Image: Epic Games via HGG
Justin's foray into gaming started with classic Resident Evil 3 and has only expanded since then. He graduated from RIT in 2021 and aspires to have his name in the credits of a video game one day.
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
In a game like Fortnite, sometimes what you have can determine the course of a match. Like in any Battle Royale, if you want to win, you’re going to need every advantage to make sure you’re the last one standing. One advantage that I’ve noticed is often overlooked in Fortnite is the multitude of fish that can be caught during a match.
These fish have a variety of effects and can sometimes save your life in a pinch. In this Fortnite fishing guide, we’re going to go over every fish in Chapter 4, Season 2, the location you can find them at, and how to use them to help you secure a Victory Royale!
Grab your fishing rods, and let’s get started.
How to Fish in Fortnite
Before we get into the fish themselves, we need to talk about your tool of destruction: the fishing rod. If you haven’t used the fishing rod before, then let’s go over how it works really quickly. It takes up an inventory slot like any weapon and can usually be looted on docks or around bodies of water in barrels.
When activated, you can cast your line in any body of water. After some time, the bobber on the end of the rod will dip under the water, telling you to use the attack button and reel in your catch. The rod even has infinite uses, so you’re free to fish until your heart’s content.
While loot in calm waters will usually be low tier, using a fishing hole or a disturbance in the water will provide you with higher tier loot instead. The fishing rod can also scoop up some extra ammo if you’re lucky. Just be careful, most players won’t respect the sanctity of fishing time.
Pro Fishing Rod & Its Absence
Another tidbit before we get into the actual fish in this guide is the problem of the pro fishing rod. Introduced in Chapter 2, Season 4, the pro fishing rod lets players capture specific high-tier fish. However, in Chapter 4, Season 1, the rod was vaulted.
Where the problem comes in is that some of the fish variations on this list can only be caught using a pro fishing rod. While I don’t think the fish have been taken out of the game, I don’t think there is any way to actually catch them at the moment. Because of this, assume any fish with ‘with pro fishing rod’ next to it is currently unavailable, but this may change later in the chapter.
Every Fortnite Fish, Location, and Effects
Before we dive into the list, there are three things we want to note:
- Some types of fish have been vaulted and are currently not in the game. Ex. Spicy Fish
- All of the fish we list have different color variations. This is purely cosmetic and has no impact on gameplay.
- Previously, Fortnite had a fishing collection book feature that let you keep track of all the fish variants you caught per season. This feature is currently vaulted as well.
Flopper
- Orange Flopper – Anywhere
- Green Flopper – Anywhere
- Blue Flopper – Anywhere
The first fish on our list is the iconic Flopper. These bad boys take 1 second to use and heal you for 40 HP instantly. With the ability to stack up to four of these in your inventory, that’s potentially 160 points of healing right in your pocket.
Another great thing about these fish is that they can be found anywhere. As long as you have a fishing rod, any body of water and icebox has the potential for dropping a Flopper.
At the end of the day, Floppers provide the fastest health healing in the game. With it taking only 4 seconds to consume an entire stack of these, it’s an excellent idea to save these for when you’re in a pinch. Unlike bandages, Floppers don’t have a health limit either, so you can get yourself back to full.
While the healing spray edges out a little more in terms of usefulness and versatility, the Floppers are a good alternative if you don’t have one. Don’t pass on these useful fishies the next time you find yourself in a match.
Shield Fish
- Pink Shield Fish – Anywhere (with pro fishing rod)
- Light Blue Shield Fish – Anywhere
- Green Shield Fish – Forest areas
- Black Striped Shield Fish – Coastal areas
- Black and Blue Shield Fish – Anywhere
Next up to bat are the shield versions of the Flopper. It takes only 1 second to use and heals 40 shields per use. You can only stack three in your inventory instead of four, but 120 points of shield healing in 3 seconds is hard to say no to.
The different versions can be found in different map areas, but the light blue and black Shield Fish can be found anywhere. Like the other fish on this list, they can also be found as random loot in the icebox.
