Valheim guide: How to fish

There’s plenty of ways to get your protein fix in Valheim. If hunting and taming boars or fighting draugr to cook their entrails is too complicated for you, try fishing. Despite all the busy work there is in the Viking afterlife, you can find time to relax, cast a line, and catch some fish.

In this Valheim guide, we’ll show you how to fish. Catching fish isn’t too complicated, but finding the tools you need to cast lines can be complicated and pricey. We’ll show you where to get a fishing rod and bait so you can begin getting and cooking fish.

Where to find the fishing rod

If you want to learn how to fish in Valheim, you’ll have to find the game’s elusive merchant, Haldor. The entrepreneurial gnome’s shop is one of the only places you can grab a fishing rod and bait to begin fishing in the Viking afterlife.

Image: Iron Gate Studio/Coffee Stain Publishing via Polygon

Unfortunately finding Valheim’s item shop won’t be an easy task. As we explain in our guide on how to find Haldor, the gnomish merchant’s location is random for every player. Finding him can take hours, so keep that in mind if you want to begin your fishing journey.

Once you do find him, a bag icon will appear on your map.

Haldor’s shop is one of the few places you can purchase a fishing rod and bait. The fishing rod will set you back 350 coins, and 50 pieces of bait will cost another 10 coins.

You can find coins throughout the world of Valheim in abandoned buildings, dungeons, or if you have some valuables to sell, Haldor will give you some coins in exchange.

How to fish in Valheim

Image: Iron Gate Studio/Coffee Stain Publishing via Polygon

If you have the fishing rod and some bait, fishing in Valheim is straightforward.

To begin fishing, find a body of water. Fish can appear in rivers or the ocean, so try several locations. We found that rivers are a good fishing spot since it’s easy to see if fish are in the area.

After you find a spot, equip both the fishing rod and bait. Both items should be highlighted in blue in your inventory. To cast your line, hold down the left mouse button. Let go of the button early to do a short cast or hold it until your character stops moving for the maximum casting distance.

Once your hook hits the water, it’ll splash down and sit there. Pressing the right mouse button will make you tug the line a short distance. Keep doing this to attract fish. Practice patience and tug at the line every so often while you wait for a bite.

When you see a small splash appear around your hook, press the right mouse button to hook the fish.

Image: Iron Gate Studio/Coffee Stain Publishing via Polygon

When you get a bite, the word “Hooked” appears on screen in yellow text. Keep hitting the right mouse button to slowly reel your fish in. Like real fishing, you’ll have to keep an eye out on the fish’s movements to figure out the right rhythm for reeling it in. If you struggle too long to pull it in, the hook will pop out, and you’ll lose the fish.

If you can pull the fish all the way toward you on shore, you’ll gain some raw fish. You can bring your catch back to a cooking area and make cooked fish, which increases your health by 45 points, adds 25 points to your stamina, heals you for 2hp/tick, and lasts for 1,200 seconds (20 minutes).

Once you learn how to farm, you can put together cooked fish and barley flour in a cauldron to make fish wraps. This meal will increase your health by 60 points, add 90 points of stamina to your total, heal you for 4hp/tick, and lasts for 2,400 seconds (40 minutes).