Fishing in Graveyard Keeper 2 only looks like a simple way to take a break from the graveyard, zombies, and endless village repairs. The first time you reach the water with a rod, you cast, start reeling, and a few seconds later the line snaps. Or the game refuses to let you fish at all even though the rod is sitting right there in your inventory.In reality, several mechanics matter at once: Farming mastery, rod quality, the selected bait, the fishing spot, and even the time of day. Every body of water also contains a limited stock of fish, so you can't pull the same species from one spot forever.In this guide, we'll cover fishing from start to finish, from obtaining your first rod to catching the four legendary fish that require Live Bait and a fairly well-developed character.
The easiest way to get your first Basic Rod is from Heffry and Jeffry. During one of their early quests, the twins ask you to bring them 6 Clay Plates. Complete the request and the Basic Rod will be one of your rewards. We've covered the brothers' entire questline separately in our Heffry and Jeffry quest guide.Image unavailableTechnically, you can craft the rod yourself after unlocking Fishing I for 15 green Tech Points. The recipe requires 3 Sticks, 2 Bronze Details, and 2 Flax Thread, and it is made at Woodworking Workbench I. There is little reason to rush this, though, because the twins give you a finished rod fairly early.Once you have the rod, make sure to place it on your hotbar. A rod sitting in your regular inventory does not count as equipped, and your character will continue complaining that they have nothing to fish with. The Basic Rod itself adds +1 Farming mastery, which is already enough to start fishing, so you don't need to level the character separately before your first attempt.
How to Fish
Find a wooden fishing platform near the water, equip a rod, and interact with the fishing spot. If you've already unlocked bait, the game will first ask you to choose one. At the beginning, you can simply leave the hook empty. Roach, Gudgeon, and Crucian at the early fishing spots will bite without any bait.After casting, don't press anything and wait for a bite. When the float goes under and a yellow exclamation mark appears, hook the fish. Don't get distracted after that: depending on the species, the reaction window lasts from roughly two seconds to less than one.Image unavailableThen comes the important part. When the fish stops fighting and you can safely pull it toward shore, hold the button. As soon as it starts struggling again, release it. If you keep pulling through resistance, the line quickly turns red and snaps. In other words, don't try to overpower the fish with one long button press. Reel during the calm phase, release during resistance, wait for the next opening, and repeat. After a few attempts, the rhythm becomes fairly obvious.
Why Does the Line Keep Snapping?
If you're doing everything correctly but the fish barely moves toward shore or constantly snaps the line, your reactions probably aren't the problem. Each fish species has its own resistance value, which is compared against your character's effective Farming mastery.The higher your mastery, the faster you pull the fish in during its calm phase. A better rod also helps the line withstand more tension. That's why it's perfectly normal to catch Roach with the Basic Rod while being completely unable to land something like Salmon.We recommend not wasting bait on fish your character clearly cannot handle yet. Come back later with a better rod, increase your mastery, and unlock the Fisherman talent. It reduces the resistance of multiple fish species by several points. We've explained the Mastery, Talents, and Inspiration systems in more detail in our Graveyard Keeper 2 progression and technology guide.
All Fishing Rods and How to Get Them
There are four fishing rods in Graveyard Keeper 2. It's best to upgrade as you unlock new bodies of water. The starting rod quickly becomes painful to use in the Port and especially when trying to catch rare swamp fish.Image unavailable
Basic Rod
The Basic Rod grants +1 Farming mastery. As mentioned above, the easiest way to obtain it is from Heffry and Jeffry in exchange for 6 Clay Plates.If you need another one, the recipe is:
Stick - 3;
Bronze Detail - 2;
Flax Thread - 2.
It is crafted at Woodworking Workbench I after researching Fishing I.
Amateur Rod
The Amateur Rod increases Farming mastery by +2 and makes medium-strength fish considerably easier to catch. We recommend upgrading to it before doing any serious fishing in the Port.You need:
Wooden Plank - 2;
Polished Bronze - 2;
Flax Thread - 4.
It is crafted at a Woodworking Workbench with a Tool Rack and requires Building mastery 6. If you don't want to craft one, the Fish Stand can sell an Amateur Rod for just 1 silver coin once it becomes available in town.
Advanced Rod
The Advanced Rod grants +4 Farming mastery and is needed for genuinely strong fish.Recipe:
Oiled Beam - 1;
Advanced Detail - 2;
Flax Thread - 8.
Crafting requires Woodworking Workbench II with a Tool Rack, Fishing III, and Building mastery 9. A level 2 Fish Stand also sells a finished rod for 5 silver coins.Image unavailable
Pro Rod
The Pro Rod is the best fishing rod in the game. It grants +6 Farming mastery and is especially useful when hunting the four legendary fish.To craft one, you need:
Special Wood - 2;
Engineering Details - 2;
Flax Thread - 16.
