The Sims 4 Fishing Skill
Bait, Fish List, & Guide to The Best Fishing Spots
This Guide to Fishing will help you Catch Every Fish
The Sims 4's Fishing Skill allows your Sim to catch fish and make loads of fast cash. Completing the Fish Collection is a goal many Simmers would like to achieve, and I aim to help with that by providing fishing spots for the hardest to catch fish. We'll also go over what you can do to make your fishing efforts better, and other useful things you can catch other than the fish themselves. If you already know about the skill and want to see the Fish themselves, Jump to the Fish List, but also read the Best Fishing Spots section below it!
Getting Started in Fishing
Head to one of the signs next to a body of water. This is a fishing spot, and will allow your Sim to start developing the skill. As you level, not a lot unlocks, but know that your chances of catching the most valuable fish increase substantially with each level. Know that to fully complete your Fish Collection, you will need level 10 Handiness as there is a Fish that lies in the hidden area of Forgotten Grotto that can only be accessed with Level 10 Handiness. The other area, Sylvan Glade, also has rare fish but is accessible to all Sims.
Unlocking Angler's Tranquility makes Fishing Therapeutic for Sims
Good Traits & Aspirations for Fishing
- Genius - This will help Sims get Focused, which can be amplified a bit by the Trait below when Sims' Needs are also met. Don't select it just for this unless you will also pursue Mental Skills, as Geniuses get upset if they do not work on those types of Skills for a time. However, Angler's Tranquility from the Angling Ace Aspiration can make the negative Moodlet from this go away!
- Loves Outdoors - This will help your Sim be Happy when Outdoors, and being Happy is believed to help increase Skill gains. It will also work with any other Positive Moodlets and let your Sim fish a little longer before their needs send them home.
- Angling Ace Aspiration - Completing this Aspiration will get you a load of Satisfaction, while also making Negative Moodlets disappear while fishing throug the Angler's Tranquility Reward Trait.
Sylvan Glade offers two Great Fishing Spots - Read on Hidden Areas
Skill Unlocks
Here are the few things that unlock as you raise your Sim's Fishing Skill Level:
- Level 1 - Catch Fish, Mount them, and put them in Fish Bowls
- Level 2 - Catch Bass, Koi, and Trout
- Level 3 - Fish with Bait
- Level 4 - Can Catch Catfish and Tilapia
- Level 5 - Gains the Examine Water ability on Fishing Spots and catch more rare fish like the skeleton fish, "Captain Fishbones" Bonefish.
- Level 6 - Can Catch Rainbow Fish
- Level 7 - Can "Catch a mysterious Fish that lurks in the depths of each Fishing Spot". I believe this means Anglerfish.
Fish Bowls let your Fish shrink and become Immortal! :P
Putting Fish in Bowls
You may want to keep some of your catches alive. To do this, you must first find a Fish Bowl in Buy Mode > Objects by Room > Study > Indoor Activities. You can also search Fit4Fish. The bowl costs $60 and will magically shrink fish to accommodate them, while also making them immortal. The Freshness of the Fish does not matter: a rotten, dead fish will live on to serve as decoration for your home.
Mounting Fish
To Mount a Fish, click it in your Inventory. Each will create Confident Decor based on the catch, from 2-4 each. Mounting or putting 15 fish in Fish Bowls is part of the Angling Ace Aspiration.
Click to Enlarge. Mounted Fish give off a Confident Aura.
Fishing with Bait
In The Sims 4, Fish do not require specific bait, but rather types of Bait. Fishing with Bait is better than without and seems to give you a better rate of catches, regardless. Certain types of Fish will only reliably appear at a Fishing Spot if your Sim is using bait. Bait types for each Fish that require it are discussed in the Fish List, below.
To get bait, you can harvest wild plants or pursue Gardening yourself. If you plant some for catching Fish, go for something that grows fast like herbs, as you want big stacks so you don't run out. Additionally, you can use your own catches as bait - some Fish want a medium-sized fish, like the Catfish, which itself eats any kind of Plant Bait. A recommend means of bait for one Rare Fish is to Look for Frogs in Ponds (Parks in Oasis Springs and Willow Creek have them). It's not super-reliable and requires you to queue up the action many times, but it's one of the best ways to get up stacks of specific types of frogs for using them as bait. Ideally, you want at least 4-5 in a stack so that you do not immediately run out of bait once you start fishing. The Ponds are a great way to get common Frogs, for the fish do not care about the rarity of the frog.
Frogs are Bait for Wolf Eels, and Ponds are a Great Place to Find Them
Examine Water
When you use this ability, which is best done when Focused, you will get an idea of what Rare types of Fish at that spot prefer you to use as bait. If it says Organic, there are Catfish that prefer plants. If it says the Fish are at the top of the food chain, it means they want Medium Fish like Salmon, Catfish, and Bass as bait. As a Forum member noted, you can also observe the fish jumping out of the water to see the types of fish available there. Many Fishing Spots are exactly the same, so there's little point to going to various Neighborhoods in the game or even checking another Fishing Spot in the same area. Finding a good spot that has the fish you want for Cooking or making money is all you really need to do to be successful.
Fish List
The Fish Collection in The Sims 4
Fish List for Collectors
If you want to complete your Fish Collection, this is the list for you. Here are all the Fish and a good Fishing Spot for each Rare and Uncommmon, with Icons so that you can tell what Fish are missing.
