There’s a whole lot more to Far Cry 5 than just liberating outposts and completing story missions, as the wide-open Montana landscape offers plenty of hunting and fishing opportunities as well.
Whether you need some extra cash to buy a bigger and deadlier tractor or if you’re looking for the best bass locations, we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about Far Cry 5 fishing!
Far Cry 5 Fishing Guide
Unlike the previous games, fish aren’t used as components for upgraded inventory slots in Far Cry 5. Instead, you can sell them to earn money at any shop, whether with the hunters roaming the woods, at an auto garage, the weapon benches at liberated outposts, and so on.
Some quests also require that you know how to fish, like reeling in some salmon to convince the escaped bear Cheeseburger to join you as a specialty fang for hire companion.
Where to Find a Fishing Pole
A pole is available to be purchased from the first shop you come across, but there’s no need to spend the money, as you can pick up free poles fairly early on.
Many of the docks on the river have fishing poles lying there waiting to be picked up, and at least one house has a hidden, upgraded pole to grab. When you finish the Dutch’s Region tutorial quest, head over to the west side of the island and swim southwest to a dock with a boat shop and a green airplane (marked in the map below). A pole will be sitting at the end of the dock.
If a pole doesn’t spawn there for some reason (or you started traveling in a different direction already), travel east from Dutch’s Region into Faith’s Region, and head into the Vasquez Residence to find a fishing pole hanging on the wall instead.
Now that you’ve got a pole, you still need to equip it. Pull up the weapon wheel, then hit the button to switch to the secondary wheel with your consumable and utility items (RB on Xbox One, R1 on PS4). The fishing rod is at the top of the wheel and is pulled out like any other weapon.
Far Cry 5 fishing pole location
Casting and How to Catch Bigger Fish
With the rod equipped, head to a body of water and hold RT (Xbox One) or R2 (PS4) to start casting. Keep it held down longer to throw farther, then finally release to let the line go. I recommend waiting for three full back-and-forth swings before releasing to cast out far enough.
With the line in the water, tap LT (Xbox One) or L2 (PS4) to reel in and get the attention of the local fish population. When you have a bite, tap RT/R2 to hook. From there, hold LT/L2 to reel in, and use LS to move the pole the opposite direction that the fish is moving to tire it out.
When the line changes to yellow and red, stop pressing any buttons to prevent a snapped line. When the line goes back to green, start reeling and moving again until the fish is caught.
Switching to the fishing pole
This process doesn’t work for larger or rarer fish, however, as you need an upgraded skill and different lures. To catch the heavy category fish, you need to activate the Fisher King perk for 4 perk points on the Survivalist tree.
After upgrading to the Fisher King perk, switch to the secondary wheel and access the fishing pole as normal, but don’t switch out of the menu yet. Instead, tap Y (Xbox One) or Triangle (PS4) to switch between types of lures to catch different fish.
For the hardest fish types, you also need an upgraded rod. The Wonderboy Rod is the best early one to get and can be found by completing Skylar’s quest at Dylan’s Master Bait Shop in the Whitetail Mountains.
Unlocking the Fisher King perk
Best Fishing Locations
You can pull out the rod absolutely anywhere and fish any body of water, but the rarer kinds of fish, such as bass, that complete perk challenges and offer more cash at shops are only found at specific locations.
While driving around, be sure to look at the signs on the side of the road, as many of them mark fishing and hunting locations on your map. Also be sure to look for loose maps lying on shelves and countertops inside buildings, as these can also add new markers.
If you haven’t found them all yet, here are some spots to check for all the fish types in Far Cry 5:
- Rainbow Trout – Whitetail Park Visitor Center, PIN-K0 Radar Station, Jacob’s Region
- Paddlefish – Linero Building Supplies, Baron Lumber Mill, Jacob’s Region
- Arctic Grayling – Howard Cabin, Gardenview, Jacob’s Region
- Golden Trout – Silver Lake Trailer Park, Gardenview, Jacob’s Region
- Rock Bass – Breakthrough Camp, F.A.N.G. Center, Jacob’s Region
- Smallmouth – Nelson Residence, Lorna’s Truck Stop, Faith’s Region
- Largemouth – Loresca Residence, Baron Lumber Mill, Jacob’s Region
- Bull Trout – Fall’s End, Kellett Cattle Co., John’s Region
- Chinook – Dansky Cabin, Elk Jaw Lodge, Jacob’s Region
- Pallid Sturgeon – Taft Lookout Tower, Drubman’s Marina, Faith’s Region
Admiring my morning catch!
Still need help with the rest of this open-world rural Montana game? Be sure to check out our other Far Cry 5 guides here:
- Sunken Funds Prepper Stash Puzzle Solution
- Golden Age Nostalgia Comic Book Locations
- Best Perks/Skills To Pick
- Far Cry 5 Secret Alternate Ending Guide
