Start Fishing at the Docks
Fishing is an easy way to gather restaurant ingredients, earn extra money, and begin filling out your fish collection. You can start before owning a boat, since the first rod is free at the Docks. The most important early lesson is simple: equip the rod manually, cast into water, and reel in only when the bite indicator changes.
To reach the Docks, use the taxi on the southwest side of Meridian Market and choose the Docks destination. Walk down toward the waterfront until you find a fishing trawler and a small rowboat. Boardwalk Ady is fishing from the nearby pier.
Talk with Ady to receive the Rusty Fishing Rod. It is enough for shore fishing and early quests, so there is no need to spend your first restaurant earnings on a replacement rod.
The rod does not automatically appear in your character’s hands. Open the inventory with I, locate the Rusty Fishing Rod, and use the hand icon beside it to equip it.
| Step | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take a taxi to the Docks | This is the quickest route to the starter fishing area. |
| 2 | Find Boardwalk Ady near the pier | He provides the free Rusty Fishing Rod. |
| 3 | Open your inventory with I | The rod must be equipped manually. |
| 4 | Select the hand icon beside the rod | This puts the rod in your active hand. |
| 5 | Cast from the shore | You can catch early fish without a boat. |
After catching something for the first time, return to Ady. His follow-up request asks for two Burbot, one Stickleback, and three Pike. Completing it unlocks access to the Underground Fish Market, giving you another outlet for catches that are not needed in your kitchen.
Controls, Bites, and Successful Catches
Nivalis Nights fishing uses a short timing loop rather than a long tension mini-game. Aim your crosshair at water, then left-click to cast. The boardwalk, canals, and waterfront by the Docks can all work for early attempts.
Once the line is in the water, watch the face icon. It begins blue while you wait. When it turns amber, something has taken the bait. Left-click again promptly to reel it in.
A bite can result in a fish, a valuable submerged object, or junk. Do not assume an amber indicator guarantees the species you want. Keep unfamiliar objects until you know whether they belong to a quest, buyer, or treasure objective.
| Input or indicator | Meaning | Best response |
|---|---|---|
I and the rod hand icon | Equip the Rusty Fishing Rod | Confirm the rod is active before casting. |
| Left-click at water | Cast the line | Wait for the indicator to change. |
| Blue face | No bite yet | Leave the line out and keep watching. |
| Amber face | A fish or object is hooked | Left-click to reel in. |
| Yellow-green face | Catch succeeded | Check the inventory and quest tracker. |
| Red face | Catch failed or ended | Cast again and wait for another bite. |
If you are fishing for a marked objective, separate a successful catch from actual quest progress. You may have caught an item, but not the specific item required by the current step. Check the item name and objective text before moving to another location.
Fishing also contributes to your broader progression. Repeated catches build Fishing experience, and reaching Fishing Level 3 improves the scanner’s detection radius. That makes early, low-risk casts useful even after you have collected enough ingredients for the day.
Fish, Freshness, and Restaurant Use
Fish are more than collectibles. Fresh catches can supply meals at your restaurant, while unwanted catches can be sold. Freshness matters because fish decay over time, reducing their selling value substantially. If you are not saving a fish for a recipe, quest, or collection goal, sell it sooner rather than later.
Prices can vary by buyer, day, and condition. A decaying fish is typically worth less than half as much as a fresh catch, so do not stockpile everything without a reason.
There are 24 known fish associated with collection achievements. Early shore fishing can produce Burbot, Pike, and Stickleback, which also happen to be needed for Ady’s first request.
| Fish group | Fish |
|---|---|
| Early catches | Burbot, Pike, Stickleback |
| River and lake fish | Rudd, Crucian, Ide, Carp, Lake Trout, Bream, Brook Trout, Tench |
| Common regional fish | Dace, Grayling, Perch, Roach, Ruffe, Sabrefish, Zope |
| Zander family | Volga Zander, Zander |
| Later collection targets | Taimen, Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, Salmon |
Stickleback is a particularly useful early entry because it can appear around the Docks, Mountain Town, and Sewers. That does not mean every early fish shares those locations. As you discover fish, the Fish Database becomes the better reference for location, time, and weather details.
Use your catch based on its immediate value:
- Turn fresh fish into restaurant ingredients when it matches a recipe you are serving.
- Sell surplus fish quickly if you need cash and have no recipe use for it.
- Keep quest fish until the objective updates.
- Hold unusual submerged objects until you confirm whether a buyer or quest needs them.
- Use the Fish Database when chasing a missing species instead of repeatedly casting in one spot.
The collection is designed to unfold gradually. If the Database has not revealed useful conditions for a higher-tier fish yet, finish the entries it already identifies before guessing at rare requirements.
Boat Fishing, Scanner Signals, and Treasure
A boat opens access to offshore water, distant routes, and fishing areas that are awkward or impossible to reach from shore. You do not begin with one. Boat ownership is tied to quests and maritime registration at the Docks.
Salt Pete begins the relevant boat conversation. After progressing through the registration process, Ava can register your claim, allowing you to use the Putter. The boat is useful for travel as well as fishing, especially when marked tunnels lead toward new areas.
Offshore, use the boat scanner before casting blindly. Fishing signals can point toward fish activity and density. Yellow pulses are different: they indicate unusual submerged objects rather than a better school of fish.
| Scanner target | What it suggests | When to follow it |
|---|---|---|
| Fish activity signal | Fish are present in the water | Use it when hunting species or building ingredient stock. |
| Stronger fish concentration | A more promising fishing area | Stop nearby and make several casts. |
| Yellow pulse | A submerged object or treasure-related target | Follow it when searching for unusual finds. |
| Green quest circle | A targeted fishing area | Put the bobber inside the marked zone. |
For treasure objectives involving a green circle, community reports indicate that the bobber matters more than the boat’s exact position. You can park slightly outside the circle as long as the cast lands inside it.
Treasure fishing can still take several attempts. A marked area may return normal fish, android parts, or other objects before the correct quest item appears. If you catch an unusual android head during a Seafarer-related objective, check your quest log carefully; it may be the item the task expects rather than ordinary junk.
Fishing remains available at night according to player reports. A boat can also provide a practical place to wait out curfew. Interact with the boat sofa to sleep if the option is available, then continue your route in the morning. This is especially helpful when you are far from your apartment and do not want to abandon an offshore fishing trip.
FAQ
How do I begin nivalis nights fishing?
Travel to the Docks, find Boardwalk Ady on the pier, and speak with him for the free Rusty Fishing Rod. Open the inventory with I, then select the hand icon beside the rod before trying to cast.
When should I reel in the line?
Reel in when the fishing face icon turns amber. Blue means you are still waiting, yellow-green indicates a successful catch, and red means the attempt failed or ended.
Can I fish before I unlock a boat?
Yes. Shore fishing at the Docks and nearby canals is enough to catch early fish and begin Ady’s follow-up quest. The Putter expands your access to offshore locations later.
Why am I catching junk instead of fish?
Fishing can retrieve submerged objects as well as fish. Some objects can be valuable or relevant to quests, so check their names before discarding or selling them.
How do I find a specific fish?
Catch available fish first to expand the Fish Database. Once an entry provides location, time, or weather information, use the Fish Detector and boat scanner to narrow down where to cast.