🎣 My Time at Sandrock — Fishing & Bug Catching Complete Guide
Sandrock's desert environment isn't short on water — you just need to know where to look. From oases to waterfall lakes, underground caves to deep desert pools, 14 catchable fish each have their own quirks. Combined with the insect catching system, fishing isn't just relaxing — it's a major mid-game income source.
🔓 Fishing Unlock
Trigger: Complete the main quest "First Fishing Lesson" (around Day 3-4). Head to Sandrock's Waterfall Lake and talk to Catori to receive your first rod — the basic "Dryland Rod".
💡 Tip: Don't rush to Waterfall Lake right after getting the rod. First, craft 2-3 Basic Bait (Wood ×2 + Bug ×1) back at your workshop — it boosts fishing efficiency by 50%. Without bait, waiting time for a bite doubles.
🎮 Fishing Minigame Mechanics
Sandrock's fishing minigame has 3 phases:
1️⃣ Casting
Hold left mouse button to charge and set casting distance. The bar is split into 3 zones: - Near Zone (Green): Small fish near the shore - Mid Zone (Yellow): General-purpose casting distance - Far Zone (Red): Needs a high-tier rod to reliably catch rare fish
2️⃣ Waiting
Once bait is in the water, ripples indicate a fish approaching. Bite timing depends on: - Bait quality (better bait = faster bites) - The fish species' activity level - Time of day (bite rate +30% at sunrise/sunset)
3️⃣ Reeling
When a fish bites, a tension bar appears with White/Green/Red segments: - Hold mouse button: Drains fish stamina (Green zone) - Release mouse button: Recovers rod tension (White zone) - Bar turns red: Line is about to snap — release immediately!
✅ Technique: Let go when the fish struggles (red flash), then hold again when it stops. Rhythm is hold 2 seconds → release 1 second. Higher-star fish need more rounds.
🐟 Complete Fish Directory
Waterfall Lake — Beginner Zone
| Fish | Rarity | Time | Season | Sell Price | Cooking Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🐟 Desert Bass | ⚪ Common | All day | All year | 25g | Fish Steak |
| 🐟 Bluegill | 🟢 Uncommon | 06-10, 16-20 | Spring/Summer | 45g | Fish Soup |
| 🐟 Golden Carp | 🔵 Rare | 06-09 | Spring/Autumn | 85g | Sweet & Sour Fish |
| 🐟 Crystal Fish | 🟣 Epic | 22-04 | All year | 180g | Crystal Jelly (quest) |
Oasis — Mid-Game Zone
| Fish | Rarity | Time | Season | Sell Price | Cooking Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🐟 Oasis Catfish | 🟢 Uncommon | All day | All year | 55g | BBQ Skewer |
| 🐟 Sand Eel | 🔵 Rare | 18-06 | All year | 110g | Sand Eel Sushi |
| 🐟 Desert Trout | 🔵 Rare | 06-12 | Autumn/Winter | 120g | Smoked Fish |
| 🐟 Rainbow Dragonfish | 🟣 Epic | 20-02 | Summer | 250g | Rainbow Soup (collection) |
Underground Lake — Advanced Zone
| Fish | Rarity | Time | Season | Sell Price | Cooking Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🐟 Cave Bass | 🟢 Uncommon | All day | All year | 60g | Grilled Fish |
| 🐟 Gem Fish | 🔵 Rare | All day | All year | 150g | Gem Garnish |
| 🐟 Ancient Lungfish | 🟣 Epic | All day | All year | 300g | Fish Stew (museum) |
Desert Lake — End-Game Zone (Requires Rank 6+)
| Fish | Rarity | Time | Season | Sell Price | Cooking Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🐟 Sandstorm Fish | 🔵 Rare | 12-18 | Summer | 160g | Storm Soup |
| 🐟 Emperor Dragonfish | 🟣 Epic | 20-04 | All year | 500g | Emperor's Feast (museum) |
| 🐟 Starlight Fish | 🟣 Epic | 00-04 | Winter | 800g | Starry Dish (most expensive in game) |
💡 Tip: Starlight Fish is Sandrock's most valuable catch (800g each). Only appears at Desert Lake late at night during winter. Use a high-tier rod with gold bait — each catch is worth roughly one mid-tier commission reward. Spend winter nights camping at Desert Lake.
