Rune Factory 4 Special: Complete Guide To Fishing

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  • How To Fish
  • Fishing Locations
  • Fishing Tips

Early on in Rune Factory 4, you will be given the request to obtain a fish and deliver it to Vishnal, one of the butlers in training who lives on the western wing of the castle. To this end, you will be presented with a fishing rod and told to go catch something for him.

This unlocks the whole world of fishing and it's a surprisingly deep mechanic. There is a large range of different fish to find and there are many factors that go into what fish are available to you.

How To Fish

You know that you can fish when you pass by a body of water that has a fish-shaped shadow swimming inside it. These come in four varieties based on the fish's size but it's otherwise impossible to know what fish it is until you reel it in.

Equip your fishing rod from the menu and cast your line into the water. If your lure hits the fish it will be startled, but it will not swim away forever – it'll just take a moment to turn around again.

When a fish is attracted to your lure, it will slowly move towards it and nibble at it for a very short moment before backing up. It can do this a maximum of five times before it finally takes a bite. When it bites, you will see splashes of water around your lure – press the action button as soon as you possibly can.

If you are successful, you will reel the fish in and the game will tell you how big it is and whether it's the largest or smallest example of that fish that you've caught.

Fishing Locations

You can fish all over the place in Rune Factory 4 – whenever there's a body of water you can be sure that fish can spawn in it. While most fishing locations have a static list of fish that can be caught there, Selphia is unique in that the fishing spots around town will change with the passing of the seasons.

Each table below details the fish at certain locations. To jump to a specific area, use this table to be directed there immediately.

Selphia (Spring) Selphia (Summer) Selphia (Fall) Selphia (Winter)
Selphia Plains Autumn Road Sercerezo Hill Silver Arch
Yokmir Forest Water Ruins Idra Cave Maya Road
Sechs Territory

Selphia (Spring)

Location Fish
Castle Gate Char, Cherry Salmon, Crucian Carp, Gibelio, Girella, Mackerel, Needlefish, Masu Trout, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Squid
Dragon Lake Char, Cherry Salmon, Crucian Carp, Gibelio, Girella, Lamp Squid, Lobster, Mackerel, Masu Trout, Needlefish, Rainbow Trout Sardine, Skipjack, Snapper, Squid, Throbby Snapper, Turbot, Legendary Scale
Housing Area Char, Cherry Salmon, Crucian Carp, Girella, Glitter Snapper, Mackerel, Masu Trout, Needlefish, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Snapper, Squid, Throbby Snapper
Melody Street Char, Chub, Cherry Salmon, Crucian Carp, Gibelio, Girella, Mackerel, Masu Trout, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Skipjack, Squid, Taimen

Selphia (Summer)

Location Fish
Castle Gate Char, Chub, Crucian Carp, Girella, Mackerel, Pike, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Shrimp, Snapper, Squid, Turbot, Glitter Snapper, Lamp Squid, Lobster, Tuna, Yellowtail, Dragon Fin
Dragon Lake Char, Cherry Salmon, Crucian Carp, Girella, Lamp Squid, Masu Trout, Needlefish, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Skipjack, Snapper, Squid, Taimen, Throbby Snapper, Turbot, Pike, Shrimp
Housing Area Char, Chub, Crucian Carp, Girella, Lobster, Mackerel, Pike, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Shrimp, Squid, Throbby Snapper, Turbot
Melody Street Char, Chub, Crucian Carp, Girella, Lobster, Pike, Sardine, Shrimp, Taimen, Tuna, Turbot, Yellowtail

Selphia (Fall)

Location Fish
Castle Gate Squid, Mackerel, Pike, Sardine, Turbot, Salmon, Girella, Chub
Dragon Lake Char, Crucian Carp, Glitter Snapper, Girella, Lamp Squid, Pike, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Salmon, Shrimp, Squid
Housing Area Gibelio, Girella, Pike, Mackerel
Melody Street Chub, Mackerel, Pike, Salmon, Sardine, Skipjack

Selphia (Winter)

Location Fish
Castle Gate Cherry Salmon, Gibelio, Girella, Lobster, Mackerel, Needlefish, Pond Smelt, Sardine, Snapper, Squid, Legendary Scale
Dragon Lake Cherry Salmon, Chub, Flounder, Gibelio, Girella, Glitter Snapper, Lamp Squid, Lobster, Mackerel, Needlefish, Pond Smelt, Sardine, Snapper, Squid, Throbby Snapper, Tuna, Yellowtail
Housing Area Blowfish, Girella, Lobster, Mackerel, Needlefish, Pike, Salmon, Sardine, Squid, Yellowtail
Melody Street Cherry Salmon, Chub, Girella, Mackerel, Needlefish, Pond Smelt, Squid, Tuna

Selphia Plains

Location Fish
Summer Spring Char, Chub, Crucian Carp, Gibelio, Girella, Glitter Snapper, Lamp Squid, Lobster, Mackerel, Pike, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Shrimp, Taimen, Throbby Snapper, Tuna, Turbot, Yellowtail
Keeno Lake Char, Chub, Crucian Carp, Girella, Dragon Fin, Lamp Squid, Lobster, Mackerel, Pike, Rainbow Trout, Salmon, Sardine, Shrimp, Sunsquid, Taimen, Throbby Snapper, Tuna, Turbot, Yellowtail
Lilypad Area 1 Crucian Carp, Gibelio, Girella, Mackerel, Pike, Rainbow Trout, Shrimp, Tuna, Turbot
Lilypad Area 2 Crucian Carp, Girella, Mackerel, Pike, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Shrimp, Turbot, Yellowtail

*To access the second Lilypad Area, you must enter from the first Lilypad Area using the Water Shoes.

