To fish in The Sims 3, click any pond, lake or stretch of ocean and choose the fishing interaction; your Sim needs no rod or gear, and every cast builds the Fishing skill. The higher the skill, the more kinds of fish they can catch, and bait lets you target specific species. This guide covers where to fish, what each skill level unlocks, which bait catches which fish, and how to turn a catch into money, meals and garden fertilizer.
Fishing is base game content in The Sims 3, so it works with no expansion installed. Some expansions add extra fish, which we note below.
How to Start Fishing
- Find water. Any public pond or ocean shoreline works, and so does a pond on your own lot. Spots where you see fish jumping are the most active.
- Click the water and choose the fishing option. Your Sim walks to the edge and casts.
- Wait. Your Sim keeps fishing until you cancel or their needs interrupt. Catches go straight into their inventory.
Fishing is available from child age up. Per community documentation, children and Sims with the Childish or Insane traits can even fish in swimming pools, although you will not catch much there.
Fishing Skill Levels and What They Unlock
Community documentation lists these abilities as the skill grows:
- Level 1: Inspect Water. Click a body of water to see which known fish live there and whether they are biting.
- Level 3: Choose bait. Pick an item from your inventory to use as bait.
- Level 5: Use live bait. Use fish you have already caught as bait for bigger species.
Every couple of levels the game tells you that your Sim can now catch new fish and suggests checking the bookstore. The skill tops out at level 10, which is when the rarest fish become catchable.
How to Level Fishing Faster
- Just fish. Time at the water is the main source of skill.
- Take the class. Per community documentation, the Fishing skill class is held at the grocery store, not the science lab as some older guides say.
- Buy fishing books from the bookstore. Community documentation notes they are not in the public library. Books also teach you which bait each fish wants.
- Traits help. Angler Sims build the skill faster and enjoy fishing more; Loves the Outdoors also helps.
For a shortcut, our skill cheat guide shows how to set Fishing to any level.
Bait: Which Fish Wants What
Without bait you catch whatever is available at your skill level. With bait (from level 3) you can target a species. You learn each fish’s bait either from a fishing book or by catching that fish once with the right bait. Community documentation lists these pairings for some common base game fish:
| Fish | Bait |
|---|---|
| Minnow | Apple |
| Alley Catfish | Cheese |
| Rainbow Trout | Egg |
| Siamese Catfish | Bell pepper |
| Piranha | Minnow |
| Shark | Red Herring |
| Angelfish | Alley Catfish |
| Deathfish | Angelfish |
The Deathfish is the rarest base game catch. Our Deathfish guide covers where and when to fish for it.
Expansions add their own fish: World Adventures adds destination-only catches in China, Egypt and France, and Supernatural adds species used in alchemy, such as the Fairy Damsel.
What to Do With Your Catch
- Sell it. Fish can be sold for simoleons, and the value rises with the quality and weight of the catch.
- Cook it. Fish go into several recipes.
- Fertilize the garden. Per community documentation, once your Sim reaches level 3 in Gardening they can use fish as fertilizer on harvestable plants; higher-quality fish make better fertilizer. See our gardening guide.
- Stock a pond. Community documentation says a Sim with 10 or more of the same fish in inventory can stock any pond with that species, giving it an unlimited supply. That is also how players farm rare fish on their own lot.
- Mount or keep it. Fish can be sent off to be mounted as a wall trophy, or kept in an aquarium.
Reaching level 10 earns a certificate in the mail. With the Ambitions expansion, a Sim can also register as a self-employed angler and treat fishing as their career. If your Sim is chasing the Fishing skill for a job, our gardener career guide is worth a look too, since the two skills feed each other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a fishing rod in The Sims 3? No. Your Sim fishes without buying any gear; just click the water.
At what level can I use bait? Level 3 lets you choose bait from your inventory, and level 5 adds live bait using fish you have caught.
Where is the fishing class? Per community documentation, at the grocery store.
How do I find out which bait a fish wants? Read the fishing books from the bookstore, or catch the fish once with the right bait and your Sim will remember it.
Can children fish? Yes. Fishing is open to children and older.
For every other Sims guide, visit our Sims hub.