The Sims 4 Fish List and Fishing Spots
| Picture | Fish Type | Size | Rarity | Value* | Fishing Spot & Bait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bass | M | Common | $16-$70 | Available in most Fishing Spots |
 | Cichlid | S | Common | $10-$20 | Caught at most fishing spots. Magnolia Promenade (GTW) is a good one, as well as fishing spots in Willow Creek's bottom-right neighborhood. |
 | Goldfish | S | Common | $12-$15 | Found in Ponds in Willow Creek and Oasis Springs' Parks |
 | Guppy | S | Common | $7-$10 | Found in Pond in Oasis Springs Park |
 | Koi | M | Common | $24-$37 | Found in Ponds in Willow Creek and Oasis Springs' Parks |
 | Minnow | S | Common | $7-$9 | Available in most Fishing Spots |
 | Perch | S | Common | $10-$13 | Available in most Fishing Spots |
 | Salmon | L | Common | $90-$342 | Available in most Fishing Spots |
 | Tetra | S | Common | $6-$11 | River at Willlow Creek Park |
 | Trout | M | Common | $19-$113 | Found in Pond in Oasis Springs Park |
 | Walleye | M | Common | $22-81 | Outdoor Retreat Game Pack. Caught in most Granite Falls Fishing Spots |
 | Yellow Perch | M | Common | $24-43 | Outdoor Retreat Game Pack. Caught in most Granite Falls Fishing Spots |
 | Angelfish | S | Uncommon | $14-$20 | Rivers in Willow Creek |
 | Betta | S | Uncommon | $11-$20 | Pond in Willow Creek Park |
 | Catfish | M | Uncommon | $43-$107 | Use Plants as Bait. Found very commonly in Rivers. |
 | Discus | M | Uncommon | $35-50 | Spa Day Game Pack. Caught near the businesses in both Willow Creek and Oasis Springs |
 | Exotic Goldfish | S | Uncommon | $30-60 | Spa Day Game Pack. Sylvan Glade's waterfall fishing spot |
 | Kissing Gourami | S | Uncommon | $16-$18 | Found commonly in Rivers. |
 | Tilapia | M | Uncommon | $54-$62 | Found in Sylvan Glades, Waterfall Area. |
 | Wolf Eel | L | Uncommon | $108-$364 | Use Frog as Bait. Found in Forgotten Grotto. |
 | Red Crawdad | S | Uncommon | $11-16 | Outdoor Retreat Game Pack. Found in most Granite Falls Fishing Spots |
 | Anglerfish | M | Rare | $38-$1630 | Use Bass, Salmon, or Catfish as Bait. Found in Forgotten Grotto and Sylvan Glade Ponds. |
 | Batfish | M | Rare | $119-$278 | Found Commonly in Forgotten Grotto. |
 | "Captain Fishbones" Bonefish | S | Rare | $10-$25 | Magnolia Promenade (Get To Work), Oasis Spring's Park, Sylvian Glades (Willow Creek), Hermit's Secret Location (Outdoor Retreat) |
 | Gummie Guppie | S | Rare | $15-30 | Magnolia Promenade (GTW), Oasis Spring's Park, Sylvan Glade waterfall, Hermit's Secret Location (Outdoor Retreat) |
 | Piranha | S | Rare | $19-$27 | Use Koi, Bass, Catfish, Rainbowfish, and other Medium Fish as bait. These are caught somewhat regularly in the pool at the back of Oasis Springs Park (not the pond, see below), and occassionally the pond in Willow Creek. As with all Rare catches, it may take higher than Fishing Level 7 to catch. This one most definitely requires bait to come up reliably. |
 | Rainbowfish | M | Rare | $65-$85 | Found in Forgotten Grotto and the Waterfall in Sylvan Glade. |
 | Red-Tailed Black Shark | S | Rare | $18-$22 | Use Small Fish as Bait. Found in Pond in Willow Creek Park. |
 | Sturgeon | L | Rare | $140-$3000 | Found at pool in back of Oasis Springs Park, Pond in Willow Creek Park, as well as Forgotten Grotto. |
 | Treefish | M | Rare | $151-$375 | Found at Pond in Willow Creek Park, Sylvan Glade Pond. |
 | Blue Crawdad | S | Rare | $50-81 | Outdoor Retreat Game Pack. Found in Deep Woods of Granite Falls (Waterfall Spot) |
 | Mountain Lionfish | L | Rare | $166-$900 | Outdoor Retreat Game Pack. Found in Deep Woods of Granite Falls (Waterfall Spot) |
* Values listed are based on our catches. You may find them higher or lower. Sturgeon is the most profitable Fish, hands down.
Outdoor Retreat Fish Additions
Seen in the table above, Outdoor Retreat adds 5 new catches to the Fish List. You'll find Walleye, Yellow Perch, Red and Blue Crawdads, and the extremely valuable Mountain Lionfish. The last two are rare and are likely only caught in the Deep Woods, at the Waterfall spot near the Hermit's House. Mountain Lionfish can be low value, or nearly $1k in value. They do not require any particular bait to catch.
Many Fishing Spots offer the Same Fish.
Four other Spots can help you Finish your Fish Collection
Where to Catch Every Fish (List/Maps of all Fishing Spots)
Playalot, Mr and Mrs. Flynn Arrowstarr created the following PDF which shows all neighborhoods, and the types of fishing spots you can find there. At the bottom, there is a list of the types of fish found in the various types of spawners. I have plans to convert this to HTML, but for now will just let people view it in this format as that may take some time.
Learn More
- Cheats - Gameplay, testing, and building cheats
- Careers - All job levels, promotions and rewards
- Skills - All skills, ideal moods, and their benefits
- Expansions, Stuff, and Game Packs - All Sims DLC Features
- Babies - Caring for an infant in The Sims 4
- Children - School grades and child skills
- Tips - Gameplay tips and tricks
- Sims' Needs - Caring for your Sims
- Money - Ways of making money in The Sims 4
- Building Tutorials - Learn tricks to make your houses look great.
- Get to Work: Open for Business - running a business
- Emotions - Getting your Sims in the right mood
- Relationships and Weddings
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