Hooking fish in Stardew Valley is usually an experience rooted in reality. When you go to a specific region of water, you can catch what you’d normally expect in real life. That changes somewhat when you first catch a Lava Eel, Stardew Valley’s magma-dwelling creature. This just-under three-foot long being is a fisherman’s dream catch, but isn’t the easiest to find… Perhaps for obvious reasons! Let’s talk about where you can go to catch this and why it can be so hard to find.
Lava Eel Locations in Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley’s Lava Eel can only be caught on the 100th floor of the Mines and in Volcano Caldera at Ginger Island. This creature is the only fish that can spawn in lava, though you can catch Trash in any pool of lava that the fish is in. The chance of you catching an Eel is significantly higher in the Volcano Dungeon when compared to the 100th floor of the mines.
The first time that you encounter the Eel will usually be within the Mines. On the 100th floor, you can cast your rod into the pools of lava. The further out you cast it, and the higher your Fishing level, the higher chance you get the Eel. A Curiosity Lure increases the chance significantly as well.
That being said, your chances of catching one still aren’t great. A level 10 Fisher with a Curiosity Lure and the best possible cast will have only a 10% chance to get a Lava Eel.
The 10th floor of the Volcano Dungeon of Ginger Island is significantly better for your chances of catching the Eel. The further you cast your lure from the shore of the Volcano Caldera, the higher chance you get to catch the fish. This time, it’s up to a 50% chance to catch it! This is a significantly better farming spot for it, if you need multiple for any reason. This is also where the Forge is located, an incredibly important tool for endgame Stardew Valley content.
This fish is not the most difficult non-legendary fish to catch in the game, though they are still tricky. We recommend making an Iridium Rod and eating some fishing food before going out to farm them.
Lava Eel Recipes and Crafting
The Lava Eel can be used in every recipe that can use standard fish. These include the Maki Roll, Quality Fertilizer, and Sashimi. It can also be used in Tailoring to make the Logo Cap hat item. Finally, it can be put into the Master Fisher’s Bundle if you have that Remixed bundle.
It is highly recommended to not use the Lava Eel in any recipe as a food source. Maki Rolls, Quality Fertilizer, and Sashimi all hilariously downgrade the fish’s value. You do not get higher quality goods if you use an Eel over any other fish. It is much better to sell the eel for a profit over attempting to make it into a snack. It sells for 700g with no upgrades in price, and can make an Angler up to 2,100g per fish! That’s a ton for a single catch.
The Logo Cap and the Master Fisher’s Bundle are usually worth making, if you like cosmetics or completionism. You’ll only have to put it into a Bundle if you are using the Remix rules for bundles. And there’s only a one-in-three chance that you’ll have to throw away high-rarity fish in the first place.
The only other major use for these fellas is a Fish Pond. You can populate a pool with a fella and get a new one ever 3 days. At first, you will only get their – relatively expensive – roe, a good recurring resource. Then, when you reach 3 population, you might get some Gold Ore. At 9 population, you can get some Food or some Magma Geodes. All of these are really profitable for you! Though, most of them are rare, and will require investment. You need 3 Fire Quartz, 2 Mega Bombs, 1 Iridium Bar, and your choice of 1 Basalt, 2 Diamonds, or a Dwarf Scroll III to completely fill out the pond.
Do Villagers Like Lava Eel?
No, not a single Villager wants a Lava Eel in the current patch of Stardew Valley. A few Villagers will be neutral to your gift, most of them dislike the eel, and Evelyn, Haley, and Pierre all hate it. There is no reason to gift any villager a Lava Eel for any reason.
