March Fish List with Availability & Sell Prices
There are 35 fish creatures available to catch in March for the Northern Hemisphere in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, or 63 fish for the Southern Hemisphere!
Use our interactive grid or table containing highlighting every fish you can catch in March including when you can catch them, where to find them, shadow sizes, sell prices, and how rare they are. Both Northern & Southern Hemisphere are supported.
In addition to the full March list, select the New in March and Leaving in April toggles to automatically filter accordingly for the latest arriving fish or upcoming leaving fish to catch.
TIME
LOCATION
SHADOW
RARITY
DISPLAY
| Name | Price | Location | Shadow | Availability | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bitterling | 900  | River |  | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Pale Chub | 200 | River | | 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Crucian Carp | 160 | River |  | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Dace | 240 | River |  | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Carp | 300 | Pond |  | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Koi | 4,000 | Pond | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Goldfish | 1,300 | Pond | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Pop-Eyed Goldfish | 1,300 | Pond | | 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Ranchu Goldfish | 4,500 | Pond | | 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Killifish | 300 | Pond | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Crawfish | 200 | Pond | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Soft-Shelled Turtle | 3,750 | River | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Snapping Turtle | 5,000 | River | | 9 PM - 4 AM JFMAMJJASOND 9 PM - 4 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Tadpole | 100 | Pond | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Frog | 120 | Pond | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Freshwater Goby | 400 | River | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Loach | 400 | River | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Catfish | 800 | Pond | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Giant Snakehead | 5,500 | Pond | | 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Bluegill | 180 | River | | 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Yellow Perch | 300 | River | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Black Bass | 400 | River | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Tilapia | 800 | River | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Pike | 1,800 | River |  | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Pond Smelt | 400 | River | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Sweetfish | 900 | River | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Cherry Salmon | 1,000 | River (Clifftop) | | 4 PM - 9 AMAll Day JFMAMJJASOND JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Char | 3,800 | River (Clifftop) | | 4 PM - 9 AMAll Day JFMAMJJASOND JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Golden Trout | 15,000 | River (Clifftop) | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Stringfish | 15,000 | River (Clifftop) | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Salmon | 700 | River (Mouth) | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 King Salmon | 1,800 | River (Mouth) | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Mitten Crab | 2,000 | River | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Guppy | 1,300 | River | | 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Nibble Fish | 1,500 | River | | 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Angelfish | 3,000 | River | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Betta | 2,500 | River | | 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Neon Tetra | 500 | River | | 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Rainbowfish | 800 | River | | 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND 9 AM - 4 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Piranha | 2,500 | River | | 9 AM - 4 PM, 9 PM - 4 AM JFMAMJJASOND 9 AM - 4 PM, 9 PM - 4 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Arowana | 10,000 | River | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Dorado | 15,000 | River | | 4 AM - 9 PM JFMAMJJASOND 4 AM - 9 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Gar | 6,000 | Pond | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Arapaima | 10,000 | River |  | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Saddled Bichir | 4,000 | River | | 9 PM - 4 AM JFMAMJJASOND 9 PM - 4 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Sturgeon | 10,000 | River (Mouth) | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Sea Butterfly | 1,000 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Sea Horse | 1,100 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Clown Fish | 650 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Surgeonfish | 1,000 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Butterfly Fish | 1,000 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Napoleonfish | 10,000 | Sea | | 4 AM - 9 PM JFMAMJJASOND 4 AM - 9 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Zebra Turkeyfish | 500 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Blowfish | 5,000 | Sea | | 9 PM - 4 AM JFMAMJJASOND 9 PM - 4 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Puffer Fish | 250 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Anchovy | 200 | Sea | | 4 AM - 9 PM JFMAMJJASOND 4 AM - 9 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Horse Mackerel | 150 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Barred Knifejaw | 5,000 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Sea Bass | 400 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Red Snapper | 3,000 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Dab | 300 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Olive Flounder | 800 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Squid | 500 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Moray Eel | 2,000 | Sea |  | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Ribbon Eel | 600 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Tuna | 7,000 | Pier | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Blue Marlin | 10,000 | Pier | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Giant Trevally | 4,500 | Pier | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Mahi-Mahi | 6,000 | Pier | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Ocean Sunfish | 4,000 | Sea |  | 4 AM - 9 PM JFMAMJJASOND 4 AM - 9 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Ray | 3,000 | Sea | | 4 AM - 9 PM JFMAMJJASOND 4 AM - 9 PM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Saw Shark | 12,000 | Sea | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Hammerhead Shark | 8,000 | Sea | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Great White Shark | 15,000 | Sea | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Whale Shark | 13,000 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Suckerfish | 1,500 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★☆ |
 Football Fish | 2,500 | Sea | | 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND 4 PM - 9 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★☆☆ |
 Oarfish | 9,000 | Sea | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Barreleye | 15,000 | Sea | | 9 PM - 4 AM JFMAMJJASOND 9 PM - 4 AM JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
 Coelacanth | 15,000 | Sea (Rain) | | All Day JFMAMJJASOND All Day JFMAMJJASOND | ★★★ |
Bugs
Notable New Fish in March (NH)
If your island is new since December or later, you’ll want to take special care to hunt down the particularly rare Char and Golden Trout arriving in March for the first time since November! Both of these can only be found in the rivers on your island’s clifftops.
