Once you clear the tutorial in Heartopia and draft the fishing rod into your inventory, you unlock one of the game’s most massive progression grinds. Filling out the journal collection is no small task; there are currently 94 distinct fish species swimming in the island’s waters, and they don’t all show up on the same schedule.
To build a championship-caliber fishing log, you need to understand the mechanics of the minigame, manage your equipment upgrades, and learn to read the weather and server clocks to pinpoint specific spawns.
Here is the complete tactical breakdown of the Heartopia fishing system, including a specific scouting report on how to land the elusive Butterfly Koi.
ALSO READ: The Heartopia Playbook: Scouting the ‘Bread With No Flour’ Cooking Perk
The Offensive Scheme: How the Fishing Minigame Works
Fishing in Heartopia relies on a tension-based execution drill.
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The Cast: Once you spot a fish silhouette in the water, equip your rod and tap the action button to cast. For precision targeting, hold down the input (or click and hold on PC) to aim your cast directly at the fish. If the zone is dead, you can scatter bait to draw targets in.
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The Hook & Reel: When the fish bites, hold the input to reel it in.
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Managing the Line Tension: This is the critical phase. Watch the color of your line. It will transition from White -> Yellow -> Red. If the line turns red and begins blinking, immediately release the input to give it slack. If you keep pulling on red, the line snaps, and you turn the ball over. Alternate between reeling and giving slack until the fish is on shore.
The Facility: Upgrading Your Fishing Skills
As you put up reps and catch fish, you earn skill points to level up your hobby mastery. Pushing your level unlocks better stats and access to rarer species. (Note: Once you hit Level 10, standard expansion tickets stop working; you must switch to Premium Hobby Expansion Tickets to progress further).
Key Upgrades & Tools:
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Fishing Rod Maintenance: Boosts base durability.
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Fish Quality: Increases the RNG odds of pulling high-star-rating fish.
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Fish Playing: Strengthens your line to prevent snapping.
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Fish Attractor / Mermaid Perfume: Premium utility items purchased from Vanya to lure fish and boost overall efficiency.
Scouting Report: How to Catch the Butterfly Koi
One of the major mid-game hurdles players face is tracking down the beautiful freshwater Butterfly Koi. This fish refuses to spawn under standard conditions, meaning you have to run a very specific route to catch it.
The Butterfly Koi Spawn Profile:
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Required Level: Level 4
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Location: Meadow Lake
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Time of Day: All Day
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Weather Condition: 🌧️ Rainy or 🌈 Rainbow ONLY
The weather condition is the absolute dealbreaker here. The Butterfly Koi will never spawn on a sunny day. Check your forecast, and only route to Meadow Lake when the skies open up.
The Master Roster: Locating Every Fish (Levels 1-10)
To complete your journal, you have to scout three different water types (Rivers, Lakes, and Oceans), and pay attention to the server clock.
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Dawn: 12:00 AM – 5:59 AM
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Morning: 6:00 AM – 11:59 AM
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Afternoon: 12:00 PM – 5:59 PM
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Dusk: 6:00 PM – 11:59 PM
Here is a quick-reference guide for some of the most notable milestone catches across the leveling tiers:
Level 1 – 3 (The Rookie Tier)
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Common Prawn / Sardine / Sea Bass: Available all day, in all weather (Ocean/East Sea).
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Seahorse (Lvl 1): Whale Sea. Available Dawn, Morning, Afternoon (All Weather).
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Clownfish (Lvl 3): Old Sea. Available all day (All Weather).
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Atlantic Salmon (Lvl 3): Whale Sea. Available Afternoon, Dusk, Dawn (All Weather).
Level 4 – 6 (The Mid-Game Grinds)
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Largemouth Bass (Lvl 4): Forest Lake. Available all day (Sun/Rainbow Only).
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Mussel (Lvl 4): Suburban Lake. Available all day (Rain/Rainbow Only).
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European Lobster (Lvl 5): Zephyr Sea. Available Dusk, Dawn (All Weather).
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Puffer Fish (Lvl 6): Old Sea. Available Afternoon, Dusk (All Weather).
Level 7 – 10 (The Heavyweights)
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Giant Oarfish (Lvl 7): Sea Fishing. Available Morning, Afternoon (All Weather).
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Golden King Crab (Lvl 8): Sea Fishing. Available all day (Rainbow Only).
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Bluefin Tuna (Lvl 9): Zephyr Sea. Available Morning, Afternoon (Rainbow Only).
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Shortfin Mako Shark / Swordfish (Lvl 10): Sea Fishing. Available Morning, Afternoon (Rainbow Only).
ALSO READ: Heartopia Scouting Report: Every Animal Trough Location & Favorite Food Playbook
