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Ice fishing

Ice Fishing is the Skill to catch fish in The Long Dark. It is performed at fishing holes, which are cut in the ice of fish-bearing bodies of water.

Overview

Fishing hut outside

A fishing hut is one of the safest and simplest locations to ice fish.

Ice Fishing is the skill to catch fish for food, lantern oil and source renewable Vitamin-C to avoid Scurvy. It is performed at any fish-bearing body of water, at hole(s) cut in its ice. These holes are found inside all Fishing Huts, and can also be made manually with any Tool (via the Radial Menu). The Survivor can fish manually with a Fishing Tackle, or semi-automatically with Fishing Tip-Ups (crafted fish traps). When choosing to fish the survivor can select to use bait, lures and how long to fish for. While fishing time is accelerated, and the task may be canceled early (ESC or "Cancel").

There are two methods of Ice Fishing:

  • Manual Ice Fishing: requires Fishing Tackle(s) and accelerates time while fishing. Catching fish manually both increases and benefits from Ice Fishing Skill. Manual Fishing is versatile and simple. needing few materials to do.
  • Fish Trapping: requires Fishing Tip-Up(s) and is semi-automatic. Deployed Tip-Ups catch fish independent of the survivor, but lose condition while deployed and require regular ice-clearing in their holes to prevent re-freeze. Deploying more than 6 Fishing Tip-Ups in the same Region will cause 'overfishing', resulting in diminishing returns (4 for Zone of Contamination). Trapping fish with Tip-Ups does not increase or benefit from Ice Fishing Skill. Deploying 6 Tip-Ups and actively maintaining them will yield a substantially higher amount of calories per hour (around 3.7x) compared to manually fishing (level 5), however this requires more resources and effort from the player.

Fishing Requires:

Fishing Optionally Requires:

Each fishing session is treated separately, so longer sessions will likely catch more fish than the same time broken into multiple sessions. Fishing for less than the "maximum bite time" will result in no fish ever being caught. Overfishing is caused by using more than 6 Tip-Ups in the same region (more than 4 in Zone of Contamination)

There are two types of fish: saltwater and freshwater, and four rarity: common, uncommon and two rare types. Fishing Lures only increase the odds of "rare" fish (at the cost of increase bite wait times).

Image Name Rarity Type Minimum weight Maximum weight Raw caloric density Odds
Lake Whitefish (Raw) icon Lake Whitefish Common Fresh water 1.50 kg
(3.3 lb)
2.30 kg
(5.06 lb)
250 cal/kg 70
Rainbow Trout (Raw) icon Rainbow Trout Common Salt water 0.50 kg
(1.1 lb)
2.30 kg
(5.06 lb)
250 cal/kg 70
Coho Salmon (Raw) icon Coho Salmon Uncommon Salt water 2.80 kg
(6.16 lb)
5.50 kg
(12.1 lb)
300 cal/kg 30
Smallmouth Bass (Raw) icon Smallmouth Bass Uncommon Fresh water 1.80 kg
(3.96 lb)
5.00 kg
(11 lb)
300 cal/kg 30
Goldeye icon Goldeye Rare Fresh water 0.50 kg
(1.1 lb)
2.10 kg
(4.62 lb)
300 cal/kg 5
Burbot icon Burbot Rare Fresh water 3.90 kg
(8.58 lb)
6.00 kg
(13.2 lb)
325 cal/kg 2
Rockfish icon Rockfish Rare Salt water 1.80 kg
(3.96 lb)
5.00 kg
(11 lb)
300 cal/kg 5
Red Irish Lord icon Red Irish Lord Rare Salt water 1.50 kg
(3.3 lb)
3.10 kg
(6.82 lb)
300 cal/kg 2
Big Bass (Raw) icon Big Bass* Unique Fresh water 15.00 kg
(33 lb)
15.00 kg
(33 lb)
300 cal/kg Scripted

*Big Bass is found only in Wintermute

Equipment

Fishing Tackle and a tool to cut hole(s) in the ice are required for fishing. Optionally Bait and/or Lures can be used to increase bite-rate, or the odds of catching rare fish. Fishing on the ice for hours is very cold, so a lit fire with fuel and/or Snow Shelter is often required.

Fishing Tackle

Fishing Tackle icon

Fishing Tackle are the primary tool for fishing. They are crafted from a Hook and Line. Tackle lasts until they break during fishing, and only degrade condition when used to Repair clothing (Tackle durability has no effect on break rate).

