How to catch a catfish in Stardew Valley without fishing

The catfish is one of the biggest bundle-breakers in all of Stardew Valley, but there are a couple of tricks to get them potentially without fishing.

There are loads of different ways to blow it when it comes to finishing a bundle. Give Penny your last melon? Mindlessly sell all those gold-star pumpkins? Throw that nautilus shell into your sturgeon fish pond? All this can force a player to play through one or more extra seasons before finishing the community center.

The catfish is one of the main culprits in wasting Stardew Valley players’ time. The fish isn’t just exclusive to specific seasons but is also tied to time and weather conditions. This can leave players stressed out and wondering if the right set of circumstances will come together in time to catch one.

So how can you actually catch a catfish? Make sure to set a reminder for your next playthrough.

How to get a catfish for the River Fish Bundle in Stardew Valley

Players can catch a catfish for their River Fish Bundle in Stardew Valley by fishing in the river or the Secret Woods pond when it’s raining during spring or fall. It cannot be caught after midnight.

The catfish has one of the most frustrating sets of preconditions for any fish in Stardew Valley. While there are a few other fish that are exclusive to specific seasons and specific times, the “only when raining” kicker makes the catfish particularly tricky to catch. Among all the fish that go into the default bundles in Stardew Valley, only the eel, red snapper, and walleye are harder to come by.

The good news is that there are two other ways to get a catfish without fishing for one. Players that hate fishing in Stardew Valley can find a catfish by rummaging through garbage cans in the spring and fall. It can be found in anyone’s garbage can, but this relies entirely on RNG and is unreliable. It also has a small chance of appearing in the traveling cart. This also applies to most of the other fish required in the bundles.