Our fishing guide in Windrose covers how to get a Simple Fishing Rod and how to fish in any water body. Fishing is an unlockable survival skill that becomes available after you reach Foothills. Consuming the fillet lets you gain unique buffs like Agility, Vitality, Strength, and more.
Some fish are directly tied to your main story quests, while others are essential for survival. Fishing becomes more valuable later because some rare fish help with progression recipes. Our fishing guide also uncovers all fish species in Windrose and the best tips & tricks for fishing.
How To Get a Simple Fishing Rod
You cannot fish early in the game, as it requires you to defeat the first biome boss and unlock Foothills (second biome). Once you reach Foothills and collect Hardwood, the recipe unlocks automatically. The Simple Fishing Rod recipe appears automatically, avoiding interaction with the vendor or hunting for any blueprint.
Simple Fishing Rod
You must upgrade the workbench to level 2 before crafting this fishing rod. Use 20x Wood and 10x Copper Ingot to build Sawhorse upgrade. Without this, the recipe shows but cannot be crafted. You need the following materials to craft the Simple Fishing Rod in Windrose.
- 5x Hardwood
- 3x Rope
- 2x Foothills Iron Ingot
Hardwood can be obtained from Foothills trees, and use Plant Fiber to craft the Rope. Foothills Iron Ingot can be gained by smelting the Iron Ore in the Furnace. Once you have all the required materials and an upgraded workbench, open the crafting menu, select the Simple Fishing Rod from the list, and confirm to craft it.
How To Fish in Windrose
Catching the fish has a simple mechanic, but it’s kind of confusing at first. Make sure you have a Simple Fishing Rod in your inventory before heading out for fishing. Once you have the rod, equip the fishing rod and stand near any water (shore or ocean). Press the cast and watch the bobber in the water. You must wait for the big splash and then press the button again to reel in the fish.
How To Fish in Windrose
The big splash is the catching moment, so avoid a small bob. You can fish from shorelines, boats while sailing, and any water body. The game doesn’t require you to find a specific fishing zone, but you can fish almost anywhere with water. Once you catch the fish, open your inventory and right-click them to fillet them.
All Fish in Windrose
Windrose has 10 distinct fish species that appear in any body of water. However, the Rare and Epic versions are only located in deep water. The Common fish are the easiest to catch and can be found in most coastal or shallow waters.
All Fish in Windrose
These appear frequently in regular water zones and are your main early-game food source. Epic fish give the most Fish Fillets, making them the best targets for farming food. Catching all 10 completes the Master Fisherman collection and rewards you with the Fisherman’s Ring.
| Fish | Rarity | Where To Find |
| Blue Tang | Common | Any water body |
| Moon Angelfish | Common | Any water body |
| Queen Angelfish | Common | Any water body |
| Pink Wrasse | Common | Any water body |
| Sapphire Wrasse | Common | Any water body |
| Reef Snapper | Common | Any water body |
| Emerald Bluefish | Rare | Deep Waters |
| Red Snapper | Rare | Deep Waters |
| Giant Mackerel | Epic | Deep Waters |
| Large Barracuda | Epic | Deep Waters |
All Cooking Recipes in Windrose
There are currently four recipes that you can make using the required materials. Raw fish cannot be cooked directly, so you must right-click the fish in your inventory and convert it into Fish Fillets. You can also build a Cooking Fire using Wood & Stone.
All Fish Recipes
Once crafted, place it anywhere to start cooking in Windrose. Open the Cooking Fire and select the unlocked recipe. Fishing is one of the best early-to-mid game systems because it gives strong cooking buffs and helps reduce reliance on combat loot farming.
| Recipe | Ingredients | Effects |
| Chowder | 3x Fish Fillet
3x Sweet Potatoes 2x Salt |
+10 Agility |
| Fish and Tostones | 3x Fish Fillet
3x Bananas 2x Nuts |
+10 Vitality |
| Seafood Skewer | 1x Fish Fillet
1x Crab Meat |
+5 Strength |
| Seafood Platter | 7x Fish Fillet
4x Lime 3x Crab Meat 4x Salt |
+20 Vitality |
Tips & Tricks For Fishing in Windrose
Tips & Tricks For Fishing
- Reach the Foothills to craft your first fishing rod and start fishing.
- Don’t wait for perfect gear; a basic rod is enough for the early game.
- You can fish from land or while sailing.
- Instead of selling everything, cook and stack fish buffs for exploration runs.
- Focus on deep-water areas, not shallow docks, to find the best fish.
- When fishing in the deep, wait specifically for the large splash before reeling in.
- Make sure to assign your fishing rod to a hotkey to quickly switch to it.
- Fishing offers a new food buff, making your survival longer.
- Get Minor Fisherman Ring to gain a 15% chance to catch extra fish while fishing.
