Every standard fish in Red Dead Redemption 2 Story Mode favors certain water, bites best on a particular bait or lure, and has a size that decides how you carry it. Pick the water and the tackle first, then plan for the haul.
How to use this collection
Practical target names the water to start at. Recommended tackle is the bait or lure to try first. Meat yield is the raw meat type a fish gives for cooking.
Size class
Small
Small fish take bait. Cheese Bait, Corn Bait and Bread Bait cover this group, so bring the fish's recommended pick.
Bluegill
Fits in your satchel. Flat Iron Lake is a practical place to look.
- Size
- Small
- Habitat
- Lakes and rivers across the map
- Recommended tackle
- Cheese Bait
- Meat yield
- Gritty Fish Meat
Bullhead Catfish
Fits in your satchel. Lagras has the swamp water it favors.
- Size
- Small
- Habitat
- Lemoyne swamp water
- Recommended tackle
- Corn Bait
- Meat yield
- Gritty Fish Meat
Chain Pickerel
Fits in your satchel. Southern rivers and northern lakes are common spots.
- Size
- Small
- Habitat
- Rivers, lakes, and swamps
- Recommended tackle
- Corn Bait
- Meat yield
- Flaky Fish Meat
Perch
Fits in your satchel. Northern rivers and lakes are useful places to try.
- Size
- Small
- Habitat
- Rivers and lakes across the map
- Recommended tackle
- Bread Bait
- Meat yield
- Flaky Fish Meat
Redfin Pickerel
Fits in your satchel. Southern rivers and some lakes make good targets.
- Size
- Small
- Habitat
- Rivers and lakes
- Recommended tackle
- Bread Bait
- Meat yield
- Flaky Fish Meat
Rock Bass
Fits in your satchel. Clemens Point and nearby Flat Iron Lake are useful targets.
- Size
- Small
- Habitat
- Clear lakes and ponds
- Recommended tackle
- Cheese Bait
- Meat yield
- Flaky Fish Meat
Size class
Medium
This group splits by tackle. Crayfish, Crickets and Worms cover the bass and Steelhead Trout, and Sockeye Salmon wants River Lure. Pack a bait and a lure before you go.
Largemouth Bass
Fits in your satchel. Deep southern rivers and lakes are practical targets.
- Size
- Medium
- Habitat
- Southern rivers, lakes, and swamps
- Recommended tackle
- Crayfish
- Meat yield
- Flaky Fish Meat
Smallmouth Bass
Fits in your satchel. Northern riverbanks are a good place to start.
- Size
- Medium
- Habitat
- Rivers in both the north and south
- Recommended tackle
- Crickets
- Meat yield
- Flaky Fish Meat
Sockeye Salmon
Fits in your satchel. The upper Dakota River runs through its northern range.
- Size
- Medium
- Habitat
- Northern rivers
- Recommended tackle
- River Lure
- Meat yield
- Succulent Fish Meat
Steelhead Trout
Fits in your satchel. Flat Iron Lake is a practical spot.
- Size
- Medium
- Habitat
- Lakes and rivers outside swamps
- Recommended tackle
- Worms
- Meat yield
- Succulent Fish Meat
Size class
Large
Every Large fish has a recommended lure. Try Swamp Lure for Channel Catfish and Longnose Gar, Lake Lure for Lake Sturgeon and Muskie, and River Lure for Northern Pike.
Channel Catfish
Stow it on your horse. Deep channels around Lagras are a practical target.
- Size
- Large
- Habitat
- Deep swamp channels in Lemoyne
- Recommended tackle
- Swamp Lure
- Meat yield
- Gritty Fish Meat
Lake Sturgeon
Stow it on your horse. Flat Iron Lake and Lemoyne channels are useful targets.
- Size
- Large
- Habitat
- Deep southern lakes and swamps
- Recommended tackle
- Lake Lure
- Meat yield
- Flaky Fish Meat
Longnose Gar
Stow it on your horse. Its swamp channels lie south and northeast of Lagras.
- Size
- Large
- Habitat
- Swamp channels
- Recommended tackle
- Swamp Lure
- Meat yield
- Gritty Fish Meat
Muskie
Stow it on your horse. Lake Isabella gives you a northern lake target.
- Size
- Large
- Habitat
- Northern lakes
- Recommended tackle
- Lake Lure
- Meat yield
- Flaky Fish Meat
Northern Pike
Stow it on your horse. The Dakota River north of Valentine and Spider Gorge near Colter are targets.
- Size
- Large
- Habitat
- Northern rivers
- Recommended tackle
- River Lure
- Meat yield
- Flaky Fish Meat
If you only have time for one stop, make it Flat Iron Lake. Every one of these fish also has its own Compendium entry, so the spots below double as your route through them.
Best Spots by Region
Flat Iron Lake covers the most ground. Bluegill, Steelhead Trout and Lake Sturgeon all name it, and Rock Bass is close by at Clemens Point. Pack Cheese Bait, Worms and Lake Lure before you go, since you'll need all three.
Lagras is the swamp stop. Bullhead Catfish and Channel Catfish target it, and Longnose Gar sits south and northeast of town.
For northern rivers, head to the Dakota River. Sockeye Salmon runs the upper river through New Hanover and Ambarino, and Northern Pike targets the stretch north of Valentine and near Spider Gorge by Colter.
Lake Isabella is the spot for Muskie. Largemouth Bass targets deep southern rivers and lakes, while Redfin Pickerel favors southern rivers and some southern lakes. Chain Pickerel is more common in southern rivers and northern lakes. Smallmouth Bass lives in rivers in both the north and south, though northern riverbanks are a practical target. Perch lives in rivers and lakes across the map, so use northern waters as a place to start, not a boundary.
Which Meat Each Fish Gives
Each fish gives one of three meats. Gritty Fish Meat comes from both catfish, Bluegill and Longnose Gar. Succulent Fish Meat comes only from Sockeye Salmon and Steelhead Trout. The rest give Flaky Fish Meat.
Cooked, each meat restores your cores by a different amount, so the meat type matters when you cook.
Mistakes That Waste a Trip
- Treating a target area as a guaranteed spot. It's where to start, so fish the water around it too.
- Waiting on the weather. Weather is only a tendency, so the water and tackle come first.
Legendary Fish Are a Separate Hunt
A Fisher of Fish asks you to mail legendary fish to Jeremy Gill. Their Compendium entries are separate from the standard fish.
FAQ
Can I use a different lure than the recommended one?
The recommended pick is your best first try. Small fish go for bait and the Large fish all have a recommended lure, so match the tackle to the size you're after, then switch if nothing bites.
Do I need a horse for the Large fish?
Bring one if you want to keep the catch. Small and Medium fish fit in your satchel, but a Large fish has to be carried by hand or stowed on your horse.