Elderfield hides more than 80 distinct fish across its four biomes, and missing the right one can cost you a full season of merchant profit. This all fish list walks you through every river, lake, ocean, and swamp catch so you can plan your tackle, rod upgrades, and farming routes before the next weather shift.
According to the game's Steam listing, Welcome to Elderfield features a diverse aquatic cast that players can encounter throughout the various fishing zones.
Welcome to Elderfield Freshwater Fish and River Catches
Freshwater is where most newcomers wet their line, and the river systems threading through Elderfield's farmlands and forest edges hold the broadest variety of mid-tier species. According to community data, river fish make up roughly 40 percent of the total catalog and serve as the backbone of any early income strategy because they respawn quickly, accept cheap worm bait, and sell for reliable coin at the dockside merchant.
River fish behave predictably during clear mornings, with the bite rate dropping sharply once fog rolls in. Players who chain runs along the Millbrook Bend and Hollow Reed stretches report consistent hauls of trout, perch, and the occasional silver dace. The Minnow Shoal pools south of the Carpenter's Bridge also produce channel catfish on rainy afternoons, while the upper rapids near the Old Mill reward patience with stronger steelhead pulls.
| River Fish | Best Season | Preferred Weather | Peak Time | Bait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Trout | Spring, Summer | Clear | Morning | Worm |
| Silver Dace | Spring, Autumn | Clear | Afternoon | Worm |
| Channel Catfish | Summer, Autumn | Rain | Afternoon | Cheese |
| Steelhead | Autumn, Winter | Fog | Morning | Glowing Lure |
| Sunfish | Summer | Clear | Midday | Bread Crumb |
| Carp | Spring | Rain | Any | Corn |
Lake fish fill the gap between beginner river pulls and the rarer swamp or ocean species. The Mirror Lake basin and the Twin Ponds reservoir both host largemouth bass, crappie, and a handful of seasonal pike that only surface when the water temperature drops below a certain threshold. The lake ecosystem also conceals the prized Glacier Pike, a winter-only catch that commands triple the usual merchant price.
| Lake Fish | Best Season | Preferred Weather | Peak Time | Bait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Spring, Summer | Clear | Morning | Spinner Lure |
| Crappie | Spring | Clear | Afternoon | Worm |
| Northern Pike | Winter | Snow | Dawn | Minnow Bait |
| Bluegill | Summer | Clear | Midday | Bread Crumb |
| Glacier Pike | Winter | Snow | Midnight | Glowing Lure |
| Lake Sturgeon | Autumn | Fog | Dawn | Cheese |
Welcome to Elderfield Swamp Fishing and Murky Water Species
Swamp fishing is where the catalog starts feeling uncanny. The Murkwater Hollow and Blackwillow Marsh biomes carry brackish water, low visibility, and an unusually high spawn rate for Welcome to Elderfield eerie catches that you will not see in any river or lake. These are the species that eventually end up in the town occult archive, and they fetch premium prices from the dockside merchant when smoked or canned.
Swamp fish respond to fog and midnight occult storms far more aggressively than to clear weather. Players chasing the full set should stock glowing lures and bone hooks before committing to a run, because standard worm bait simply does not register with the void-touched species. The Swamp Doctor's Hut pier and the Sunken Log alcove both serve as reliable farming nodes, and the abandoned fishing platform east of the cemetery occasionally surfaces a Void Stalker that no other location can match.
| Swamp Fish | Best Season | Preferred Weather | Peak Time | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murk Eel | All | Fog | Midnight | Uncommon |
| Blackwillow Catfish | Autumn, Winter | Rain | Night | Rare |
| Bog Leech | Summer | Clear | Afternoon | Common |
| Hollowback Perch | Autumn | Fog | Midnight | Rare |
| Void Stalker | Winter | Occult Storm | Midnight | Legendary |
| Witchfin Carp | Spring | Fog | Dawn | Uncommon |
| Spectral Dace | All | Occult Storm | Midnight | Legendary |
Midnight occult storms are the single most lucrative window for swamp farming because they double the spawn rate of eerie species while also triggering treasure chest drops at the bottom of deeper pools. Reported by players on the Steam community discussions, stacking a carbon fiber rod with a weighted bobber during these storms yields the highest sell value per cast.
