Moonlight Peaks: How to Fish and Get the Fishing Rod

Here's how to fish and get your hands on the Fishing Rod in Moonlight Peaks.

Moonlight Peaks hands over a handful of starting tools right away, like a watering can and shovel, but the Fishing Rod isn't one of them. Fishing plays a bigger role than it might first seem, since fish double as both a resource and a gift for building relationships with the town's supernatural residents.

Triggering the Quest

The rod comes from a quest called Outfish the Fisherman, tied to Noel, the local warlock. This quest tends to show up after completing Meet the Townsfolk, an early quest from Orlock that involves introducing yourself to everyone around town.

This quest tends to appear within the first week or so of playing, though the exact night it triggers can vary somewhat depending on how quickly the earlier quests get completed.

To reach Noel, head east from the farm toward town, then north through the stone archway just before the bridge leading into town proper in Moonlight Peaks.

This path leads to a beach area, and Noel will call out from a distance once the trigger activates, challenging you to a fishing contest.

How Fishing Works

Cast into the water near one of the dark, shadowy fish shapes and wait for a bite. Fishing in Moonlight Peaks works on a simple bite-and-reel rhythm - the fish tends to tug at the bobber two or three times before actually pulling it under, at which point holding the reel button brings it in.

If pockets are full, caught fish drop to the ground nearby instead of vanishing, making it easy to grab them after clearing out some space.

Winning the Fishing Contest

Once the quest starts, Noel hands over the rod and challenges you to catch three different types of fish before he does, with a 250 gold wager attached to the outcome. The immediate beach area works fine for the first couple in Moonlight Peaks, and crossing through town to the piers on the southern outskirts covers the rest.

The contest isn't timed, so there's no pressure to rush through it, but winning the fishing race avoids losing that wagered gold.

Once three different types are caught, head back to the beach where the contest started to hand them over to Noel. He wanders the town after this point, so returning to that same spot is usually the fastest way to find him again if he's nowhere else in sight.

Upgrading the Rod Later

The base rod only reels in smaller fish, but a Premium Fishing Rod upgrade becomes available later at the Howling Hammer, run by a shopkeeper named Ridge.

This upgrade costs 3,500 coins and 3 Gold Bars, letting any fish in the water get caught rather than just the smaller ones.

Larger, shadowy fish shapes that move noticeably through the water are a clear sign the base rod won't be enough - these giant fish require the premium upgrade to actually hook successfully.

Since gold bars require progressing further into the mining chain first, this upgrade naturally comes later rather than something to rush early in Moonlight Peaks.