Ice Breaker

Ice breakers are any tool used to clear ice holes. Fully clearing a hole takes the full break time, with a partially frozen hole taking much less. Prybar and Heavy Hammer take longer to clear than bladed tools, but sustain less condition loss when doing so. Prybars are non-renewable or repairable, but Heavy Hammers may be repaired sustainably (but not replaced if ruined).

Tool Break rate
(minutes to clear ice)
Tool decay
Prybar icon Prybar 45.0 min 2.0%
Heavy Hammer icon Heavy Hammer 45.0 min 2.0%
Hatchet icon Hatchet 20.0 min 5.0%
Hunting Knife icon Hunting Knife 40.0 min 5.0%
Improvised Hatchet icon Improvised Hatchet 30.0 min 10.0%
Improvised Knife icon Improvised Knife 50.0 min 8.0%

Fishing Tip-Ups

Fishing Tip-Up icon

Fishing Tip-Ups are tools to trap fish at Fishing Holes (including those inside of Fishing Huts). They can be fitted with Lures or Bait, and function similar to Snares, but unlike Snares are not effective when used passively: as they require regular ice-clearing to function, and will lose condition while deployed.

After clearing an ice hole and placing the Tip-Up in the water the tool will auto fish. As time passes and a fish bites the tackle, the tool will "Tip-Up" and fall upright with a metallic jingling sound. Tip-Ups lose condition when deployed (1% per hour outside, 0.5% per hour inside a Fishing Hut). Catching fish with Tip-Ups does not yield Ice Fishing Skill or benefit from it.

Any number of Tip-Ups may be deployed in a region, but deploying more than 6 results in the 'overfishing penalty', yielding diminishing returns (4 in Zone of Contamination).

Fishing Bait

Fishing Bait icon

Fishing Bait are an optional tool to catch larger fish. Using Bait increases average fish size by +30%, but one piece of Bait will be consumed for each fish caught. Bait is crafted by harvesting any raw fish and takes 30 minutes regardless of fish weight. Heavier fish yield more Bait when harvested (3 Bait per 1kg of Raw Fish weight).

Fishing Lures

Fishing Lures are an optional tool for catching rare fish. Using lures increases the odds of catching a rare fish by 5-10x, but increases the maximum possible wait time for a fish to bite by +20%-75%. Lures are crafted at a Work Bench and do not lose condition when used, but will be lost if a Fishing Tackle breaks while fishing. All fishing lures weigh 0.01kg.

Image Lure Rare Fish Bonus Maximum Wait Penalty Materials Creation Time
Simple Fishing Lure icon Simple Fishing Lure +500% +20% 30 min
Fishing Lure (Acorns) icon Fishing Lure (Acorns) +800% +50% 50 min
Fishing Lure (Revolver Shell Casing) icon Fishing Lure (Casing) +800% +50% 50 min
Fishing Lure (Wire Bundle) icon Fishing Lure (Wire) +1000% +75% 50 min

Fishing Holes

Ice Fishing by the survivor or their Tip-Ups requires holes cut in the ice of fishable bodies of water. These holes may be found inside of all Fishing Huts (small green structures found on the ice in many Regions), or cut manually by the water with any Tool. Holes will gradually re-freeze, and must be manually cleared periodically to continue use.

Fishing on Pilgrim, Voyageur and Stalker have the same fishing rates. Fishing on Interloper begins at the same rate, but increases the bite-times to twice as long on average (starting from Day 10, reaching maximum effect at day 50).

Fishing inside of Fishing Huts is more efficient than survivor-cut holes. The Fishing Hut in Bitter Marsh (Ash Canyon) is unique and grants a further bonus to fishing rate.

Free Form Holes Fishing Huts Fishing Hut (Ash Canyon)
Time to Catch* 30-120 minutes 10-90 minutes 10-70 minutes
Tip-Up Decay 1%/hour 0.5/hour 0.5/hour
Ice Hole Freeze 12.5/hour 4.16%/hour 4.16%/hour

*Time to Catch on Interloper mode progressively increases up to a maximum of twice as long at Day 50, while beginning at the same value as Pilgrim/Voyageur/Stalker.

Fishing Huts

Fishing Huts are small structures on the ice which provide protection from the elements and wildlife. All fishing huts contain a pre-cut hole in the ice for fishing. Huts also contain a Pot Belly Stove to keep warm, cook or boil water, and some have door and provide a warmth bonus in their interior. Wildlife cannot enter a fishing hut even when the door is open.

