Fish by Season Community Center: Visitor Guide

Stardew Valley · Community Center Fish Tank Guide

Catch Every Community Center Fish Before Its Season Ends

Trying to finish the Community Center Fish Tank in Stardew Valley? The easiest approach is to organize your catches by season, location, weather and time of day. Some fish appear only during rain, others only in sunshine, and several disappear when the season changes.

This guide covers the standard Community Center Fish Tank bundles, including seasonal fishing windows, special locations, crab pot items and a practical completion checklist.

Spring Rainy river fish and Eel are priorities.

Summer Catch Sturgeon, Tuna and Pufferfish.

Fall Do not miss Walleye and Tiger Trout.

Winter Finish Sturgeon, Tuna and remaining catches.

Quick answer: The biggest seasonal traps are rainy Spring/Fall fish, sunny Summer Pufferfish, Fall Walleye and Summer/Winter Sturgeon. Save one of every bundle fish before selling your catches.

All Fish Tank Bundles at a Glance

Bundle	Required fish or items
River Fish	Sunfish, Catfish, Shad, Tiger Trout
Lake Fish	Largemouth Bass, Carp, Bullhead, Sturgeon
Ocean Fish	Sardine, Tuna, Red Snapper, Tilapia
Night Fishing	Walleye, Bream, Eel
Specialty Fish	Pufferfish, Ghostfish, Sandfish, Woodskip
Crab Pot	Any 5 of 10 eligible items

Completing all six Fish Tank bundles removes the Glittering Boulder, unlocking access to panning. These are the standard bundles; remixed bundles can change the required items.

Spring Fish for the Community Center

Spring is particularly important because rain provides access to several Fish Tank items on the same day.

Fish	Location	Time / weather
Sunfish	River	6 AM–7 PM; sunny
Catfish	River	6 AM–12 AM; rain
Shad	River	9 AM–2 AM; rain
Eel	Ocean	4 PM–2 AM; rain
Sardine	Ocean	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Largemouth Bass	Mountain Lake	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Carp	Mountain Lake	Any time; any weather
Bullhead	Mountain Lake	Any time; any weather
Bream	River	6 PM–2 AM; any weather

Best Spring Rainy-Day Route

Start at the river at 9 AM and target Catfish and Shad.
Stay until both are secured or until you need to switch locations.
Travel to the ocean before 4 PM.
Catch Eel between 4 PM and 2 AM while it is raining.
Save one of each required fish in a chest.

Do not make this mistake: Catching Eel requires both rain and its evening fishing window. Fishing at the ocean on a sunny evening will not produce the ordinary seasonal Eel.

Summer Fish for the Community Center

Summer introduces several important catches that are unavailable in Spring, including the Pufferfish and Sturgeon.

Fish	Location	Time / weather
Pufferfish	Ocean	12 PM–4 PM; sunny
Tuna	Ocean	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Red Snapper	Ocean	6 AM–7 PM; rain
Tilapia	Ocean	6 AM–2 PM; any weather
Sturgeon	Mountain Lake	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Sunfish	River	6 AM–7 PM; sunny
Shad	River	9 AM–2 AM; rain
Largemouth Bass	Mountain Lake	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Carp / Bullhead	Mountain Lake	Any time; any weather
Bream	River	6 PM–2 AM; any weather

Best Summer Catching Order

Choose a sunny day and fish at the ocean from noon to 4 PM for Pufferfish.
Catch Tilapia before 2 PM on a separate morning if needed.
Find Tuna at the ocean between 6 AM and 7 PM.
Visit Mountain Lake for Sturgeon before 7 PM.
On a rainy day, prioritize Red Snapper.

Summer exception: Catfish can also be caught during rain in the Secret Woods pond, even though normal river Catfish fishing is associated with Spring and Fall.

Fall Fish for the Community Center

Fall is your main opportunity to collect Walleye. It is also the easiest season to combine several rain-dependent bundle catches.

