To catch legendary fish in Red Dead Redemption 2, meet the fisherman Jeremy Gill at his pier on Flat Iron Lake to start the stranger mission “A Fisher of Fish”. He gives you a map that marks every legendary fish, and meeting him unlocks the special lures sold at the bait and tackle shop in Lagras. Fish each marked spot with a special lure, fight the fish patiently, then mail it to Gill from any post office.
Below we walk through starting the mission, buying the lures, landing a fish that size, every legendary fish location in a single table, which ones only appear in the Epilogue, and what Gill sends you for the full set. If you are new to the rod, our guide on how to fish covers casting, hooking and the reel-in fight first.
Which Version This Covers
This guide covers Story Mode in Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4, Xbox One and PC, which also play on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S through backward compatibility. Legendary fish are a Story Mode feature; the Red Dead Online note is at the end.
Step 1: Start “A Fisher of Fish” With Jeremy Gill
You need the fishing rod first, which comes from the Chapter 2 mission “A Fisher of Men” (our fishing pole guide explains it). Per the community wiki, Gill’s mission becomes available once that mission is done, though some player guides say he does not turn up until Chapter 3, so if his marker is missing, push the story on a little and check again.
Gill lives at Gill Landing, a fishing shack and jetty on the northern side of Flat Iron Lake in the Heartlands. Walk up while he is fishing off the dock and talk to him. He is convinced you are a fan, shows off his stuffed fish, and hands over a map of every legendary fish site, asking you to mail him each one you land.
Step 2: Buy the Special Lures
Legendary fish ignore ordinary bait and lures. Per the community wiki, they bite only on special lures, which go on sale at the bait and tackle shop in Lagras, the swamp settlement north of Saint Denis, once you have met Gill. There are three: the Special Lake Lure, Special River Lure and Special Swamp Lure, listed by the wiki at $20 each. The wiki adds that a Special Lake Lure can also be earned from Hamish Sinclair’s stranger mission “The Veteran”.
Each fish’s Compendium entry recommends one lure, but the community wiki says players have found every legendary fish responds equally well to any special lure. Carry at least one of each anyway, so a stubborn fish never costs you the trip back to Lagras.
Step 3: Land a Fish That Size
- Fish the marked spot. Each legendary fish lives in one small area. Stand on the shore nearest the marker and cast toward it.
- Use Eagle Eye (L3 and R3 on PlayStation, both sticks on Xbox) with the rod out to spot the fish before you cast; a legendary fish is noticeably bigger than everything around it.
- Mind the weather. Each fish’s Compendium entry names the weather it prefers, listed in the table below. Player reports say it is not strictly required, but if a fish will not show, wait for the right weather or sleep at a campsite and come back.
- Expect a long fight. Do not reel while the fish is thrashing. Pull against its run until it tires, reel, and repeat. The community wiki warns that holding the reel to stop a big fish taking line snaps it if you hold for more than about two seconds at a time.
- Keep it. The wiki says releasing a legendary fish lets you catch it again, which is useful if a catch goes wrong, but you need to keep it to mail it.
Every Legendary Fish and Where to Find It
Locations come from the community wiki and player guides. The lure and weather columns quote each fish’s in-game Compendium entry.
| Legendary fish | Where to find it | Compendium lure | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Flat Iron Lake, eastern shore west of Rhodes | Special Lake Lure | Rain |
| Bullhead Catfish | Channel on the southwest side of Sisika Penitentiary’s island | Special Swamp Lure | Rain |
| Chain Pickerel | Dakota River, west of Limpany | Special River Lure | Sun |
| Lake Sturgeon | Below the railroad bridge southwest of Saint Denis | Special lures | Overcast |
| Longnose Gar | Bayou Nwa swamp, north of Lakay | Special Swamp Lure | Overcast |
| Muskie | East of the lighthouse at Van Horn Trading Post | Special River Lure | Overcast |
| Perch | Elysian Pool, Roanoke Ridge | Special Lake Lure | Sun |
| Smallmouth Bass | Owanjila, near the dam, Big Valley | Special Lake Lure | Rain |
| Sockeye Salmon | Lake Isabella, Grizzlies West | Special Lake Lure | Overcast |
| Steelhead Trout | Kamassa River by the waterfall near Willard’s Rest | Special River Lure | Rain |
| Largemouth Bass (Epilogue) | San Luis River, Hennigan’s Stead | Special River Lure | Rain |
| Redfin Pickerel (Epilogue) | Stillwater Creek, Hennigan’s Stead | Special Lake or River Lure | Sun |
| Rock Bass (Epilogue) | Aurora Basin, from the dock at Swadbass Point | Special Lake or River Lure | Sun |
The first ten are reachable as Arthur. Per the community wiki, the last three live in New Austin and the far southwest of West Elizabeth, so they can only be caught once you reach the Epilogue. Our chapter guide shows how far away that is, and fast travel shortens the trips between these spots, which cover most of the map.
Step 4: Mail Them to Jeremy Gill
Legendary fish cannot be cooked, sold, donated or broken down, per the community wiki; their only use is mailing them to Gill from a post office. The wiki’s size table puts the smaller legendary fish in the medium class, which rides in your satchel, but the big ones have to be carried or strapped to your horse, and the wiki says a horse holds only one large fish at a time, so mail each big catch before chasing the next.
The wiki lists these rewards:
- First fish mailed: a Lake Lure.
- Ten fish mailed: $45 and five pieces of Succulent Fish Meat.
- All thirteen mailed: an invitation to Gill’s cabin, which opens the second part of the mission in the Epilogue. It ends with Gill chasing a giant catfish in Rio Bravo, and you can pick up his Special Spinner, which the wiki describes as working on all larger and legendary fish.
The Legendary Fish That Are Not on Gill’s List
- Legendary Northern Pike. Per the community wiki, this one, nicknamed the Great Tyrant, appears only during Hamish Sinclair’s mission “The Veteran” at O’Creagh’s Run, and it does not count for Gill.
- Legendary Channel Catfish. This is the giant catfish from Gill’s final mission. The wiki says it can never actually be caught.
A heavy legendary fish also takes care of the Survivalist Challenge that asks for a fish of at least 19 pounds, per the wiki. Save before each long trip (our save guide covers manual saves) so a snapped line on a rare spawn does not cost you a ride across the map.
Legendary Fish in Red Dead Online
Per the community wiki, the legendary fish exist only in Story Mode. Red Dead Online sells the special lures at higher ranks and runs its own fishing challenges and events, so check Rockstar’s Red Dead Online page for what is live.
Find more of our coverage on the Red Dead guides hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you unlock legendary fish in RDR2? Meet Jeremy Gill at Gill Landing on Flat Iron Lake to start “A Fisher of Fish”. He gives you the map of legendary fish sites, and the special lures go on sale in Lagras.
Where do you buy special lures? At the bait and tackle shop in Lagras, north of Saint Denis, after you meet Gill. The community wiki lists them at $20 each.
How many legendary fish are there? Gill wants thirteen, ten of which Arthur can catch. The Northern Pike appears only in a separate stranger mission, and the Channel Catfish cannot be caught.
Can Arthur catch every legendary fish? No. Per the community wiki, the Largemouth Bass, Redfin Pickerel and Rock Bass can only be caught in the Epilogue.
What do you do with a legendary fish? Mail it to Jeremy Gill from any post office. It cannot be sold, cooked or donated.
What is the reward for catching all of them? Per the community wiki, a Lake Lure for the first, $45 and fish meat at ten, and an invitation that leads to the Special Spinner once all thirteen are mailed.