How many islands are in How to Fish?
Community guides agree on five: Lighthouse, Forest, Desert, Rocks, Volcano. Names are community consensus — not printed on the Steam about-text.
How to Fish: All Islands Guide
Five islands, community names: Lighthouse → Forest → Desert → Rocks → Volcano. Not on the Steam about-text. Each island unlocks after you hand in that island’s story-boss trophy. Patch 1.0.5 fixed traveling to locked islands.
community names
Last checked 2026-08-26 · Patch 1.0.9 · Independent · Not affiliated with Dazed Games · Not Coral Island. Not a 3-island map.
Salt-Dock board · no capture on file
Five named docks, one trophy gate each
Island Unlock Order
| # | Island | How to unlock | Cost / price | Sourced fish rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighthouse | Start / crash island. No prior trophy. | — | 5 |
| 2 | Forest | Boat keys from Spider Crab + a working engine. | Community: first engine $230 (Nerdschalk) — not official. | 13 |
| 3 | Desert | Hand in the Giant Piranha trophy. | Unverified — playtest | 11 |
| 4 | Rocks | Hand in the Pufferfish trophy. | Unverified — playtest | 12 |
| 5 | Volcano | Hand in the Albatross trophy. | KeenGamer: Scientific Lure $500, Scientific Boss Lure $5,800 — community prices. | 8 |
Lighthouse Guide
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Unlock | Start / crash island. No prior trophy. |
| Cost | — |
| Fish | Brown Crab, Shrimp, Rock Crab, Lobster, Spider Crab (KeenGamer). |
| Gear | Crab-Fishing Rod (Ham / Hot Dog). First melee and pistol. Radar pickup. First boat engine. |
| Difficulty | Lowest. Official tutorial loop. |
| Tips | Beer quest: KeenGamer/GrindnStrat empty can vs ShowGamer beer-thief body — conflict. Do not sell the Spider Crab trophy. Radar is easy to miss. |
Forest Guide
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Unlock | Boat keys from Spider Crab + a working engine. |
| Cost | Community: first engine $230 (Nerdschalk) — not official. |
| Fish | Mackerel, Gar, Pike, Cod, Piranha, and more on French Fry / Beginner Lure. Giant Piranha on Leech Bait. Nerdschalk Beginner pool omits Mackerel/Gar. |
| Gear | Beginner Lure. Shotgun is a community comfort pick for piranhas (GrindnStrat). |
| Difficulty | First real gate. Bite bug reports are community, not a patch note. |
| Tips | If nothing bites, hold LMB (community workaround). Leech count 3 vs 5 — both flagged. See all fish locations on this island. |
Desert Guide
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Unlock | Hand in the Giant Piranha trophy. |
| Cost | Unverified — playtest |
| Fish | Standard Lure pool including Needlefish. Pufferfish on carrot. Nerdschalk Standard pool has no Bowlfish. |
| Gear | Standard Lure / Standard Boss Lure. Grill for cooking (~1.5x, GrindnStrat). |
| Difficulty | Mid. Boss was officially nerfed. |
| Tips | Needlefish → tourist → carrot. Pufferfish nerfed in Patch 1.0.4. Overcook zeros value. |
Rocks Guide
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Unlock | Hand in the Pufferfish trophy. |
| Cost | Unverified — playtest |
| Fish | Professional Lure pool. Tuna on Professional Boss Lure. Albatross from dropped tuna. Sengarat vs Belodontichthys Truncatus conflict. |
| Gear | Professional Lure. Casino (slots / roulette) is on this island. |
| Difficulty | Mid-late. Casino is optional gambling (fish only, no real money). |
| Tips | Do not sell the tuna. Do not try to hook the bird. See all fish locations on this island. |
Volcano Guide
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Unlock | Hand in the Albatross trophy. |
| Cost | KeenGamer: Scientific Lure $500, Scientific Boss Lure $5,800 — community prices. |
| Fish | Stonefish, Blobfish, Anglerfish, Oarfish, Superdwarf Fish. Goblin Shark optional. Bowhead then Mutated Bowhead. |
| Gear | Scientific Lure. GrindnStrat: AR with full attachments before the mutated whale. |
| Difficulty | Highest. Full spoilers. |
| Tips | Do not sell the Bowhead body before the volcano step. Whales nerfed in 1.0.4. Ending boat / hazmat fin is community-sourced. |
Best Island to Farm
No playtested GPS comparison is in this repo. ShowGamer argues Killscore on whatever island you can already fight beats camping rares. GrindnStrat puts the cooking grill on Desert. “Best island to farm” as a ranked table stays Unverified — playtest. Unlock order above is the only sequence we will ship.
FAQ
Can I skip islands?
A skip existed. Patch 1.0.5 fixed traveling to locked islands. Treat boss trophies as the real gate.
How do I unlock Island 2?
Hand in the lighthouse Spider Crab trophy for boat keys, pick up the radar, buy a boat engine, then travel to Forest.
Where is the grill / casino?
Community: grill on Desert (Island 3); casino on Rocks (Island 4). Exact map pins are unverified — playtest.