Fish	Location	Time / weather
Walleye	River / Mountain Lake / Forest Pond	12 PM–2 AM; rain
Tiger Trout	River	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Catfish	River	6 AM–12 AM; rain
Shad	River	9 AM–2 AM; rain
Eel	Ocean	4 PM–2 AM; rain
Red Snapper	Ocean	6 AM–7 PM; rain
Tilapia	Ocean	6 AM–2 PM; any weather
Sardine	Ocean	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Carp	Mountain Lake	Any time; any weather
Bream	River	6 PM–2 AM; any weather

What to Prioritize in Fall

Check the weather forecast daily for rain.
Use an early rainy day for Red Snapper if still missing.
Catch Walleye after noon during rain.
Catch Eel at the ocean after 4 PM during rain.
Catch Tiger Trout on any suitable day before Winter ends.

Year-one warning: Missing Fall Walleye can delay Fish Tank completion. Later alternatives may include a Rain Totem in Winter or the Traveling Cart, but neither should replace catching it during Fall when possible.

Winter Fish for the Community Center

Winter allows you to finish a number of remaining catches, but it is not a normal substitute for Spring, Summer and Fall rain-dependent fish.

Fish	Location	Time / weather
Sturgeon	Mountain Lake	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Tuna	Ocean	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Tiger Trout	River	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Sardine	Ocean	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Largemouth Bass	Mountain Lake	6 AM–7 PM; any weather
Bullhead	Mountain Lake	Any time; any weather
Bream	River	6 PM–2 AM; any weather

Carp is not normally available at Mountain Lake during Winter, but can be found year-round at locations such as the Secret Woods and Sewers.

Useful Winter tactic: If you missed Sturgeon during Summer, return to Mountain Lake in Winter. If you missed Walleye or other rain-dependent catches, investigate Rain Totems, alternate locations or Traveling Cart availability.

Specialty Fish: Year-Round & Location-Locked Catches

Not every Community Center fish depends on the season. Some require access to specific locations, making progression and tool upgrades more important than the calendar.

Fish	Where to find it	Requirement
Ghostfish	Mines, especially underground fishing floors	Year-round; Ghost enemies can also drop one
Sandfish	Calico Desert pond	Desert access; 6 AM–8 PM
Woodskip	Secret Woods pond	Access to Secret Woods; any season
Pufferfish	Ocean	Sunny Summer, noon–4 PM under ordinary Valley conditions

How to Reach the Special Locations

Secret Woods: upgrade your Axe sufficiently to clear the large log blocking the entrance in the northwest area of Cindersap Forest.
Desert: repair the bus through the Vault bundles or another relevant progression route.
Mines: advance through mine floors and fish in available underground water areas for Ghostfish.

The Traveling Cart may sell required fish, including ones that would otherwise need a particular season or unlocked area. Stock is random, so use it as a backup rather than a guaranteed plan.

Crab Pot Bundle: The Easiest Five-Item Strategy

The Crab Pot Bundle requires any five of ten eligible items, not all ten.

Eligible item	Usual source
Lobster	Ocean Crab Pot
Crab	Ocean Crab Pot or Rock Crab drops
Cockle	Beach forage or Ocean Crab Pot
Mussel	Beach forage or Ocean Crab Pot
Shrimp	Ocean Crab Pot
Snail	Freshwater Crab Pot
Periwinkle	Freshwater Crab Pot
Oyster	Beach forage or Ocean Crab Pot
Clam	Beach forage or Ocean Crab Pot
Crayfish	Freshwater Crab Pot

Easy approach: Collect Cockle, Mussel, Oyster and Clam from beach forage when available, then obtain one more eligible item from a Crab Pot or another valid source. You do not necessarily need to catch all five using pots.

Community Center Fish Checklist

Use this simple checklist while playing. Check a fish after you have safely stored or donated one. These checkboxes are for on-page reference and do not require an account.

