
| 2 | Melee | Brass knuckles or knife (GrindnStrat). |
| 3 | Pistol | First gun on the GrindnStrat ladder. Practice headshots. |
| 4 | Boat engine | Required to leave. Community price $230 for Getting an upgrade. |
| 5 | Later guns | Shotgun → SMG → sniper → AR. ShowGamer: kit one gun fully before spreading attachments. |
Weapon ladder (GrindnStrat): fists → brass knuckles → knife → pistol → shotgun → SMG → sniper → AR. Dynamite is an area tool, bad for precise bosses. See How to Fish Boss Guide for fight-specific gear.
Beginner Tips
| # | Tip | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Launch then shoot | Airborne + hip-fire + headshot stacks Killscore; early money beats rare-fish camping (ShowGamer). |
| 2 | One gun, all attachments | Finish one gun (sight, mag, grip) before spreading parts (ShowGamer). |
| 3 | Do not sell story trophies | Crab, piranha, tuna, whale bodies are unlock bait — not vendor trash (GrindnStrat / KeenGamer). |
| 4 | Pick up the radar | It sits near the lighthouse keeper and is easy to miss (GrindnStrat). |
| 5 | Hold LMB on Island 2 | If the Forest rod does not bite, hold left click after the hook is in the water (wiki / Steam “Fishing Glitch”). Not a patch note. |
| 6 | Watch the grill | Island 3 cooking peaks around 1.5x; overcook goes to zero (GrindnStrat). Exact timing is unverified — playtest. |
| 7 | Use a private lobby | Patch 1.0.5 added invite-only. Prefer it if public griefing was a problem. |
| 8 | Bean is a second run | Sub-1-hour notes broke after Patch 1.0.5. Do not follow pre-1.0.5 hour-run guides. |
| 9 | Start Discord first | No in-game voice. Start Discord before the lobby (Nerdschalk). |
| 10 | Firearm + engine before luxury | ShowGamer prefers a gun and the first engine before spending on luxury gear. |
FAQ
How do I sell fish?
Hold the catch and press Q to throw it into an NPC mouth. That is the sell / quest hand-in (GrindnStrat).
How do I get the boat key?
Complete the lighthouse keeper beer / Spider Crab quest. Keys are a quest reward, not a shop item. KeenGamer and GrindnStrat prefer empty beer can on the rod; ShowGamer describes a beer-thief body — both flagged.
Fish aren’t biting on Island 2?
Community workaround: hold left click after the new rod is in the water. Not an official patch claim.