It is crafted at Woodworking Workbench II with a Fine Tool Rack, requires Building mastery 12, and needs the Fishing IV technology.A level 3 Fish Stand sells one for an entire gold coin. We wouldn't spend the money. You can get a Pro Rod for free from the Fisherman in the Port. First bring him 5 River fish fillets, then 5 Sea fish fillets, and finally 5 Mysterious fish fillets. He gives you his Pro Rod after the final stage.
How to Unlock Every Type of Bait
Bait in Graveyard Keeper 2 is consumed as soon as you cast. It doesn't matter whether you catch the fish, miss the hook timing, or snap the line: the bait is gone either way.Because of that, it's better to save expensive Live Bait until your character is actually capable of landing the fish you're after. There are three bait types in total.
Breadcrumb Bait
Breadcrumb Bait is unlocked with Fishing II for 40 green Tech Points. One Bread produces 4 pieces of bait at the Kitchen Table, and the recipe requires Farming mastery 2.It can attract:
Pike;
Carp;
Herring;
Bream;
Anchovy;
Mackerel;
Catfish;
Silverfin;
and several other common species.
Insect Bait
Insect Bait unlocks together with Fishing III for 120 green Tech Points. Making four pieces of bait requires 4 Fireflies at the Kitchen Table and Farming mastery 4.You'll need it for:
Tuna;
Salmon;
Trout;
Eel;
Goldfish;
Swamp Ghost.
Live Bait
Live Bait is required for the rarest fish. The recipe is:
Lacquer - 1;
Flesh - 1.
This produces 4 pieces of bait and requires Farming mastery 6. The Fishing IV technology starts hidden. After the first battle, visit Heffry and Jeffry again. The twins will tell you about a gigantic catfish they nearly caught before their weak fishing line failed. Bring them 3 Flax Thread to unlock the technology along with the Pro Rod and Live Bait recipes.Image unavailable
Where to Fish - All Fishing Spots
The game data contains six bodies of water, but only five can actually be reached. Fish are also assigned to the Sewers, but there is currently no active fishing interaction point there.Below is every available catch. Keep in mind that the listed percentage assumes the fishing spot is fully restocked. After each catch, the odds change because there are fewer fish of that species remaining in the local stock.
Inquisition Base - Near the House
The first fishing spot is west of the house and Garden. This is where we recommend learning the minigame. There are no particularly strong fish here, and most early casts don't require bait at all.
Roach - no bait, around 99% during both day and night;
Gudgeon - no bait, around 1% during the day and less than 1% at night;
Crucian - no bait, extremely rare and slightly more common at night;
Pike - Breadcrumb Bait, 100% at any time of day.
If you need your first catches for Fisher Inspiration, stay here. Roach bite one after another and count toward progression exactly the same as rare fish.
Village
Another early fishing spot is located near the Village. You can finish collecting the starting species here and later return with Live Bait for the legendary carp.
Roach - no bait, around 99% at any time;
Gudgeon - no bait, more common during the day;
Crucian - no bait, slightly more common at night;
Herring - Breadcrumb Bait, 50% during the day and around 67% at night;
Bream - Breadcrumb Bait, 50% during the day and around 33% at night;
Mythic Carp - Live Bait, 100% at any time.
If you're specifically looking for Herring, fish at night. For Bream, we recommend coming during the day instead.
Forest and Swamp Bridge
The next fishing spot is on the route from the Forest toward the Swamp, beside a narrow wooden bridge. A good rod becomes useful here. Salmon, Trout, and especially Celestial Salmon fight much harder than the starter fish.
Pike - Breadcrumb Bait, around 67% during the day and 33% at night;
Carp - Breadcrumb Bait, around 33% during the day and 67% at night;
Salmon - Insect Bait, around 33% during the day and 50% at night;
Trout - Insect Bait, around 33% during the day and 25% at night;
Goldfish - Insect Bait, around 33% during the day and 25% at night;
Celestial Salmon - Live Bait, 100% at any time.
Time of day is genuinely useful here. Pike, Trout, and Goldfish are easier to target during the day, while Carp and regular Salmon are better catches at night.
Port
The sea fishing spot is located in the Port area. Don't even bother coming here with the Basic Rod. Even if something bites, landing most local fish will be difficult.
Anchovy - Breadcrumb Bait, around 67% during the day and 33% at night;
Mackerel - Breadcrumb Bait, around 33% during the day and 67% at night;
Tuna - Insect Bait, around 67% during the day and 40% at night;
Salmon - Insect Bait, around 17% during the day and 40% at night;
Goldfish - Insect Bait, around 17% during the day and 20% at night;
Kraken Jr - Live Bait, 100% at any time.
