To fish in Red Dead Redemption 2, equip the rod from the item wheel, choose a bait or lure that suits the size of fish you want, cast close to a fish, wait for a real bite and set the hook, then let the fish tire itself out before you reel it in. Reeling while the fish is still fighting is what snaps the line, and it is the most common reason players lose a catch.
Below we cover the controls on every platform, which baits and lures attract which fish, how the reel-in fight works, how to find fish quickly, whether to keep or release what you catch, and how fishing differs in Red Dead Online. If you do not have a rod yet, our guide to getting the fishing pole explains the Chapter 2 mission that unlocks it.
Which Version This Covers
This guide covers Story Mode in the current build of Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4, Xbox One and PC (Steam and the Rockstar Games Launcher). PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players run those versions through backward compatibility, so the console buttons are identical. Fishing works the same way in every chapter once Arthur has his rod.
Step-by-Step: Cast, Hook and Land a Fish
These are the console controls the game’s own fishing tutorial uses:
| Action | PlayStation | Xbox |
|---|---|---|
| Equip the rod | Hold L1, tap R1 for the item wheel, select the rod | Hold LB, tap RB for the item wheel, select the rod |
| Choose bait or a lure (rod equipped) | Hold L1 | Hold LB |
| Pull back to cast | Hold R2 | Hold RT |
| Cast | Release R2 | Release RT |
| Set the hook on a bite | Press R2 | Press RT |
| Pull against a fighting fish | Left stick | Left stick |
| Reel in a tired fish | Rotate the right stick | Rotate the right stick |
On PC, community keybinding lists and the community wiki describe this layout: hold the right mouse button the whole time you fish, hold and release the left mouse button to cast (longer means farther), press the left mouse button to set the hook, move the mouse to pull against the fish, and hold Space to reel, with R to reel faster and F to reel slower. The on-screen prompts always show your current keys if you have rebound anything.
The rhythm, start to finish:
- Pick a spot with fish in it. Look for ripples, splashes and jumping fish, or use Eagle Eye (covered below).
- Attach the right bait or lure for the size of fish you are after.
- Cast just past the fish you want, so the bait settles near it rather than on top of it.
- Work the line. With a lure, reel in slowly so it looks alive. With bait, hold the rod still. Per the community wiki, an occasional flick of the rod (a quick tap of R2, RT or the left mouse button) draws attention, but flicking too often spooks fish.
- Wait for the real bite. Fish nibble before they commit, and bigger fish nibble longer. Set the hook only when the rod bends and the line pulls.
- Tire the fish, then reel. More on this below, because it is where most catches are lost.
Bait or Lure: Match It to the Fish’s Size
Fish in Red Dead Redemption 2 fall into size groups, and the community wiki, citing extensive player experiments, says the size group matters far more than the exact species named on a bait’s description:
| Fish size | What attracts it | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Bread, corn, cheese or any live bait | Bluegill, Perch, Rock Bass |
| Medium | Live bait (worms, crickets, crayfish) or lures | Steelhead Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass |
| Large | Lures, or live bait if no medium fish are near | Lake Sturgeon, Muskie, Northern Pike |
| Legendary | Special lures only | One legendary version of each species |
That makes two practical rules. Small fish ignore lures, so a lure is the fastest way to skip a crowd of tiny fish and hook something bigger. Large fish ignore bread, corn and cheese, so free bait will never land you a sturgeon.
Where to get it. Bread, corn and cheese are free and never run out, per the community wiki. Live worms, crickets and crayfish, plus lake, river and swamp lures, are sold by the bait and tackle shop in Lagras, the swamp settlement north of Saint Denis, which is the only shop that stocks everything. General stores carry a smaller range, and the wiki lists the Trapper as a seller of lake lures. The wiki puts lures at $2.50 each and live bait at $0.50 or less, says crickets appear in shops only after the Chapter 3 fishing trip with Javier, and notes that crayfish can also be collected free from crayfish holes around the bayou.
The Reel-In Fight: Why Your Line Snaps
Once hooked, a fish fights in bursts. While it is fighting you will see splashing and the fish swimming hard to one side.
- While it fights, do not reel. Pull the rod the opposite way to the fish’s run with the left stick (or the mouse on PC). This is what tires it out.
- When the splashing stops, reel. The fish is tired, so reel steadily until it starts fighting again, then go back to pulling against it.
- Repeat until it is landed. A fish hooked far away, or any large fish, usually needs several rounds.
