While Animal Crossing: New Horizons allows players to customize nearly every aspect of their experience, from their clothes, to their home, and even their island itself, nearly everything in the game costs Bells.
While there are numerous ways for players to generate and obtain Bells, one of the most reliable and easily accessible source of in-game currency is fishing. There are many fish that players should be looking out for that can be sold for a huge profit. This guide will explore the most valuable fish players can catch in New Horizons, and when and where they can be found. Most of these can bring in several thousands of Bells!
Updated May 1st, 2022 by Stephen LaGioia: Animal Crossing: New Horizons has become a major evergreen game for the Switch. It's one of those titles that gamers of all ages can return to months or even years later and still enjoy checking up on their virtual home. It's easy to understand why, given the laid-back vibe of one's personal island, and the seemingly endless stream of new items to decorate it with.
Nintendo has also continued rejuvenating the game's thriving ecosystem with various updates and events, culminating with the expansive DLC, Happy Home Paradise. As such, it seemed like the right time to revisit this list—drawing again from the vast pool of unique fish and highlighting the most expensive.
14 Hammerhead - 8,000 Bells
This shark is quite unique, and for reasons that extend beyond its peculiar shape. This is fairly rare in that it can only be nabbed between the hours of 4:00 PM to 9:00 AM and is only active from June to September in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere, however, it makes appearances from December to January.
Players will likely need to spend ample time fishing in the ocean to catch one, but at 8,000 Bells it's quite worth the investment.
13 Oarfish - 9,000 Bells
While relatively cheap for a huge fish, this distinct creature still yields plenty of precious Bells at 9,000. Players can find them slithering about in the ocean from December to May (northern hemisphere), and June to November (southern hemisphere).
While they're not all too easy to obtain, Oarfish can at least be found lurking at all hours of the day. So players can have a relaxing time at the beach without fretting over what time it is when seeking one. They're also quite easy to spot as they cast a large shadow.
12 Blue Marlin - 10,000 Bells
The sleek specimen known as the Blue Marlin sells at a solid price of 10,000 Bells, making it all the more alluring. While it doesn't look terribly big, this pointed fish still falls under the category of "huge," so its shadow will likewise be large.
Players will need to go fishing at the dock to secure one, though they can be found any time of the day. In terms of their seasonal appearances, Blue Marlins are fairly unique. They show up most months of the year—but absent May, June, and October in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere, they're absent April, November, and December.
11 Napoleonfish - 10,000 Bells
While not a conqueror like its name implies, this fish can aid in granting wealth to the player at 10,000 Bells.
Another huge specimen, Napoleonfish are rather simple to spot in the ocean, though they're selective when it comes to seasonal showings. In fact, they only appear in July and August in the northern hemisphere, and January and February in the southern hemisphere. They also don't favor late nights, showing up at 4:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
10 Sturgeon - 10,000 Bells
The Sturgeon is a massive fish that can be found within the mouths of rivers. Available in the northern hemisphere from September through March, and in the southern hemisphere from March through September, Sturgeons bring in a solid 10,000 Bells.
As Sturgeons can only be caught in river mouths, the most reliable method of catching them can be using bait in river mouths, looking out for large fish shadows.
9 Arowana and Arapaima - 10,000 Bells
While most of the more expensive fish in New Horizons can only be caught in the ocean, the (relatively) new Arowana and Arapaima are two river fish with identical availability that fetch 10,000 Bells a piece.
Appearing from 4:00 PM to 9:00 AM, each of these fish can be found from June to September in the northern hemisphere and December through March in the southern hemisphere. While fishing at night in these timeframes, there's a solid chance that any huge shadows in rivers could be an Arowana or an Arapaima.
8 Saw Shark - 12,000 Bells
Across the Animal Crossing series, catching and selling sharks has always been a surefire way of generating Bells. While Saw Sharks are the least expensive sharks players can catch, they are still worth a respectable 12,000 Bells.
Sharks are easily identifiable due to their noticeable fins, and are one of the most reliably worthwhile fish to catch. Saw Sharks appear in the later hours of the day, from 4:00 PM to 9:00 AM, and are available in the summer of a player's respective region.
7 Whale Shark - 13,000 Bells
Another breed of shark available in New Horizons, Whale sharks share many traits with other breeds of sharks, only becoming available to catch during the summer. Whale sharks are one of the more reliable and accessible shark breeds, as while other types of sharks such as the Saw Shark can only be caught in the later hours of the day, the Whale Shark can be caught at any point in the day.
This means that if a player sees a finned shadow in the water in the earlier hours of the day, there's a strong chance that it's a 13,000 bell Whale Shark!
6 Barreleye - 15,000 Bells
Worth a hefty 15,000 Bells, the Barreleye is as unique as it is rare. While the majority of expensive fish in Animal Crossing are large fish that can only be found under specific conditions, the Barreleye is a small ocean fish that is available all year round.
Only appearing from 4:00 PM to 9:00 AM, the Barreleye has an extremely limited spawn rate that prevents them from being easily obtained. While many of the smaller fish in New Horizons don't have the highest price tags, the prospect of catching a Barreleye can serve as incentive to catch smaller fish in the sea.
5 Golden Trout - 15,000 Bells
The Golden Trout is a tricky and elusive river fish that can only be caught within the clifftop portions of a player's island. Additionally, the Golden Trout can only be found later in the day, and possesses a medium-sized shadow that makes it difficult to distinguish from less sought-after fish.
The Golden Trout also has a rather strange availability, being available March through May as well as September through November, regardless of a player's hemisphere. While the fish is rare, players are treated to a reward of 15,000 Bells for their troubles.
4 Stringfish - 15,000 Bells
Like the Golden Trout, the Stringfish is another 15,000 bell fish that can only be caught in clifftop regions of one's island. Stringfish can only be caught from December through March in the northern hemisphere and from June through September within the southern hemisphere and from 4:00 PM to 9:00 AM.
While Stringfish are not the most convenient and easily accessible fish to catch, their massive shadow size a good indicator that is less common within rivers.
3 Dorado - 15,000 Bells
Another massive fish found within rivers, players in search of a Dorado likely won't have as much difficulty than those in search of a Stringfish or Golden Trout, as Dorados can be found in any portion of a river.
Appearing in the late afternoon, Dorado's can be found in rivers during the same months in which the Stringfish is available. Similar to the Stringfish, Dorados can be spotted by their massive shadow which is more uncommon for river fish.
2 Great White Shark - 15,000 Bells
The most valuable of the sharks in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the iconic, coveted Great White Shark.
Like the other sharks in New Horizons, Great Whites can be easily spotted by their enormous finned shadows. Possessing the exact same time and date availability as Saw Sharks, if a player is fortunate enough to reel in a Great White Shark, they can be sold for a hefty 15,000 Bells!
1 Coelacanth - 15,000 Bells
Only capable of being found while it is raining on one's island, Coelacanth incentivize that player's fish whenever it rains on their island. Available all year round, Coelacanth can be found in the ocean and possess a noteworthy large size. If it happens to be raining on one's island and a large shadow is spotted, there's a chance that it might be the 15,000 bell Coelacanth!
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now, exclusively for Nintendo Switch