Welcome to Elderfield Ocean Fishing Spots and Saltwater Catches
Ocean fishing opens up once you repair the Southern Pier or unlock the Lighthouse Dock fast travel point. The saltwater catalog is smaller than freshwater but contains the highest-value fish in the game, including the Abyssal Halibut and the Coralfang Mackerel that sell for enough coin to fund a full rod upgrade cycle in a single sitting. According to the official Steam store page for Welcome to Elderfield, ocean catches are gated behind tidal patterns, which means you cannot simply fish whenever you want; you have to wait for the right window.
Saltwater fish hit harder than any freshwater counterpart, and a weak rod will snap within a few casts. The bobber minigame also shifts slightly in the ocean because wave motion adds a constant pull that you have to compensate for by easing the tension bar during peak swell. Players recommend the carbon fiber rod as the minimum entry point for serious ocean fishing, with the eldritch bone rod reserved for the legendary void squid encounter at the wreck site.
| Ocean Fish | Best Season | Preferred Weather | Peak Time | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mackerel | Spring, Summer | Clear | Morning | Common |
| Blue Cod | Autumn | Rain | Afternoon | Uncommon |
| Coralfang Mackerel | Summer | Clear | Dawn | Rare |
| Abyssal Halibut | Winter | Storm | Midnight | Legendary |
| Tidal Salmon | Spring | Clear | Morning | Uncommon |
| Sunken Lobster | All | Clear | Any | Common |
| Void Squid | Winter | Occult Storm | Midnight | Legendary |
| Brine Shark | Autumn | Storm | Night | Legendary |
For a deeper breakdown of how weather shifts affect rare ocean spawns, the rare fish catch rates guide covers the exact timing windows and lure pairings that veteran anglers use to chain legendary pulls.
Welcome to Elderfield Eerie Catches and Legendary Void Fish
The eerie tier represents roughly 15 percent of the total catalog and behaves nothing like the standard fish you find in the river, lake, swamp, or ocean. These species are tied to occult weather events, midnight timing, and specific biome conditions, and they are the only catches that count toward the occult archive donation questline. Missing even one of them blocks the related NPC reward, so tracking down the full eerie set is a real grind.
Eerie fish also demand upgraded gear. A standard bamboo rod will not survive a void squid encounter, and most eerie pulls will snap a weak line within seconds. The carbon fiber rod paired with a weighted bobber is the practical minimum, while the eldritch bone rod unlocks the full tension tolerance you need for the longest fights. If you want a complete walkthrough on rod tiers and tackle synergies, the fishing guide explains the upgrade path and which bobber weights match which fish class.
| Eerie Fish | Biome | Trigger Condition | Sell Value | Archive Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Void Stalker | Swamp | Occult Storm + Midnight | 850g | Voidcaller Title |
| Spectral Dace | Swamp | Occult Storm + Midnight | 600g | 200 Archive Points |
| Abyssal Halibut | Ocean | Storm + Midnight | 1200g | Deep One Emote |
| Void Squid | Ocean | Occult Storm + Midnight | 1500g | Squidward's Hat |
| Hollowback Perch | Swamp | Fog + Midnight | 700g | 150 Archive Points |
| Brine Shark | Ocean | Storm + Night | 2000g | Leviathan Tooth |
| Eldritch Eel | River | Fog + Midnight | 900g | River Wraith Title |
| Bonefish | Lake | Snow + Midnight | 1100g | Frostkeeper Emote |
Community testing on the Steam Discussions board suggests that pairing glowing lures with cheese bait during occult storms produces the most consistent eerie pulls, while bread and corn bait rarely register at all. Players also note that selling these catches through the dockside merchant yields roughly 30 percent more coin than the regular town market, so it pays to plan your route around the pier rather than the central plaza.
How to Plan Your Seasonal Fishing Route
Mapping out a seasonal route matters more than any single rod upgrade because the Welcome to Elderfield all fish list shifts dramatically every 28 in-game days. Spring opens up the most balanced catalog, with river, lake, and ocean species all sharing roughly equal spawn rates, while summer tilts heavily toward warm-water catches. Autumn is widely considered the best overall farming season because the fog and rain events overlap with rare spawn windows, and winter is the prime time for legendary eerie pulls even though the standard catalog shrinks.
| Season | Top Farming Biome | Best Target Fish | Best Weather | Coin Potential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | River, Lake | Trout, Crappie, Tidal Salmon | Clear, Rain | High |
| Summer | Lake, Swamp | Largemouth Bass, Bog Leech, Mackerel | Clear | Medium |
| Autumn | River, Swamp | Steelhead, Blackwillow Catfish, Brine Shark | Fog, Storm | Very High |
| Winter | Ocean, Swamp | Abyssal Halibut, Void Squid, Void Stalker | Storm, Occult | Legendary Tier |
If you want to track which seasonal catches are still missing from your collection, the selling fish profit guide breaks down the aquarium tank mechanics and the collection bundle rewards that unlock once you complete a full biome set.