The same goes for the Barred Knifejaw and Cherry Salmon, found in Sea and River (Clifftop) respectively, but they aren’t quite as rare to find. Finally, be sure to fish in a pond to catch the Tadpole appearing for the first time since last summer!
Notable Fish Leaving in April (NH)
When it comes to fish leaving after March ends, you’ll want to be extra certain that the Stringfish and Sturgeon have been caught and donated. Both of these rare fish can only be found in specific locations of River (Clifftop) and River (Mouth), and won’t be catchable again until December and September respectively!
Notable New Fish in March (SH)
March in the Southern Hemisphere is a great month to stalk your river mouth’s spawns as there are three new fish to be found there! The pair of King Salmon and Salmon can ONLY be caught during March, so they should be your highest priority. The rare Sturgeon returns to the river mouth as well for the first time since September.
Look out for the Pike and Mitten Crab found in your island’s rivers too for the first time since last spring!
Notable Fish Leaving in April (SH)
Before March ends in the Southern Hemisphere, make sure you’ve caught the wide variety of rare sharks and other rare fish that can only be found during the summer months. This includes the Ocean Sunfish, Saw Shark, Hammerhead Shark, Whale Shark, Piranha, and many more! This is a huge month for leaving fish in both the sea and river.
Finally, don’t forget about the sneaky and easily forgotten Gar only caught in ponds that will be leaving alongside the sharks until next summer!
Tips & Tricks for Catching Fish
Different fish appear on your Animal Crossing island depending on the month, time of day, and specific location. If you’re looking to catch a very specific fish, pay close attention to the indicated shadow size to help you guess before casting your rod if it’s your target fish. Use the run button to scare away undesirable fish to be respawned when you walk away and come back.
You can use the visual indicator of fish biting your rod, the strong rumble feeling from your controller, or even just the sound of the strong bite to time your catches. Sometimes, closing your eyes and simply just using the rumble or sound can work better than looking as the bites can trick you!
Each technique for different people, so try them all to see what works best for you. Generally speaking though, the more rare and valuable fish have a higher ‘difficulty’ that require a faster reaction time to successfully catch them.
Finally, it should be noted that fish can only ‘bite’ up to four times before the final bite, or five bites in total. You can have confidence in the next bite being the one to press A after four fake bites! Most commonly, you’ll find fish biting on the third attempt.
Fish Locations
Most fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons are found in broad locations of the river, the ocean sea, or small ponds. However, a small selection of fish are only in special locations defined more narrowly.
Pier Fish
Pier fish, including the rare Blue Marlin, can only be found in the ocean area directly surrounding an island’s Pier. This boardwalk extending from either the lower left or right side of your island is where the Resort Hotel and Kapp’n can be found, but is otherwise empty early on.
River Mouth Fish
River mouth fish, including the elusive Sturgeon, can only be found in the area of your river where it connects into the ocean. In other words, it’s the area of water between your actual river on the mainland and the opening on your beach to the sea. You’ll typically find these fish right around the rocks and where the water colours merge together.
River Clifftop Fish
River clifftop fish, including the expensive Stringfish, can only be found in the river on your island’s upper 2nd and 3rd terrain levels. A pond without flowing water towards another level does not count.
Using Fish Bait
A great way to speed up finding rare fish, especially in tricky locations like the pier, river mouth, and river clifftops is to craft and use Fish Bait. Use it to repeatedly spawn new fish to appear in front of you in these spots!
The Fish Bait DIY recipe can be unlocked by digging up a manila clam on your island’s beaches with a shovel — look out for a small shadow with water squirting out. And new in Version 3.0, you can now craft up to 10 Fish Bait at a time with bulk crafting added in the update.
Fish Spawn Requirements
Some fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons have spawn requirements that prevent them from appearing until you’ve caught enough. The most notable are these five rarest fish that require you to have caught at least 100 fish in total to unlock them:
- Golden Trout
- Stringfish
- Dorado
- Barreleye
- Coelacanth
We’ve omitted these numbers from the list to save space, but it is worth keeping in mind if it’s your very first few hours catching fish.
Unlock Golden Fishing Rod DIY Recipe
When you have caught and recorded all 80 different fish in your NookPhone’s Critterpedia, the Faraway Museum will mail you a DIY recipe for the Golden Rod, requiring a Fishing Rod and 1 Gold Nugget to craft. While it does last about three times as long as non-golden tools, the Golden Rod is still not invincible to breaking.
Note that this is seperate from actually donating fish to your island’s Museum — you can still get the golden fishing rod without donations.
Save Fish for Models or Extra Bells from C.J.
Besides donating fish to Museum or selling at Nook’s Cranny, you might want to save them up for the next time C.J. visits your island!
When C.J. is visiting, after completing a challenge, you can get exclusive Fish Models from him by trading in three of the same fish. You can also use C.J. to maximize your fishing profits as he’ll buy fish from you for an extra 50% more Bells than Timmy & Tommy at Nook’s Cranny do.