With varying world generations, unique landscapes, and waterways present, when you roam around the world searching for what many consider the perfect spot, you’ll likely be able to catch a place that would fit your needs. While this applies to base building, in general, the same can also be said about being able to fish in Valheim. Fishing is a straightforward affair in the game in which you can only get fish through a fishing rod or if they naturally wash up on land (R.I.P spearfishing). While, in its current state, any sizeable body of water can be used to fish, there may be a few places more convenient for the player to catch some aquatic food sources, and in this list, we’ll give you a simple overview to what places can be your stomping grounds for good fish catching.

As with all Valheim lists, this was written at the time of the games’ latest version (version 0.209.10), and is based on the assumption that you are fishing in safer biomes. Places are generalized into a simple descriptive name, as no world seed is the same for every player.

4. Small Stream

These areas can be as small as a small line of water or as close, if not leading to a big river, but as long as the fish is swimming, you are sure to catch one in these parts. (YouTube Channel: Kysen)

What’s Great About the Small Stream?

While this isn’t the biggest guarantee, this is still a viable option for getting fish, especially when you don’t have a fishing rod, which is its biggest asset but is not limited to the following.

• Can allow you to grab fish earlier than expected
• May/may not need a fishing rod, depending on water size
• Nearby rocks can turn it into a fish trap

Having such a naturally narrowing waterway, it makes for a great way to trap fish, especially if they’re in larger quantities competing with space. This also is a niche thing as this setup only allows you to be able to get fish when the water is so low, but that can also decrease the chance of fish coming back to farm again, so consider this the entry point to fishing. It’s better than no fish, that’s for sure.

How to Get to the Small Stream?

• Roam around the biome until you see the map filled with a water line
• Check if the body of water has fish swimming/present in the waterway
• (Optional) create a choke point to have a fish funnel to for fishing rod-free catching

3. River

With a natural possibility of building a base here, Rivers are a good, safe, and generally accessible place fish. (YouTube Channel: Mediocre Milton)

What’s Great About the River?

A much larger body of water can only mean more fish to have around, but it also gives you a good basis for, well, a base. Back to the fishing, the rivers offer plenty for a would-be fisherman such as the following

• Plentiful chances for a fish
• Narrow rivers can have a bridge for safer fishing
• Structures can be built to funnel fish
• Rivers are usually in safer biomes

Similar to how the Small Stream works, you can do the same methods of fishing, but with a much larger and deeper waterway. While conventional fishing is the preferred method, you can do some small things to help you fish safer. Building a bridge that links one part to the other can make you a centered fishing spot that would limit the number of mobs interrupting you, increasing the odds of getting fish by conserving stamina that would otherwise be used to kill mobs.

Another positive is that, again, by having a larger waterway is that you can funnel the fish into raised chokepoints via a few creative uses of wood/stone materials to be able to get the fish, though that is a lot harder as the avenue for the fish to go around to is also bigger. Either way, a river is the best chance for a safe fishing zone.

How to Get to the River?

• Roam around the biome until you see a large waterway
• Pick out a spot that you’d put your base on or close to your base
• (Optional) Make a bridge to have an ideal fishing area
• (Optional) Create a choke point to have a fish funnel for fishing rod-free catching

2. Shoreline 

Larger pool for larger fish catching chances, the Shoreline is both perfect as a fishing area and as a potential base area. (YouTube Channel: The Ginger Empire)

What is Good About the Shoreline?

As a base area, it’s one of the best places to create a home, but for fishing, it serves as a great way to gather them as its naturally large area can give the big benefits of the following.

• Plentiful chances for larger fish
• Offers a clear path to the Ocean
• Gives a good base area

While there are only a few types of fish in Valheim, they essentially turn into a quantity of fish rather than various types. With that being said, this has a larger chance of getting the heaviest of the fish, the Tuna, which gives you 4 fish on a single catch. Having the large waterway also allows for a lot of places and spots to fish, assuming a boat is used.

How to Get to the Shoreline?

• Roam towards the edge of the land/island
• Check if the shoreline has a vast ocean in front
• Go to the deeper points of the shoreline to get better fish

1. Ocean

If for some reason you haven’t gotten fish with all these places, the last place to get fish in the Ocean biome itself. (YouTube Channel: Money)

What is Good About the Ocean?

The largest body of water in the game is also the best chance to get fish of all kinds, and even “fishes” of greater difficulty. With that in mind, the fishing spots are endless for the Ocean, with benefits also being the following.

• Best chances of getting a fish
• Plentiful fishing spots
• Can lead to more islands and other parts
• Also has a chance to encounter the Serpent

There’s not much to say but you’ll be having a fish buffet when fishing here as the vast size of the Ocean can house a lot of fish. Just be sure you’ll have your fishing rod ready as that’s the only way you’ll get fish in the deep blue sea… unless you consider the Serpent as another fish you’d want to hunt. The Serpent is a different creature compared to the fishes you hook onto your line, so prep your bows and arrows as well as the harpoon to drag and fight it to death, allowing you to get its meat for more premium meals. Scaling back the discussion to fish, the Ocean is as good as it gets towards making a lot of fish in a barrel (or rather chest) and turn makes a lot of fish for you to take on your next scouting expedition in Valheim.

How to Get to the Ocean?

• Roam towards the edge of the land/island
• Check if the shoreline has a vast ocean in front
• Sail as far as you're comfortable and fish using a fishing rod

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