River Fish Bundle

Sunfish Catfish Shad Tiger Trout

Lake Fish Bundle

Largemouth Bass Carp Bullhead Sturgeon

Ocean Fish Bundle

Sardine Tuna Red Snapper Tilapia

Night Fishing Bundle

Walleye Bream Eel

Specialty Fish Bundle

Pufferfish Ghostfish Sandfish Woodskip

Crab Pot Bundle

Check any five of the ten eligible Crab Pot items listed above.

Checklist selections reset when the page is refreshed.

Best Strategy to Finish the Fish Tank in Year One

Spring: save Sunfish, Catfish, Shad, Eel and Sardine, plus easy Lake Fish.
Summer: prioritize Pufferfish, Sturgeon, Tuna, Red Snapper and Tilapia.
Fall: finish Walleye and Tiger Trout, plus any missed rainy fish.
Winter: catch remaining Sturgeon, Tuna, Sardine and Tiger Trout.
Year-round: secure Ghostfish, Woodskip, Sandfish and five Crab Pot items as locations become accessible.
Before selling: check each catch against the Community Center bundle requirements.

Important: The Sandfish usually requires Desert access, which often means first repairing the bus. A lucky Traveling Cart purchase can sometimes bypass that requirement. Completing every Fish Tank bundle in Year One is possible with planning, but not guaranteed for every playthrough.

Common Mistakes That Delay Community Center Completion

Fishing for Walleye in the wrong season or without rain.
Looking for Pufferfish outside sunny Summer afternoons.
Missing the 2 PM deadline for ordinary ocean Tilapia.
Selling the first Sturgeon instead of reserving it for the Lake Fish Bundle.
Waiting until Winter to collect all Spring rain-only fish.
Assuming Crab Pot Bundle requires all ten possible creatures.
Confusing normal bundles with remixed bundles.
Forgetting that specific fish depend on time as well as season and weather.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What fish are needed for the Stardew Valley Community Center?

The standard Fish Tank requires the River Fish, Lake Fish, Ocean Fish, Night Fishing and Specialty Fish bundles, plus any five eligible items for the Crab Pot Bundle.

2. Which Community Center fish should I catch in Spring?

Prioritize Sunfish, Catfish, Shad, Eel and Sardine. You can also collect Largemouth Bass, Carp, Bullhead and Bream during Spring.

3. Which Community Center fish are available in Summer?

Important Summer catches include Pufferfish, Tuna, Red Snapper, Tilapia and Sturgeon. Sunfish and Shad are also available under the correct conditions.

4. What fish should I catch in Fall?

Walleye and Tiger Trout are especially important. Fall also provides Catfish, Shad, Eel, Red Snapper, Tilapia and Sardine.

5. Which Community Center fish can I catch in Winter?

Winter catches include Sturgeon, Tuna, Tiger Trout, Sardine, Largemouth Bass, Bullhead and Bream. Some other catches require alternative locations or special weather conditions.

6. Where do I catch Walleye?

Catch Walleye in the river, Mountain Lake or Cindersap Forest Pond during Fall rain between 12 PM and 2 AM. A Rain Totem can provide certain alternative opportunities.

7. When and where can I catch Pufferfish?

Under normal Valley conditions, Pufferfish appears in the ocean during sunny Summer days between 12 PM and 4 PM.

8. How do I get Sandfish for the Community Center?

Fish in the Calico Desert pond between 6 AM and 8 PM after unlocking Desert access. The Traveling Cart may also sell Sandfish randomly.

9. Do I need every Crab Pot creature?

No. The standard Crab Pot Bundle only needs any five of ten eligible creatures. Beach forage can supply several required item types without using a fishing rod.

10. What happens after completing all Fish Tank bundles?

Completing the Fish Tank removes the Glittering Boulder and unlocks panning, allowing you to collect resources from sparkling water spots after obtaining the Copper Pan.

Reference Sources

Fish availability, normal bundle items, seasons, weather and time windows can be checked against the Stardew Valley Wiki bundle reference and the Stardew Valley fish reference.

This is an independent Stardew Valley gameplay guide, not a real-world community center directory listing. The tables describe standard Fish Tank bundles; remixed bundles, special locations and certain gameplay conditions can change requirements or availability.