All fishing holes inside Fishing Huts are more efficient than survivor-made ones outside, with all Fishing Huts being identical except for Ash Canyon's which has a higher bite-rate

Free-Form Ice Fishing Holes

Free Form Fishing Hole icon

The survivor can cut holes in the ice to fish from with any tool on fishable ice (deep blue ice, not white ice). Without a Fishing Hut for protection, fishing manually at a cut hole runs the risk of exposure or wildlife attacks. It is also impossible to place holes in areas designated as Weak Ice areas. Cutting Ice Fishing Holes was added as part of the free update for Part 3 of the Tales from the Far Territory.

Fishing at cut Ice Fishing Holes are less efficient and have higher Tip-Up condition loss than holes inside of Fishing Huts, but can may be made anywhere on appropriate ice surfaces.

Holes can be cut in the following areas:

Region Hut Present? Location Water type
Ash Canyon Yes Bitter Marsh Fresh Water
Ash Canyon No Long Falls Fresh Water
Bleak Inlet Yes (east side) The entire ocean areas to the south Salt Water
Broken Railroad No Pond north of Maintenance Yard Fresh Water
Coastal Highway Yes The entire ocean area Salt Water
Desolation Point No The entire ocean area Salt Water
Forsaken Airfield Yes Shoulder Lake Fresh Water
Forsaken Airfield No Pond near Final Approach and Surveyor's Memory Fresh Water
Hushed River Valley No Monolith Lake Fresh Water
Keeper's Pass South Yes River area near Mirthless Fork Fresh Water
Mountain Town No Milton Basin Fresh Water
Mystery Lake Yes Mystery Lake Fresh Water
Mystery Lake No Unnamed Pond Fresh Water
Crumbling Highway No The entire ocean area Salt Water
Pleasant Valley Yes Pensive Pond Fresh water
Pleasant Valley No Various points on the large main river (See below map) Fresh water
Timberwolf Mountain Yes Crystal Lake Fresh Water
Sundered Pass Yes Ambler's Lake Fresh Water
Sundered Pass No Giant's Thumbprint Fresh Water
Sundered Pass No Seedling Spring Fresh Water
Winding River No River area in front of Carter Hydro Dam Fresh Water
Zone of Contamination No Unquenched Extraction Fresh Water
Pleasant Valley Ice Fishing Spots

The Free Form Ice Fishing spots on the river in Pleasant Valley

Skill Levels

Players can increase their Ice Fishing skill by catching any fish.

A limited increase can be obtained from the Research Book The Frozen Angler, which increases the Ice Fishing by 10 skill points with 5 hours of research. This means that you can reach level 2 directly by reading your first book.

Level Skill points Effects Flavor Text
1 0
  • Basic ice fishing skill
You don't really know what you're doing yet. You know which end of the line the hook goes on.
2 10
  • Fishing time reduced by 5%
  • 8% chance of line break on catch
You're getting more comfortable with fishing in the Winter. You're better with your fishing gear, and you're developing a feel for when a fish is on the line.
3 50
  • Fishing time reduced by 10%
  • 5% chance of line break on catch
You're quite good at ice fishing. You rarely break your lines now, and you catch more fish per hour.
4 150
  • 10% to average fish weight
  • Fishing time reduced by 20%
  • 3% chance of line break on catch
You are fantastic at ice fishing. You seem to catch fish more often, more quickly, and somehow you get the bigger ones too!
5 250
  • 25% to average fish weight
  • Fishing time reduced by 30%
  • 1% chance of line break on catch
You are the Pied Piper of ice fishers. You barely have to clear the ice hole for fish to nearly jump out of the water. You catch bigger fish, more often, and in less time.

Trivia

  • Cooked Fish yield a small amount of Lantern Oil when picked up. This is automatically added to existing oil containers in the survivor's inventory. Jerry Cans hold fuel more efficiently than "Lantern Fuel" bottles.
  • Seawater fish provide more oil per kg than freshwater fish. Uncommon fish provide more oil per kg than common fish.
  • Common fish provide more Vitamin-C per kg than uncommon or rare fish.
  • Fish have a much poorer calories:weight ratio than other meat types, especially while raw. Cooking improves this rate, but even Rabbit/Ptarmigan meat is more efficient for travel food.
  • Three recipes use fish: Trout Stew, Dockworker's Pie and Coastal Fishcakes.
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