Autumn Road

Location Fish
Autumn Spring Chub, Crucian Carp, Dragon Fin, Fall Flounder, Gibelio, Girella, Glitter Snapper, Lamp Squid, Mackerel, Pike, Salmon, Sardine, Skipjack, Snapper, Squid, Sunsquid, Taimen, Throbby Snapper, Tuna, Turbot
Autumn River Chub, Fall Flounder, Gibelio, Girella, Lamp Squid, Mackerel, Pike, Salmon, Sardine, Skipjack, Snapper, Squid, Throbby Snapper, Turbot
Lilypad Area 1 Chub, Crucian Carp, Mackerel, Pike, Skipjack, Taimen, Turbot
Lilypad Area 2 Gibelio, Girella, Mackerel, Pike, Salmon, Sardine, Skipjack, Tuna, Turbot

*To access the Lilypad Areas, you need to visit the area to the right of Autumn River while there is a thunderstorm. This will knock trees down, allowing you to access the areas.

Silver Arch

Location Fish
Winter Spring Blowfish, Cherry Salmon, Chub, Fall Flounder, Flounder, Gibelio, Girella, Lobster, Mackerel, Needlefish, Pond Smelt, Sardine, Squid, Sunsquid, Yellowtail
Silver Lake Blowfish, Cherry Salmon, Chub, Fall Flounder, Gibelio, Girella, Lobster, Mackerel, Needlefish, Pond Smelt, Sardine, Squid, Sunsquid, Yellowtail
Lilypad Area 1 Cherry Salmon, Chub, Fall Flounder, Flounder, Girella, Mackerel, Pond Smelt, Sardine, Squid, Yellowtail
Lilypad Area 2 Cherry Salmon, Girella, Lobster, Mackerel, Needlefish, Pond Smelt, Sardine, Snapper, Squid, Throbby Snapper

*To access the second Lilypad Area, you must enter from the first Lilypad Area using the Water Shoes.

Sercerezo Hill

Location Fish
Spring Spring Cherry Salmon, Crucian Carp, Dragon Fin, Fall Flounder, Gibelio, Girella, Legendary Scale, Lobster, Masu Trout, Needlefish, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Snapper, Squid, Sunsquid, Taimen
Sercerezo Lake Char, Cherry Salmon, Crucian Carp, Girella, Legendary Scale, Mackerel, Masu Trout, Sardine, Squid
Lilypad Area 1 Cherry Salmon, Crucian Carp, Lamp Squid, Lobster, Mackerel, Masu Trout, Needlefish, Skipjack, Squid
Lilypad Area 2 Cherry Salmon, Crucian Carp, Gibelio, Girella, Mackerel, Masu Trout, Rainbow Trout, Squid
Sand Pond Sand Flounder, Rockfish

*To access the second Lily Pad area, clear the first Lilypad Area of monsters and then flip the invisible switch that spawns on the left-hand side of the map. It will activate a teleporter that takes you to the island.

Yokmir Forest

Location Fish
Waterfall Area Blowfish, Char, Cherry Salmon, Chub, Crucian Carp, Gibelio, Mackerel, Rainbow Trout, Round Stone, Taimen
Lilypad Area Char, Chub, Crucian Carp, Flounder, Gibelio, Girella, Mackerel, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Turbot

Water Ruins

Location Fish
Left Wing Snapper, Throbby Snapper, Girella, Pike, Mackerel, Cherry Salmon, Masu Trout, Crucian Carp, Pond Smelt
Right Wing Needlefish, Shrimp, Squid, Masu Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cherry Salmon, Char, Pike

Idra Cave

Location Fish
Ground Floor Char, Cherry Salmon, Chub, Crucian Carp, Gibelio, Girella, Lamp Squid, Legendary Scale, Lobster, Mackerel, Masu Trout, Needlefish, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Snapper, Throbby Snapper, Squid, Sunsquid, Taimen, Turbot
B1 Chub, Crucian Carp, Lamp Squid, Lobster, Mackerel, Sardine, Shrimp, Snapper
B2 Char, Crucian Carp, Lamp Squid, Shrimp, Snapper, Squid, Sunsquid, Taimen

Maya Road

Location Fish
Floor 2 Blowfish, Char, Cherry Salmon, Chub, Crucian Carp, Fall Flounder, Flounder, Girella, Lamp Squid, Lobster, Legendary Scale, Mackerel, Masu Trout, Needlefish, Pike, Pond Smelt, Rainbow Trout, Salmon, Sardine, Shrimp, Skipjack, Snapper, Squid, Sunsquid, Taimen, Tuna, Turbot, Yellowtail, Throbby Snapper

Sechs Territory

Location Fish
Cave Blowfish, Char, Cherry Salmon, Chub, Flounder, Gibelio, Girella, Mackerel, Needlefish, Pond Smelt, Rainbow Trout, Sardine, Skipjack, Squid, Sunsquid, Taimen, Tuna, Turbot

Fishing Tips

There are a few things you can do to make sure you have as much success as possible when fishing in Rune Factory 4.

  • Upgrade your rod whenever you can. Better rods can reach better charge levels and they have a lower chance of fishing up trash items like cans and boots.
  • When taking part in the Fishing Frenzy event, you will need over 20-23 fish to be able to beat Dylas.
  • Catching lots of fish is great for leveling up your Cooking skill once you have the various sashimi recipes learned.
  • While going for large fish shadows is a good strategy for catching rarer fish, be aware that some high-value items like Legendary Scales will always have small shadows.
  • Fish all the time. Leveling up your Fishing skill will not only give you better timing windows for fishing up rare fish, but it will also contribute to your RP and INT stats.
  • You can check out your fishing trophies in the basement of your home.

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