How to Fish Guide anchor logoHow to Fish
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The boat crossing open water toward the next island at sunset

Islands & Map

All 5 Islands, Unlock Order & What's On EachHow to Fish — Islands & Map

How to Fish is played across five islands in a fixed order, and nearly every "where do I go" question comes down to one unlock rule. This page maps the whole game: the five islands, how you travel between them, how each one is unlocked, and what you'll find when you get there. If you've killed a boss and the map hasn't changed, the unlock rule section below explains exactly why.

Beginner's GuideBosses

The Island Chain at a Glance

The chain is strictly linear: you unlock each island in order and can't skip ahead. Each island is a step up in creature difficulty, bait tier, and gear cost, so there's never a reason to rush past one.

  1. 1

    Lighthouse

    Rocky shore, a white lighthouse

    Where you start

    Spider Crab

  2. 2

    Forest

    Trees, a lake, a swamp

    Complete the Lighthouse quest

    Giant Piranha

  3. 3

    Desert

    Sand, trees, a vacation cabin and grill

    Complete the Forest quest

    Pufferfish

  4. 4

    Rocks

    Rocky shore, a casino building

    Complete the Desert quest

    Terrorizing Bird

  5. 5

    Volcano

    A volcano, a military/research base

    Complete the Rocks quest

    Mutated Bowhead Whale

How Travel & Unlocking Works

The unlock rule — every island runs on it

  1. 1

    Do the NPC's quest

  2. 2

    Beat the boss

  3. 3

    Hand the drop back

  4. 4

    Next coordinates appear

The step people miss is the hand-in. Beating the boss is only half the job — whatever it drops (a shell, a head, a fin) has to go back to the NPC who gave the quest. If you've beaten a boss and the map still looks the same, open your inventory, find the named boss drop, and return it to that NPC. That single step is the cause of most "I'm stuck" reports in this game.

The boat and the radar

The boat is your only way between islands. You get it after finishing the first island — the Lighthouse Keeper hands over the boat keys once you return the Spider Crab Shell. The Radar (10 coins from the same Keeper) shows the coordinates of the next island; without it you're sailing blind. Later you can upgrade the boat's engine to cross the sea faster — that's covered on the Weapons & Gear page.

Weapons & Gear

Going back

Once an island is unlocked it stays unlocked. You can sail back to any earlier island to grind coins, complete the fishing collection, or re-fight an elite boss. Nothing is permanently missable.

The Islands, One by One

The Lighthouse island: a rocky shore with a white lighthouse and a small cabin
01

Lighthouse

The tutorial island where you wash up after the boat crash: a rocky shore with a white lighthouse and a small cabin. This is where you learn the loop — pick clams, sell them to the Lighthouse Keeper, buy your first rod, and catch your first crustaceans (Rock Crab, Shrimp, Lobster).

Facility
The Anvil, next to the lighthouse door, upgrades your Knife to 20 damage.
Story boss
The Spider Crab, summoned with an Empty Beer Can.
Leaving
Hand the Spider Crab Shell to the Keeper for the boat keys, then sail to Island 2.
Fish & CreaturesBosses
The Forest island: trees, a lake, and the swamp where you gather leeches
02

Forest

Trees, a lake, and a swamp — the wetland area where you gather leeches for the Forest Lady's quest. This is where fishing opens up with a much wider variety of catches, and where you first get explosives.

Facility
A shop that sells Dynamite — handy for lazy fishing and for launching the boat.
Story boss
The Giant Piranha, summoned with a Modified Leech.
Elite
The Old Pike (Beginner Boss Lure).
Leaving
Beat the Giant Piranha and hand in what it drops for the coordinates to Island 3.
Weapons & Gear
The Desert island: sand, a lake, and the vacation cabin with the grill
03

Desert

Sand, a lake, and a vacation cabin. The mid-game income step happens here: the Grill.

Facility
The Grill, unlocked through the Grillmaster quest — bring a Blue Shark and you can cook fish for roughly 1.5x their sell value. Cooking is a major money multiplier, so it's worth doing before you move on.
Story boss
The Pufferfish, triggered with a Carrot.
Elite
Blue Shark (Standard Boss Lure).
Leaving
Beat the Pufferfish and return its fin to the Tourist for the coordinates to Island 4.
The Rocks island: a rocky shore dominated by the casino building
04

Rocks

A rocky shore dominated by a casino building. This is the gambling island — and the first real "spend wisely" test.

Facility
The Casino — the Reel of Fortune slot machine and a roulette wheel. It only uses in-game coins and fish, never real money. It's entirely optional.
Story boss
The Terrorizing Bird, a giant bird summoned with a Tuna. The scared islanders on this island are the ones you're defending.
Boss-tier catch
Tuna (Professional Boss Lure), which is also the bird's summon bait.
Leaving
Beat the bird and hand its head back for the coordinates to Island 5.
Economy & Gambling
The Volcano island: the volcano with the military and research base at its foot
05

Volcano

The final stretch: a volcano with a military/research base, and no water or trees to speak of. Everything here is tuned for the endgame.

Facilities
The Military Base (healing items) and the volcano itself — lava can cook fish for the same ~1.5x value as the grill, and the crater is where the final fight happens.
Story boss (final)
The Mutated Bowhead Whale — you trigger it by throwing a Bowhead Whale into the volcano. It spits lava, and if you pull it too far from the volcano it despawns and resets, so fight it inside the arena.
Boss-tier catch
Bowhead Whale (Fish Bucket), which is the final boss's trigger.
Elite
Goblin Shark (Scientific Boss Lure).
Leaving
Defeat the final boss and hand in its fin — that's the end of the story.

Progression Route & When to Move On

  1. After the boat

    Go straight to Island 2 — it's where real fishing and the dynamite shop open up.

  2. On the Desert

    Unlock the grill before leaving. The cooking multiplier pays for the mid-game gear ladder.

  3. On the Rocks

    The casino is a trap if you're saving for weapons. Treat it as optional fun, not income.

  4. On the Volcano

    Buy the assault rifle and stock healing at the military base before the final whale.

  5. Speedrunners

    Skip the side content and go island to island — see the Bean achievement on the Achievements page. Achievements

FAQ

How do I unlock the next island?

Complete the local NPC's quest, beat the boss, and hand the boss's drop back to that NPC. The next island's coordinates then appear on your radar.

I killed the boss but the map didn't change.

You haven't handed in the drop yet. Open your inventory, find the named boss item, and return it to the NPC who gave the quest.

Can I go back to earlier islands?

Yes. Unlocked islands stay unlocked and you can sail back freely to grind or collect.

How many islands are there?

Five: Lighthouse, Forest, Desert, Rocks, and Volcano.

Where is the casino?

Island 4 (Rocks), in the casino building.

Where is the military base?

Island 5 (Volcano).