Fishing is a completely new mechanic inSkyrim Anniversary Editionthat adds a Fishing mini-game,dozens of new quests, and even places to display your prized catches in player homes. It’s easy to start Fishing, and there’s a surprisingly high number of new fish and unique items that can only be acquired through this new minigame.
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In addition to being included inSkyrim Anniversary Edition, the Fishing creation can be downloaded for free forSkyrim Special Editionplayers who haven’t bought the upgrade. Whether you plan to become a master angler or not, one thing is for certain: it’s a whole lot better than catching fish with one’s bare hands. ThisSkyrimFishing Guide will help get started with this fun new feature.
Updated August 06, 2025 by Erik Petrovich: It’s been a while since Fishing was added to Skyrim, and as players have experienced more of the Creation as part of Anniversary Edition, more things are being discovered. When the Creation was originally released few realized that there are hidden bosses tied to quests in the addon, which makes progressing the Riften Fishery questline very rewarding. Fishing in Skyrim is a neat system that shines particularly in Survival Mode, but to make the most of the minigame it’s good to keep a Skyrim fishing guide handy to locate quest objectives.
How To Fish in Skyrim
When it comes to how to fish inSkyrimthere are a few things tokeep an eye out for. At the very start of the game, after leaving Helgen Keep, players arrive in Riverwood to warn the village of the Dragon attack. Thefirst Fishing Rodcan be found here, just on the outskirts of townbefore crossing the bridgethat leads to Bleak Falls Barrow and Whiterun. Pick up this Fishing Rod and look around for aninteractable object called Fishing Supplies.
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Pressing the Action button (E on PC, A on Xbox, X on PlayStation) onFishing Supplies begins the Fishing minigameafter a short fade to black. Keep in mind, though, that players cannot cast their line out in any body of water – the Fishing minigamecan only be started at designated Fishing Spotsby interacting with nearby Fishing Supplies with a Rod equipped (not just in the inventory). In Riften, players can engage with the Riften Fishery and begin quests related to the new feature, like “Catch Of The Day” and “Juvenile Mudcrab”.
Catchable Fish and Treasures
There are a huge number of new fish, aquatic creatures, and even treasures to dredge up from Skyrim’s many lakes, rivers, and oceanic shorelines. Some fish are tied to specific Fishing locations, and some can only be caught during certain times of the day or during specific weather patterns.
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With enough luck (or gear that enhances Skyrim Fishing) players may fish upunique treasures, all completely new toSkyrim. Rings, Amulets, Weapons, and other items have beenintroduced to the gamewith the Fishing update, many of which grant completely unique abilities or even grant players new spells to cast without learning them from a book.
List of Catchable Fish
In addition to the fish present in the base game (aside from Slaughterfish, which must be slain), there aremore than 20 new fishthat were added toSkyrimwith the inclusion of Fishing.
The following are all of the new fish that can be caught and cooked or used in Alchemy,some of which grant unique effectsused in new Potions.
Temperate Lakes, and Ancestor Glade
Freezing water, and Pilgrim’s Trench
Any freezing water, like around College of Winterhold
Clearpine Pond, Clearspring Tarn, Mara’s Eye Pond, Stony Creek Cave
Juvenile Mudcrab
Broken Fang Cave during “In A Punch” quest, Caught by fishing or picked up by hand near Mudcrab areas
Various streams around Skyrim
Streams around Riverwood, and Orphan’s Tear
Multiple locations, including Rivers, Lakes, and Ponds throughout Skyrim
Salmon
Multiple locations, including Rivers, Lakes, and Ponds. Also found in Riften Fishery.
Most streams in Skyrim
Castle Volkihar, Lost Knife Hideout, Reachwater Rock
List of Rare Treasures
In addition to the numerous new fish added toSkyrim, Fishing also adds ahuge number of unique itemsthat can be dredged up from lakebeds and riverbeds. These new items aremostly Rings and Amulets, items that unaware travelers might have dropped into the water long ago.
Some of these Fishing Treasures have a small chance to be found anywhere, made more likely with a Dwarven Fishing Rod, but others require players to use specific methods to find them. The following are all of these new unique items and what they do – some grant spells, some grant passive effects, and some alter the weather itself.
+15 to Speech, +40 to Max Stamina
Fire, Frost, and Shock Resistance increased by 20%
A Dagger with an enchantment to deal 25 Shock Damage
Changes the weather to Rainy while fishing
All Spell costs reduced by 10%
Increases movement speed by 10%, grants the Hide spell
Changes Sunny and Warm weather to Rainy while fishing
Magic, Shock, and Poison Resistance increased by 20%
Improves Sneak by 20%
Reward for “Clear-Headed” Quest
Ring of the Wind
Increases movement speed by 15%
Grants Water Breathing, +22 to Light and Heavy Armor
Dwarven Fishing Rod
Warlock’s Ring
Blocking creates a weak Ward spell for 25 Magic damage. Increases Health regeneration by 30% and movement speed by 5%
Part of “No Contest” Quest
New Creatures In Skyrim Fishing
There are three new creatures included in this addon, and though they aren’t the main focus of the Fishing creation they are certainly fun to encounter. Themudcrab Snippyis a pet of Virya’s, who is attempting to start a mudcrab farm. Snippy can be seen wandering around the Riften docks, usually following Viriya - it even gets older as the game goes on.
Thehorker Fangtuskis one of two new boss enemies tied to new questlines. As part of the quest “Tusked Terror” players are tasked with killing Fangtusk and receive the Vampiric Ring as a reward. TheEmperor Crab Guardian Spiritis a monstrosity that is arguably harder to defeat than Alduin. It’s nearly impossible to do damage to it normally, players instead have to resort to using special items spread around the environment.
Skyrim Fishing Tips
SkyrimFishingis pretty simple, all things considered. It’s unfortunate that playerscannot cast out a Fishing line anywherein the world, but the minigame itself is fun and useful, particularly when playing with Survival Mode enabled orfor use in Alchemy. Having said that, though, there are a few things every aspiring Angler should keep in mind when casting out for the first time.
After successfully catching a fish for the first time, players are automatically given the quest Angler Acquaintances,which guides themto a fishery in Riften. As players continue through the many Fishing-centric questlines given by Swims-In-Deep-Water they gain new gear, improve their fishing skills, and are given everything they need to truly master the rivers and lakes of Skyrim.
Useful Skyrim Fishing Mods
The Fishing minigame inSkyrimAnniversary Editionis a bit barebones - you’re able to’t fish anywhere except Fishing Supplies locations, and the minigame itself can get a bit tedious. Luckily, theSkyrimmodding community has come in to save the day with several usefulSkyrimFishing mods.
The Fish Anywhere mod in particular is nice because it only makes sense that the Dragonborn should be able to cast out their line into any body of water, not just places where another fisherman left their things. Skillful Fisherman is minor but handy for making the minigame feel more rewarding. Finally, the Fishing Map Markers mod adds markers for Fishing Spots upon discovering them, reducing one’s reliance on Fishing Maps.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Editionis available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S
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