How to Fish in Project Zomboid (B42): Rod, Bait, Level
Use Worm as bait, fish at dawn or dusk and level Fishing: your level caps the heaviest fish that can bite, from 1.4 kg at level 0 to 45 kg at level 10. At level 4 the limit is 2.3 kg, which is why you only catch small fish.
- Heaviest fish, level 01.4 kg7 species
- Heaviest fish, level 1045 kg21 species
- Best all-round baitWorm7 species at level 0
- Bite bonus×1.24:00–6:00 and 18:00–20:00, and in rain ×1.2
Fishing has more rules than it looks: five steps cover them in the order you meet them.
On this page
The 5 steps at a glance
- Get a rod, line and hook. A rod is the standard one; the crafted one is weaker.
- Pick the bait. Worm works on 7 species at level 0.
- Know what your level catches. Heaviest fish: 1.4 to 45 kg.
- Fish when they bite. Dawn, dusk, rain.
- Use a net. Slow and steady.
Step 1: Get a rod, line and hook
A Fishing Rod has tension 1; the crafted Makeshift Fishing Rod has 0.8. The recipe for the crafted one is 1 Wooden Rod, 2 Fishing Line or similar, 1 Paperclip or similar, at Fishing 4 and Carving 4 or by reading Magazine: Angler USA - June 1993.
The line decides how often it snaps: Premium Fishing Line breaks at 0.00667 against 0.02 for Twine. A proper Fishing Hook bites ×1.2 as often; a Paperclip only ×0.8.
Step 2: Pick the bait
Every lure has a weight for every fish. Counting how many of the fish your level allows take it, Worm comes out first at level 0 (7 species), and Worm at level 4 (12). With the line taut for predators, Worm still leads at level 8 (19).
At level 4 a bite on Worm is most likely a Smallmouth Bass (12% of bites) of the 12 species that take it.
Step 3: Know what your level catches
Your Fishing level caps the heaviest fish that can bite. The size of the catch is then rolled small, medium or big with odds that move with level.
| Level | Heaviest fish | Species | Small / medium / big |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1.4 kg | 7 | 95% / 5% / 0% |
| 2 | 1.9 kg | 10 | 75% / 24% / 1% |
| 4 | 2.3 kg | 12 | 60% / 30% / 10% |
| 6 | 4.5 kg | 14 | 35% / 45% / 20% |
| 8 | 27 kg | 17 | 20% / 40% / 40% |
| 10 | 45 kg | 17 | 10% / 40% / 50% |
Near the shore
Fishing close to the shore moves half of medium and big to small: at level 4 the odds go from 60% / 30% / 10% to 80% / 15% / 5%. From level 8 a big catch has a 1 in 20 chance to grow towards its trophy size.
Step 4: Fish when they bite
The bite speed is multiplied by ×1.2 between 4:00–6:00 and 18:00–20:00, by ×1.2 in rain and by ×0.8 in fog or wind. The air temperature counts too: ×1 at 15 to 30 °C, down to ×0.25 at −10 °C and below.
Step 5: Use a net
A net catches while you do something else: the files give one catch chance in 8 each hour, up to 20 hours, and it can break after 15 hours (1 in 5). The recipe is 10 Twine, 5 Wire, learned from Magazine: Angler USA - May 1993.
Common mistakes
Fishing for big fish at a low level. At level 4 nothing over 2.3 kg can bite.
Casting at noon. The bonus is 4:00–6:00 and 18:00–20:00.
Using a paperclip. It bites ×0.8 against ×1.2 for a real hook.
Every fish and the level it needs
21 species. The full table with favourite bait is on the Fishing page.
Open the fish list
| Fish | Level | Max weight |
|---|---|---|
 Little Bait Fish | 0 | 0.05 kg |
 White Crappie | 0 | 1 kg |
 Black Crappie | 0 | 1 kg |
 Yellow Perch | 0 | 1 kg |
 Bluegill | 0 | 1.4 kg |
 Redear Sunfish | 0 | 1.4 kg |
 Green Sunfish | 0 | 1.4 kg |
 White Bass | 1 | 1.5 kg |
 Spotted Bass | 2 | 1.8 kg |
 Sauger | 2 | 1.9 kg |
 Smallmouth Bass | 4 | 2.3 kg |
 Channel Catfish | 4 | 2.3 kg |
 Largemouth Bass | 5 | 2.8 kg |
 Freshwater Drum | 6 | 4.5 kg |
 Striped Bass | 7 | 9 kg |
 Walleye | 7 | 9 kg |
 Muskellunge | 8 | 18 kg |
 Flathead Catfish | 8 | 27 kg |
 Paddlefish | 8 | 27 kg |
 Blue Catfish | 9 | 32 kg |
 Alligator Gar | 10 | 45 kg |
Pages to keep open
Related pages
Sources
Thanks to The Indie Stone for making Project Zomboid. PinDrop is fan-made and not affiliated with The Indie Stone.