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Fishing Guide for RimWorld Odyssey

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July 21, 2025

On July 21, 2025

Rimworld’s newest DLC, Odyssey, is the newest expansion with newly added biomes and landmarks, new animals to tame, and with it came new mechanics like fishing. The ability to gather food year-round for your colonists without worry of the water freezing over, as well as the rare catches of items like bionic limbs and drugs. This guide will go over unlocking fishing, helpful tips and strategies to keep your colony fed, understressed and keeping your fishing zones teaming with fish for days to come.

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How To Unlock Fishing

Fishing is only available as part of the RimWorld Odyssey DLC.
A Fishing Node will become available for research and can be found in the earlier section of the research tab. After that, make sure you have an available research bench to get started. Depending on whether you’re a seasoned colony or just starting, the fishing research node is 600 points and should be done as early as possible when available.
Once you have researched fishing, you’ll be able to designate fishing zones for your colonists.

If you are just starting a new colony, look at your map carefully and choose a location with the easiest access to bodies of water, like ocean access or rivers that lead into large lakes. Be aware that if you build close to these locations that torrential rain can cause the area to flood, so build sandbags along the river edges near buildings or bridges to avoid flooding.

Fishing Tips

Change fishing spots often– Overfishing can lead to your watering hole running out of fish, and if fishing is your main source of food, it can spell doom for your colonists. Have at least 3-4 fishing areas that you can reliably switch between, or backup food sources to avoid accidental depletion.
Mood Affected-Fishing is not considered recreational, so ensure that any colonist assigned to fishing is in a good mood or, at the very least, at a minor breaking point, as fishing will slowly stress out a colonist over time if overdone.
Ample Storage-Fish can spoil faster than other food sources in the game, so having a designated cold storage to preserve the fish ahead of time will save time and resources in the long run.
- If you are just starting, creating a storage room with passive cooling along the walls will do for the early game refrigeration.
- Research air conditioning to build a cooler for proper fish and meat storage. Set at least 2 per wall, connect to a power source, then set to -49 at least each. Check your fish and meat to ensure the tag has been updated to refrigerate.
Fish Population: Click on the fishing zones often to check population levels. If the level drops too low, it will take longer on average for your fishers to catch anything and the zone will be in danger of running out of fish entirely. As you expand, build out bridges along larger bodies of water to expand the fishing zones while giving your colonists the option of going further out to fish.
AI Storyteller: While none of the storytellers will affect the fish catch rate or populace, going with the storyteller, Randy Random, will allow for higher random event chances which will affect random rare fish catches. Be aware he will still throw random events at you frequently, so take him if you want a good challenge with your fishing hobby.
Animal Handling: Fishing speed can be determined by your colonists’ animal handling ability. The higher the stat, the faster your colonist will be able to fish.

Fish Table

The following table contains some of the different fish types and where to find them. At times, however, your colonists will trigger a rare catch which can range from drugs, limbs, or, strangely, dead bodies. There are over 50 different fish species to find, ranging from common to rare, helpful, expensive, to deadly.

Name	Description
Tilapia	Hardy Freshwater Fish, common in warm rivers and lakes.
Bluefish	A common fish recognizable by its forked tail. Bluefish are extensively farmed in some urbworlds.
Catfish	A large freshwater fish with distinct whisker-like organs. Their large size means they provide more nutrition than most fish.
Tuna	Large migratory fish that inhabit warm seas. Their large size means they provide more nutrition than most fish.
Marlin	Large oceanic fish with spear-like snouts are usually found in temperate and tropical waters. Their large size means they provide more nutrition than most fish.
Bass	A common freshwater fish known for its aggression and mild taste.
Dogfish	A small species of shark. Their large size means they provide more nutrition than most fish. However, some complain they have an unpleasant aftertaste.
Guppy	A small, colorful freshwater fish. While edible, guppies are rarely eaten due to their small size and low nutritional value. Instead, guppies are usually sold for their vibrant scales.
Piranha	A freshwater fish with sharp teeth and powerful jaws. While aggressive, they pose little actual danger to humans. They’re commonly sought by trophy hunters, meaning they can fetch a fair price.
Salmon	A fish known for its rich pink flesh. Salmon spend portions of their lives in both freshwater and saltwater.
Cod	A cold-water fish recognizable for its distinct whisker-like organ on the lower jaw.
Flounder	Large flatfish that are commonly found in coastal waters. They feed in muddy areas of the ocean floor.
Frostfish	Large bioengineered fish created for long-distance shipping. They taste great even after being frozen solid for years. Their large size means they provide more nutrition than most fish.
Toxfish	A fish that has been mutated by polluted water. When eaten raw, it has a high chance of food poisoning. It can be safely used to cook a meal but provides little nutrition.

RimWorld

Released: October 17, 2018
ESRB: M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Use of Drugs, Violence
Developer(s): Ludeon Studios
Publisher(s): Ludeon Studios
Engine: Unity
Steam Deck Compatibility: Verified

A player having just caught a Celaray via fishing.

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