The benefits of the Shield Fish are virtually the same as those of the Flopper. Other than being able to stack one less, these fish provide speedy shield healing. While I’m still partial to keeping chug splashes and kegs on hand when I’m playing squads, Shield Fish are a great alternative to the shield potion. Plus, they’re a massive improvement over the small shield potion and their fifty shield healing cap.
Slurpfish
- Blue Slurpfish – Anywhere
- Yellow Slurpfish – Desert areas
- Purple Slurpfish – Mountainous areas
- Black Slurpfish – Coastal areas at night
- White Slurpfish – Mountainous areas at night (with pro fishing rod)
Next on our list is the Slurpfish. Unlike the previous fish in this guide, the Slurpfish heals both health and shields. Like the other fish, it takes 1 second to consume and heals either your health or shields by forty. Like the Shield Fish, you can only stack up to three in your inventory.
If you only have a little bit of health missing, the effect will bleed over to your shields, potentially healing both your health and shields. This makes the Slurpfish a very efficient restorative item.
The different colored Slurpfish can be found in various locations, but the base blue Slurpfish can be found in any body of water. All versions of the fish can be looted from an icebox.
The Slurpfish shares the same benefits as the Flopper and Shield Fish, as you can probably see, but better. It provides quick healing when you’re in a tough spot. Although you can only stack three as opposed to four like the Flopper, the ability to heal either health, shields, or both makes it more versatile. Slurpfish should be prioritized over both the Flopper and Shield Fish whenever possible.
Jellyfish
- Slurp Jellyfish – Anywhere
- Dark Vanguard Jellyfish – Anywhere at Night
- Cuddle Jellyfish – Swamp areas
- Peely Jellyfish – Mountainous areas (with pro fishing rod)
- Purple Jellyfish – Coastal areas
If Floppers were like medkits and Shield Fish were like shield potions, then Jellyfish act as an alternative to Chug Splash. They can be found almost anywhere, but unlike the other fish in this guide, they do not drop from ice boxes.
Jellyfish take 1 second to consume, heal either health or shields, and can be stacked up to three in your inventory. What makes the Jellyfish special, and the reason I likened it to the Chug Splash, is that it can heal multiple people at once. When consumed, the Jellyfish will heal the user and any other player nearby.
This is an excellent item to have if you’re playing in any team modes. If every member of a trio’s team had a full stack of Jellyfish, that’s a whopping 180 points of healing in 3 seconds if everyone uses their items at the same time. This is incredibly useful and can change fortunes if pinned down with low health.
However, because of the low healing per Jellyfish, I recommend passing on this item in solo play. There are better options out there, and the group healing is entirely wasted.
Small Fry
- Light Blue Small Fry – Anywhere
- Tan Small Fry – Anywhere
- Purple Top Small Fry – Anywhere
- Black Small Fry – Anywhere at night
- Blue Small Fry – Coastal areas
Finally, we have the Small Fry. They can be found everywhere on the Island and as random loot in ice boxes. However, these fish are my least favorite in the game. Like all the other fish, they take 1 second to consume and heal 25 points of health per use. They can be stacked up to six in your inventory.
While at first glance they may seem like the best fish in the game, they do come with a downside. Much like bandages, they can only heal your health up to a maximum of 75. While I would still prefer them over bandages, there are not many scenarios where I would choose a Small Fry over any other option on this list.
To be fair, there are some specific situations where they might come in handy. For example, because of their fast consumption time and fairly high stack count, if you ever need quick healing in the storm, they can keep you alive for some time.
Join the High Ground
And that’s our guide to fishing and all the types of fish you can currently get in Fortnite. Did you learn something new? Are you going to add fishing to your Battle Royale strategies? Do you think fishing is a waste of time?
Let us know in the comments below and make sure to subscribe for more weekly gaming content!
Happy gaming!
Can we ever expect to see the Mythic Goldfish make a return?