Fishing locations: every fish, every bait, and where to catch them

Prerequisites for Fishing

Before attempting to fish in any location, two items are required. A Fishing Rod must be crafted at a Crafting Bench using common materials. Bait is also necessary; Basic Bait can be crafted from Cloth Scrap and Insect Parts. Without bait, the rod cannot be used. The Fishing Rod can be equipped in the hotbar and used near any body of water that shows a visible surface.

How Fishing Works

Fishing in Abiotic Factor uses a simple cast-and-wait mechanic. With the Fishing Rod equipped, hold the left mouse button to prepare the cast, then release to throw the hook in the direction the player is looking. If a fish is present in that water body, a small shadow will appear and swim around before biting the hook. When the shadow bites, click to reel in the catch.

Not every body of water contains fish. Some water sources are purely decorative or environmental. To check whether a location is fishable, approach the water and attempt to cast. If the hook lands on the water surface and the bobber floats, fish may be present. If the hook clips through or does not land, that water body cannot be fished.

Bait affects which fish appear. Using Basic Bait may catch common species, but some fish require a specific bait type to appear at all. Catching a new species for the first time unlocks the ability to craft that species' dedicated bait. After unlocking, the dedicated bait can be crafted at a Crafting Bench and used to target that fish more reliably.

Fishing Locations and Species

Office Sector — Cafeteria Pool

The Cafeteria Pool in the Office Sector is a shallow indoor water feature. It is one of the earliest accessible fishing spots and contains only common species. Antefish are the most frequent catch here. Small Carp and Goldfish may also appear. All species in this pool can be caught with Basic Bait at any time of day.

This location is useful for obtaining Antefish, which can be butchered into Raw Antefish Filet. Raw Antefish Filet can be traded to Warren in the Office Sector by dropping it into the chute next to his office. Warren will trade staplers in return.

Office Sector — Plaza Fountain

The Plaza Fountain is located on the surface level of the Office Sector. It is a larger water body than the Cafeteria Pool and supports a wider variety of fish. Antefish remain common here. Radfish appear at night and require Radfish Bait to catch. Mermaid Fish appear at dawn and require Mermaid Bait.

To fish Radfish or Mermaid Fish, the player must first catch them elsewhere using Basic Bait to unlock their bait recipes. If neither species has been caught before, the Plaza Fountain will only yield Antefish and Small Carp until the appropriate bait is unlocked.

Manufacturing Sector — Industrial Waterways

The Manufacturing Sector contains industrial water channels and pools. These waters are deeper and may contain eel-infested zones. Species found here include Large Carp, Industrial Bass, and Eels. Eels appear only in eel-infested waters and are nocturnal. Electric Eels are a rarer variant that may appear in the same conditions.

Eel Bait is required to catch Eels or Electric Eels. To unlock Eel Bait, the player must first catch an Eel using Basic Bait. Industrial Bass and Large Carp can be caught with Basic Bait or their respective dedicated baits after unlocking.

Labs Sector — Research Pool

The Labs Sector contains a blue aquarium-style pool. This water body holds unique species not found elsewhere. Lab Fish and Crystal Fish are present. Crystal Fish appear at dawn and require Crystal Bait. Lab Fish can be caught with Basic Bait at any time.

The Research Pool is a contained environment and does not connect to other water systems. Fish caught here do not appear in any other location.

Canaan Portal World — Inky Pool and Eel Waters

The Canaan portal world contains two distinct fishing environments. The inky pool in the Night Realm holds Inkfish. Inkfish butcher into Raw Inkfish Filet, Fish Bones, Fish Oil, Night Essence, and Black Oil. Eel-infested waters in Canaan contain Canaan Eels and Night Eels. Canaan Eels appear at dawn and noon. Night Eels appear at dusk and night.

Both eel variants require Eel Bait. Inkfish require Inkfish Bait, which is unlocked by catching an Inkfish with Basic Bait.

Hydroplant — Darkwater

The Hydroplant contains water that holds Darkwater Fish. Darkwater Fish butcher into Raw Darkwater Fish Filet, Fish Bones, Fish Oil, Rock Salt, and Glow Eye. Darkwater Fish can be caught with Basic Bait or Darkwater Bait after unlocking.

Bait Unlock Workflow

The following numbered workflow describes how to acquire bait for any fish species.

1. Catch the target species once using Basic Bait. Cast into a water body known to contain that species. Use Basic Bait. If the species appears, catch it. This unlocks the recipe for that species' dedicated bait.
2. Craft the dedicated bait at a Crafting Bench. Open the crafting menu and locate the bait recipe. Craft the bait using the required materials. The recipe remains unlocked permanently.
3. Equip the dedicated bait and return to the same water body. Cast with the dedicated bait equipped. The target species will appear more frequently than with Basic Bait.

If the target species does not appear after several casts with Basic Bait, the water body may not contain that species. Move to a different location or time of day and try again.

Decision Table — Choosing a Fishing Location

Recovery Advice

If a fishing spot stops producing fish, check the following conditions. First, confirm that the water body is still fishable. Some water bodies may become unfishable after environmental changes or sector transitions. Second, verify that the correct bait is equipped. Using the wrong bait will prevent certain species from appearing. Third, check the time of day. Nocturnal species will not appear during daylight hours. If all conditions are correct and no fish appear after several casts, move to a different location and return later. The fish population may have been temporarily depleted or the spot may have been affected by a game update.

If a specific bait recipe does not appear in the crafting menu after catching the target species, the catch may not have registered. Catch another specimen of the same species and check the crafting menu again. If the recipe still does not appear, the species may not have a dedicated bait recipe, or the unlock condition may differ.