Hooking every strange fish in Stardew Valley is a fun achievement on its own. Every fantastical creature and real-life monster that lives in the water is given such life through various fishing systems. One of these creatures is the Sandfish, a pizza-wedge of a creature in Stardew Valley. The brown fish is a specialty catch, required to fully progress any standard game of the main campaign. So, where do you catch it? And what is it possibly used for? This guide will answer every question you have about this sandy little fish.
Sandfish Locations in Stardew Valley
The Sandfish is one of the few fish that can only be caught in the Desert. Thankfully, it is able to be caught during any season, in any weather, and at any point in the body of water. The only limitation is the time, since you can’t catch the fish after 8 p.m. without using Magic Bait.
In order to get to the Desert in the first place, you’ll need to complete all Vault Bundles or complete the “Bus Repair” option in JojaMart. You can then take that vehicle to the Desert map, which features two ponds.
There are three catches available in the desert on the standard fish loot table: Sandfish, Scorpion Carp, and Green Algae. That means you are fairly likely to catch the fish that you want that is unique to the desert.
That being said, this isn’t the easiest fish to catch in the world. It has a fairly high rating and a somewhat unpredictable pattern. Bring a high-level Fishing Rod with you, or eat some Fishing Food. You don’t want to waste a day in the Desert on whiffed catches!
If you don’t feel like fishing for one, the wedge-like fish can be found in Garbage Cans once the Desert is unlocked, or can be purchased from the Traveling Cart for obscene amounts of money.
Expert Tip
You can find the Sandfish in either pond of the Desert, though fishing in the southern pond is not recommended. That pond has no Fishing Zone distribution, so you’ll get lower quality catches overall. Not to mention you’ll have to accurately throw your Bobber to that one. Just fish in the northwest one!
Sandfish Recipes and Crafting Uses
Sandfish can only be crafted into the three standard recipes for fish: Maki Rolls, Quality Fertilizer, and Sashimi. When used in Tailoring, it can be made into a Fish Shirt or Yellow Dye. It is not used for other sources of crafting.
The standard fishing recipes aren’t a bad use for the fish. Sashimi especially — a recipe earned from being friendly to Linus — is a great food source and is well-liked by the community.
Using one in the Sewing Machine will provide a relatively generic fish shirt. It can be dyed, at least, and the fish itself is considered to be yellow dye. You have less expensive options for both of these — the Sunfish makes the shirt, for example.
Other Uses For Sandfish
The Sandfish sells for a good amount of money, but makes a pretty bad gift for most villagers. However, placing a Sandfish in a fish pond is actually quite good for your income. They produce irregularly high numbers of Roe at higher populations, and can make Cactus Seeds when they number ten. They are also used in random Item Delivery quests, some Fish Pond quests, and the Specialty Fish bundle.
Gifting a Sandfish to Penny is a fairly good idea. It’s one of the cheaper ways into her heart, if you’re looking for Loves.
The Sandfish’s Pond production is not easy to beat. For the price of three Cactus Fruits or three Coconuts and one Golden Relic, you can produce a large number of 67g Roe and a chance at some Cactus Seeds. If you ever find yourself needing to farm their Fruit, this is a reasonable source. It’s otherwise quite expensive from the Oasis. Golden Relics are, sadly, random drops from Artifact Troves or the Desert’s Artifact spots.
Keep two to four of them around if you plan on raising Dorado, Lingcod, or Pike. They all have a chance of needing a member of the Specialty Fish bundle for their Population 10 Pond. They aren’t exceptionally powerful farms, but each have a little gimmick that makes their pond useful.
