Stardew Valley tasks players with catching a lot of different fish, but catching an eel is one of the most difficult.
Catching fish can be one of the most brutal parts of completing the community center bundles. That’s always been the case with this game and it likely still will be in Stardew Valley 1.6 and beyond. If players can’t get their luck and the weather to line up properly, they might end up finding themselves in a holding pattern for an entire season. The eel is one of the greatest offenders when it comes to this, with many players being left frustrated when they can’t complete the Night Fishing Bundle.
The good news is that it’s not actually that difficult to catch an eel. The difficulty only comes from having the right weather, season, and time come together. Here’s how to catch an eel in Stardew Valley, and what to do if you can’t find one.
How to catch an eel in Stardew Valley
Players can catch an eel in Stardew Valley by fishing in the ocean while it’s raining at night during the spring or fall. The exact time when it’s available is between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m.
Beyond that, players should abide by the general fishing best practices. Eels are more likely to bite when players cast their line further into the ocean and are fishing on a day with high luck. Make sure to use proper tackle and avoid using the magnet bait. The magnet makes fish slower to bite, which is troublesome when players need it to be raining and only have a 10-hour window to catch one.
All Stardew Valley players can boost their fishing skill by eating certain foods. Fish tacos, chowder, and trout soup all temporarily boost the fishing skill, resulting in greater casting distance and a wider bar in the fishing mini-game.
All this might sound off-putting because eels have time, weather, and season requirements. The good news is that the actual act of catching the eel isn’t especially difficult. Eels have a skittish behavior during the fishing mini-game where they will have quick jerks across the meter, then stay in place for a time. They aren’t the easiest fish to catch, but players don’t need to be especially practiced in order to catch one.
How to get an eel without fishing
Stardew Valley lets players get an eel without fishing in two ways. As with many tough-to-find items in the community center bundles, eels have a chance of appearing in the traveling cart for 250 to 1,000 gold. That’s not all, though.
Players can potentially get an eel for free by rummaging through garbage cans during spring or fall. Eels have a chance of appearing in any garbage can, but only during those seasons. This is the least reliable method for getting an eel in Stardew Valley, but still offers other rewards even if players don’t get one.