Bait, Lure, and Rod Pairings for Every Fish Class
The right tackle pairing can cut your catch time in half, and the wrong one will see you burn through bait with nothing to show for it. The catalog is broadly divided into three fish classes based on the tension behavior you encounter during the bobber minigame: light, medium, and heavy. Light fish dart quickly but tire out fast, medium fish pull steadily, and heavy fish will break your line if you hold full tension for more than two seconds.
| Fish Class | Recommended Rod | Bobber Weight | Best Bait | Lure Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light (Trout, Dace, Sunfish) | Bamboo | Light | Worm, Bread | None |
| Medium (Bass, Pike, Salmon) | Carbon Fiber | Medium | Cheese, Minnow | Spinner Lure |
| Heavy (Catfish, Sturgeon, Eel) | Carbon Fiber | Heavy | Cheese, Glowing Lure | Glowing Lure |
| Legendary (Void Squid, Brine Shark, Abyssal Halibut) | Eldritch Bone | Heavy | Glowing Lure | Glowing Lure + Bone Hook |
Eldritch bone rods are gated behind the occult archive donation questline, so you will not be able to craft one until you have turned in at least a few eerie catches. Most players report that farming the swamp during autumn fog events is the fastest way to unlock the recipe, because the spawn rate for eerie species spikes just before the winter solstice.
Tips for Completing the Full Catalog Faster
Finishing the full Welcome to Elderfield all fish list takes most players between 40 and 60 in-game hours, but a few habits can shave that down significantly. The first is to fish during weather transitions rather than at the peak of a single event, because the spawn table rolls over as the new weather state loads and rare fish become briefly more common. The second is to keep at least one stack of every bait type in your tackle box so you can switch immediately when you notice a new species biting. The third is to donate every legendary catch to the occult archive instead of selling it, because the archive rewards include permanent bonuses like increased spawn rates and access to the eldritch bone rod recipe.
Tracking your seasonal progress is also worth the effort, because the game does not surface a clean completion percentage anywhere in the menu. Players on the Steam community boards have shared spreadsheet templates that break the catalog down by biome, season, and weather trigger, which makes it much easier to spot the few remaining species you still need to hunt. If you want a more granular seasonal breakdown, the summer fish list covers the warm-weather catches in detail, including bait crafting recipes and worm farming tips.
For broader context on how fishing ties into the rest of the game's systems, the townsfolk guide explains which NPCs care about specific fish donations and how the romanceable cast reacts to your angling reputation. Building relationships with the right villagers can unlock unique tackle upgrades that you cannot buy anywhere else, including the prized Bone Hook accessory that prevents line snapping during legendary encounters.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many fish are in the full Welcome to Elderfield all fish list?
The catalog currently contains 84 unique fish spread across the river, lake, swamp, and ocean biomes. This total includes 12 legendary eerie catches that only appear during occult weather events, and the count has grown with each major content patch since launch.
What is the rarest fish in Welcome to Elderfield?
The Brine Shark holds the current top rarity tier because it requires an autumn storm, a midnight time window, and the eldritch bone rod to land without snapping your line. It also commands the highest dockside merchant price at 2000 gold per catch.
Can I catch every fish in a single season?
No, because the spawn table is locked to in-game season, weather, and time of day. The fastest realistic path to full completion is to chain autumn and winter together, since those seasons cover the largest share of rare and legendary spawn windows.
Does bait type really matter for rare fish?
Yes, because rare and eerie species will not register a bite on the wrong bait. Glowing lures paired with cheese or minnow bait cover most legendary encounters, while standard worm and bread bait only attract common river and lake fish.
Where do I sell legendary fish for the best price?
The dockside merchant south of the Lighthouse offers the best payouts across the entire game, including a 30 percent bonus over the central town market. The merchant restocks every in-game week, so you can clear your full inventory in a single visit if you time your run right.