Moonlight Peaks: Unlock the Fishing Rod and Beat Outfish the Fisherman
Moonlight Peaks players looking to expand their fish collection can’t do much at first—especially since the town starts you without a rod. Here’s how to unlock the Fishing Rod, clear the “Outfish the Fisherman” quest, and upgrade to reach bigger fish shadows.
How to Get the Fishing Rod in Moonlight Peaks
When you first arrive in the fantastical town of Moonlight Peaks, you’ll likely spot fish swimming under the water’s surface—visible as shadows. The catch is that you don’t begin with a Fishing Rod, so you’ll have to leave those shadows alone temporarily.
The Fishing Rod becomes available starting on Night 3 of Spring in Year 1. Once that night starts, exit your farm through the eastern route into Moonlight Peaks, then immediately go north and pass through the archway into Moonlit Pines.
After you enter, you’ll trigger a cutscene featuring Noel, who is fishing at the water here. He gifts you a Fishing Rod and challenges you to be the first to catch three different species of fish.
This begins the Outfish the Fisherman quest.
Outfish the Fisherman Quest: Catch Three Fish Types
To finish the Outfish the Fisherman quest in Moonlight Peaks—and beat Noel—you need to catch three different types of fish. With the Fishing Rod unlocked, you can fish in any body of water.
That said, the base Fishing Rod only reels in small fish shadows. If a larger fish shadow bites, it will take your rod and swim away.
Fishing itself is straightforward. When you find a small fish shadow, equip your Fishing Rod, cast into the water, and wait for the fish to bite—signaled by a splash. Then hold the reel button to pull the fish in.
These are the three fish types we found, along with where they were located:
- Violet – Moonlight Peaks
- Whisper – Moonlit Pines
- Splotch – Moonlight Peaks
Once you’ve caught three distinct species, head back to Noel and tell him: “I caught three fish!” He’ll pay out 250 Coins for completing the quest.
Fishing Rod Upgrades in Moonlight Peaks
The default Fishing Rod is limited to small fish shadows, so upgrading is the next step if you want to catch everything. You can upgrade your Fishing Rod at the Howling Hammer in Moonlight Peaks, which is open Monday to Friday from 18:00 to 00:00.
Go to the counter and speak with Ridge. Choose “I want to buy something”, then move over to the tools section. There you’ll find the Premium Fishing Rod upgrade, which costs:
- 16,000 Coins
- 1x Fishing Rod
- 3x Gold Bar
With the Premium Fishing Rod, you can finally reel in big fish shadows in addition to the smaller ones—opening the door to additional fish species.