Anchovy and Tuna are easier to catch during the day. If you're after Salmon or Mackerel, wait until night, when the odds improve noticeably.
Swamp
The Swamp fishing spot contains the strangest species in the game and also the toughest opponent in the entire minigame. We recommend coming here with plenty of Farming mastery and at least an Advanced Rod.
Frog - no bait, 100% at any time; it can also bite on Breadcrumb Bait and Insect Bait;
Catfish - Breadcrumb Bait, around 31% during both day and night;
Silverfin - Breadcrumb Bait, around 31% during both day and night;
Eel - Insect Bait, around 36% during the day and 18% at night;
Swamp Ghost - Insect Bait, around 18% during the day and 36% at night;
Elder Catfish - Live Bait, 100% at any time.
Come during the day for Eel and at night for Swamp Ghost. Catfish and Silverfin aren't affected by the time of day.
Can You Fish in the Sewers?
There is indeed one more fishing spot in the game data: the Sewers. Eel is even assigned to it with Insect Bait.
How to Catch Every Legendary Fish
There are four legendary catches in the game:
Mythic Carp - Village;
Celestial Salmon - Forest / Swamp Bridge;
Kraken Jr - Port;
Elder Catfish - Swamp.
All four react exclusively to Live Bait. There is one nice detail: if the legendary fish is still stocked in that body of water, selecting Live Bait gives you a 100% chance of hooking it. Time of day does not matter.Image unavailableYou still have to be able to land it. These four fish have resistance values ranging from 17 to 20, so don't even try with the first rod. Bring an Advanced Rod or Pro Rod, increase your Farming mastery, and unlock the Fisherman talent if possible.Catching each legendary fish for the first time also unlocks its corresponding unique cooking recipe.
Why Did the Fishing Spot Run Out of Fish?
Every fishing spot has its own limited stock. Legendary fish, for example, are stored as a single specimen, while common Roach or Frogs may have several. Once you catch one, that specimen temporarily disappears from the local pool.Fish gradually restock one at a time, but the interface does not provide a convenient exact timer.So if your character says there are no fish left here, don't stand at the water waiting for a miracle. Go to another fishing spot, work on quests, or sleep and return later. For Inspiration progression, this is still much faster than trying to squeeze the last fish out of one location.
How to Level Fishing Faster
Every successful catch advances the Fisher Inspiration. The first level requires only 3 fish, after which the thresholds gradually rise to 10, 20, 30, 50, and 100 catches.Rarity does not matter at all. One ordinary Roach advances the counter by exactly the same amount as Celestial Salmon. Because of that, we don't recommend wasting expensive bait just to level the Inspiration. Catch simple fish near the house and Village instead.Crafting bait separately advances the Inspiration associated with bait production. As you unlock new recipes, make your bait yourself rather than leaving the ingredients unused in storage.
What to Do With Caught Fish
Most ordinary fish can be processed at the Kitchen Table into River fish fillets, Sea fish fillets, or Mysterious fish fillets. These ingredients are then used for cooking and in the local Fisherman's questline.Image unavailableThe Fisherman appears in the Port area after the first battle. First, he asks for 5 River fish fillets and unlocks recipes for Sea fish dishes. He then requests 5 Sea fish fillets, unlocking Mysterious fish dishes. Finally, give him 5 Mysterious fish fillets to receive the Pro Rod.Whole fish can be sold at the Fish Stand. The shop pays a fixed price regardless of how much of the same species you've already sold, making fishing a straightforward way to turn excess catches into money.Among regular species, Eel, Swamp Ghost, and Trout sell for the most. The four legendary fish aren't accepted by the trader at all. Keep them for their unique recipes instead, because there is no one to sell them to anyway.
Fishing Tips
Don't try to unlock every fishing spot with your first rod. Roach and Gudgeon exist precisely so you can learn the mechanic and start improving Farming without much trouble. Leave the Port, Forest, and especially the rare Swamp fish for later.We also recommend carrying several extra pieces of bait. Bait is consumed when you cast rather than after a successful catch, so one mistake can easily cost you a piece of Bread, four Fireflies, or the much more valuable Lacquer and Flesh used for Live Bait.If you're hunting a specific normal fish, pay attention to the time of day. Anchovy and Tuna appear much more often during the day, Mackerel favors the night, and the Swamp pair is almost perfectly split: Eel is easier to catch during the day, while Swamp Ghost is more common at night.Legendary fish are simpler. Take Live Bait, go to the correct location, and ignore the clock. If the fishing spot has restocked, the legendary specimen will be the only possible catch with that bait.Finally, remember that a rod works like a regular tool and only grants its Mastery bonus while it is equipped on the hotbar. If you leave your best rod in the backpack while an older one is still equipped, you won't receive any bonus from the new one.