The community wiki adds two tips for big catches. Large and legendary fish can slowly pull line off the reel while fighting; you can hold the reel briefly to stop that, but holding it for more than about two seconds at a time snaps the line. And once a fish is tired, reeling at maximum speed (pressing the left stick in on a controller, or tapping R on PC) while sweeping the rod side to side brings it in faster.
Fish will not reel in? Usually you are reeling while it is still fighting, so the line breaks or the fish holds its ground. Stop, pull against it until the splashing ends, then reel. If the line keeps breaking on a clean cast, move to a spot with fewer rocks and logs: the wiki notes that snags can cut the line early.
Finding Fish: Eagle Eye, Ripples and Boats
- Eagle Eye. Press L3 and R3 together (click both sticks on Xbox) with the rod out. Per the community wiki, fish in the water then glow, so you can pick a target and cast right at it, and with practice you can tell species apart by their silhouettes.
- Ripples and jumps. Surface activity marks where fish are feeding.
- Get closer. Walking along the bank to cut the distance means less line to reel in and fewer chances for the fish to break free.
- Fish from a boat. You can cast from a canoe or rowboat, and one Survivalist Challenge asks you to catch a fish while boating in the bayou. If you plan to fish a far-off lake, our guide on how to fast travel saves a long ride.
- No rod at all? The community wiki says fish in shallow water can be shot, but only a Small Game Arrow from the bow keeps them in good condition; anything else ruins the catch.
Keep or Release, and What to Do With Your Catch
When you land a fish the game asks whether to keep it or throw it back.
- Release it if you do not need it. Per the community wiki, releasing a fish raises Arthur’s Honor, so catch and release is a calm way to repair a bad reputation.
- Keep small and medium fish in your satchel. Large fish have to be carried or stowed on your horse, and the wiki says a horse holds only one large fish at a time, so keep it close; our guide on calling your horse helps when it wanders off.
- Do not leave it to rot. Fish on your horse decay over time like any carcass, so cook, donate or sell it promptly.
Your options for a kept fish: cook it at a campfire to restore your cores, donate it to Pearson at camp for the provisions supply, or sell it to a butcher. The community wiki singles out Sockeye Salmon and Steelhead Trout as the best sellers, especially in regions where they are rare. Fishing also builds Arthur’s Health core: the wiki lists Health XP for every fish caught with a rod, with more for bigger fish. If you want to try hunting next, our guide to perfect pelts explains how to get top price for every animal.
Fishing Challenges Worth Knowing
- Survivalist Challenges. Catching three Bluegill starts the series once “A Fisher of Men” is done, and later ranks ask for a fish caught from a boat in the bayou and one from railroad tracks, a fish of at least 19 pounds, and one of every species, per the community wiki.
- “It Was THIS Big!” The trophy or achievement for landing a fish of at least 16 pounds.
- Legendary fish. Every species has a legendary version that only bites on special lures. They are part of a stranger mission, “A Fisher of Fish”, that opens up after you learn the basics.
Fishing in Red Dead Online
The method is the same online, with different rules around it. Per the community wiki, you still get free bread, corn and cheese bait, but other baits and lures unlock as you rank up and can be bought in shops or from the catalogue. Cripps has no use for fish, so you sell them to a butcher or cook them, and large fish cannot be cooked online at all. The wiki also notes that the legendary fish are a Story Mode feature. Check Rockstar’s Red Dead Online page for current fishing events.
For the rest of our coverage, see the Red Dead guides hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you fish in RDR2 on PS4 and PS5? Equip the rod from the item wheel (hold L1, tap R1), hold and release R2 to cast, press R2 when the rod bends, pull against the fish with the left stick while it fights, and rotate the right stick to reel once it tires.
How do you fish on PC? Community keybinding lists say to hold the right mouse button, hold and release the left mouse button to cast, click to hook, move the mouse against the fish while it fights and hold Space to reel.
Why does my fishing line keep breaking? You are reeling while the fish is still fighting. Pull against it until the splashing stops, then reel, and repeat.
Should I use bait or a lure? Match it to the fish. Small fish only take bait, large fish only take lures (or live bait when nothing smaller is around), and legendary fish need special lures.
Can you fish from a boat in RDR2? Yes. You can cast from a canoe or rowboat, and one Survivalist Challenge asks for a fish caught while boating in the bayou.
What should I do with the fish I catch? Release it for Honor, or keep it to cook, donate to Pearson or sell to a butcher. Sell or use large fish quickly, because they rot on your horse.