Starsand Island Fishing Guide: Mechanics, Fish List & Fish Kings
Last updated 2026-08-25 · Based on version 1.0 and community sources — items marked “TBC” are awaiting verification.
Fishing in Starsand Island is a tension-control minigame: reel while the line is white, release the moment it turns red. Around 110 fish and aquatic creatures are spread across rivers, lakes, the coast, three open-sea zones, and the Moonlit Forest, including six legendary Fish Kings. This guide covers the minigame, the Angler profession chain, gear and facilities, and where every fish family lives.
How the Fishing Minigame Works
Watch for a fish shadow in the water and cast at it (right-click aim on PC). The first nibble is usually a fake-out — wait for the real bite before you start reeling. Then it's a tension game, confirmed by both the official guide and TechRaptor: hold to reel in, and when the line turns red, release so it doesn't snap; when it turns white again, reel. Alternate until the fish is landed. Each cast costs 10 stamina (Early Access figure). Eating Steamed Fish grants a 30-second "Never Skunked" buff — fish skip the nibbling and bite immediately. During the Junior Angler trial you can also rent a boat at Starsand Port and literally drive into fish shadows to scoop fish up.
Rods, Bait, and Facilities
- Rods: you start with the Wooden Rod, which works in any water. Named upgrades include the Noble Rod (Level 3) and the higher-tier Solar Rod. Tool rarity runs White-1, Cyan-2, Blue-3, Purple-4, Yellow-5, Red-6. The full rod stat table is only published as an image on the official site (TBC).
- Bait: three types — Bug Bait, Veggie Bait, Minced Fish Bait (some guides call the last one Meat Bait). Craft them at the Bait Maker, whose blueprint unlocks at the Dive & Reels tackle shop. Fish are picky: Moorish Idol takes Bug or Minced Fish Bait, while Tuna only takes Minced Fish Bait.
- Facilities: profession progress unlocks the Fish Trap / Fish Cage (passive catching; the quest version must go in the sea), the Small Fish Pond (raise fish, collect Fish Eggs), and the Incubator (hatch eggs, with a chance at Crystallized Scales to trade for décor at Alex's furniture shop). A Stone Fish Pond also exists per the 1.0 patch notes, so ponds come in tiers.
The Angler Profession: Five Ranks Under Francis
Fishing mentor Francis runs the Angler line: Apprentice → Junior → Intermediate → Senior → Expert.
| Rank | Key task |
|---|---|
| Apprentice | Catch any 3 fish |
| Junior | Catch a Tuna and a Moorish Idol (requires rebuilding Starsand Port to sail out) |
| Intermediate | Build a fish pond and a hatching pipeline |
| Senior | Collect 20 species of ocean fish for an ecology restoration project |
| Expert | Catch any 2 of the 6 Fish Kings |
Fishing Zones and the ~110-Species Fish List
Two independent Early Access fish tables (TechRaptor and a Steam community guide) agree on roughly 110 species across these zones:
| Zone | Species | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| River | ~30 + 2 Kings | Giant Barb, Arowana, Electric Eel, Siberian Taimen; Paddlefish (King), Arapaima (King) |
| Lake | ~24 | Koi, Alligator Gar, Chinese Perch, Lake Trout |
| Ocean (coast) | ~27 | Clownfish, Tiger Puffer, Barracuda, Lionfish — no boat needed |
| Luminwave (boat) | 5 | Tuna, Anglerfish, Mola Mola; Megamouth Shark (King) |
| Coral Sea (boat) | 5 | Humphead Wrasse, Blue Tang; Swordfish (King) |
| Celestwave (boat) | 5 | Dolphinfish, Mandarinfish; Long-barbelled Dragonfish (King) |
| Moonlit Forest — Dreamfall Garden | 4 | Pearl/Fringetail/Comet Glowfish; Glowfish (King) |
| Moonlit Forest — Darkwater Shore | 4 | Green Swordtail, Ink Phoenixfish, Glassfish |
Every fish has its own season × weather × time × bait combination — Carp is spring-sunny 6:00–20:00, Lungfish is winter-snow only, Barracuda is winter-snow 16:00–24:00. The fish day effectively runs 6:00 to 2:00. Note these tables are Early Access data; 1.0 has added content not on them (a quest Pufferfish and an event-only jellyfish are confirmed examples) (TBC). A community interactive map at starsandisland.th.gl marks fishing spots.
The Six Fish Kings
| Fish King | Where | Season / Time | Bait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddlefish | River (town waterfall) | Spr/Win · 6:00–22:00 | Bug or Veggie |
| Arapaima | River (bridge near Green Pasture Ranch) | Sum/Aut · 12:00–2:00 | Veggie or Minced Fish |
| Glowfish | Dreamfall Garden (Spore Cascade) | Autumn only · 0:00–2:00 | Bug |
| Megamouth Shark | Luminwave | All seasons · 20:00–2:00 | Minced Fish |
| Long-barbelled Dragonfish | Celestwave | All seasons · 20:00–2:00 | Minced Fish |
| Swordfish | Coral Sea | All seasons · 6:00–18:00 | Minced Fish |
The official guide recommends at least a Level 4 rod for Kings — among Level 3 rods only the Noble Rod has a slim chance. Paddlefish is the easy first King; most of the rest spawn in the 00:00–02:00 window, so players keep a Teleporter on their boat for fast night runs. A boat trip to Celestwave costs about 30 coins (player-tested).
What Changed in 1.0
Version 1.0 (August 18, 2026) lets up to four players fish together in multiplayer. The Pumpkin Carnival event added a jellyfish that only bites from the coast. The August 20 patch (v1.08.3916) fixed the Stone Fish Pond catalog entry and a wrong Pufferfish count in the "Become a Senior Angler!" quest. No per-fish price list exists anywhere yet — Early Access observations put most raw fish around 30–100 coins, which is why serious anglers process fish into fillets and grilled fish before selling.