💰 Profit Analysis
| Fish | Sell Price | Cooked Value | Processing Gain | Cooking Difficulty | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Bass | 25g | 55g | +120% | Easy | ✅✅ Cook it |
| Bluegill | 45g | 90g | +100% | Easy | ✅✅ Cook it |
| Golden Carp | 85g | 175g | +106% | Medium | ✅✅ Cook it |
| Crystal Fish | 180g | — | — | Quest use | ✅ Sell raw |
| Oasis Catfish | 55g | 110g | +100% | Easy | ✅✅ Cook it |
| Sand Eel | 110g | 220g | +100% | Medium | ✅✅ Cook it |
| Desert Trout | 120g | 240g | +100% | Medium | ✅✅ Cook + sell |
| Rainbow Dragonfish | 250g | 350g | +40% | Hard | ✅ Sell raw preferred |
| Cave Bass | 60g | 120g | +100% | Easy | ✅✅ Cook it |
| Gem Fish | 150g | — | — | Rare | ✅ Sell raw |
| Ancient Lungfish | 300g | 400g | +33% | Hard | ✅✅ Donate first, then sell |
| Sandstorm Fish | 160g | 320g | +100% | Medium | ✅✅ Cook it |
| Emperor Dragonfish | 500g | — | — | Rare | ✅ Donate first, then sell |
| Starlight Fish | 800g | — | — | Epic | ✅ Sell raw (too valuable) |
Cooking Rule: Fish with recipes should be cooked first (100-120% value increase). Rare fish without recipes should be sold raw.
🏛️ Museum Donation Checklist
| Fish to Donate | Source | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Desert Bass | Waterfall Lake | ⭐ Easy |
| Bluegill | Waterfall Lake (morning/evening) | ⭐ Easy |
| Golden Carp | Waterfall Lake (early morning) | ⭐⭐ Watch the time |
| Crystal Fish | Waterfall Lake (late night) | ⭐⭐⭐ Night fishing |
| Oasis Catfish | Oasis | ⭐ Easy |
| Sand Eel | Oasis (night) | ⭐⭐ Night fishing |
| Rainbow Dragonfish | Oasis (summer night) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Time-sensitive |
| Cave Bass | Underground Lake | ⭐⭐ Grab while mining |
| Ancient Lungfish | Underground Lake | ⭐⭐⭐ Rare |
| Emperor Dragonfish | Desert Lake (late night) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Late game |
| Starlight Fish | Desert Lake (winter night) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hardest |
💡 Tip: Only donate the first of each species. Museum rewards are based on species diversity, not quantity. Use duplicates for cooking or selling.
⭐ Star Quality System
| Stars | Icon | Price Multiplier | Trigger Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Normal | None | 1.0× | Basic fishing |
| ⭐⭐ Silver | ☆ | 1.5× | Perfect reel (never enter red zone) |
| ⭐⭐⭐ Gold | ✦ | 2.0× | Perfect reel + high-tier rod + good bait |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rainbow | 🌟 | 3.0× | Perfect reel + legendary rod + gold bait + luck buff |
Quality Tip: When watching the tension bar, try to keep the needle in the green zone at all times — this takes practice. Gold star fish are a hidden museum bonus condition (some rewards need gold star donations).
🎣 Rod Upgrades
| Tier | Name | Materials | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🪵 Dryland Rod | Starting gift | Basic casting distance, low tension tolerance |
| 2 | 🥉 Copper Wire Rod | Copper Bar ×5 + Wood ×10 | Casting +20%, Tension +15% |
| 3 | 🥈 Iron Rod | Iron Bar ×8 + Hardwood ×15 | Casting +40%, Tension +30% |
| 4 | 🥇 Steel Rod | Steel Bar ×10 + Carbon Fiber ×3 | Casting +60%, Tension +45%, reaches Desert Lake far zone |
| 5 | 🏆 Carbon Fiber Rod | Carbon Fiber ×5 + Titanium Alloy Bar ×3 | Casting +80%, Tension +60%, auto-reel acceleration |
Upgrade Strategy: If fishing isn't your main focus, Iron Rod (Tier 3) is enough for most rare fish. To catch Starlight Fish and Emperor Dragonfish → you must upgrade to Carbon Fiber Rod (Tier 5).
🐛 Insect Catching System
Sandrock also includes bug catching:
| Tool | How It Works | Best For | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🪤 Bug Net | Swing to catch (like Animal Crossing) | Butterflies, dragonflies, beetles | Museum + cooking ingredients |
| 🪱 Trap | Place and wait | Scorpions, desert spiders | Materials + selling |
Bugs Worth Catching
| Bug | Location | Time | Sell Price | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🦋 Desert Butterfly | Near Oasis | 08-16 | 40g | Museum |
| 🦂 Scorpion | Desert | 18-06 | 80g | Medicine/quests |
| 🪲 Gem Beetle | Underground Lake | All day | 150g | Museum + high value |
Data source: My Time at Sandrock Wiki 1.0, game version 1.4+
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