The quasi-mythical fish of the forest. A beast known, yet few have found. The Woodskip of Stardew Valley is a weird creature, sequestered away into a few specific locations. As a fisherperson, one of your biggest goals in Stardew Valley is to locate this little fella. After all, you wouldn’t want to miss out on one of the weirdest fish in the game! This thing has a lot of utility outside of what you would normally expect from a fish. So, let’s talk shop about it.
Woodskip Locations in Stardew Valley
The Woodskip is primarily hidden in the Secret Woods of Stardew Valley, though it can be very rarely located on the Forest Farm type river. The Secret Woods, located to the left of Cindersap Forest, requires a Steel Axe to enter initially. You can fish in the pond to the left for a chance to catch the wood-based fish. It will spawn during any season, and at any time, though it is a bit rarer on rainy days.
Finding and entering the Secret Woods is 90% of the battle here. In the Cindersap Forest map — just below your farm — head northwest and chop at the log in the center of the pathway. You’ll need a Steel Axe to do so.
Once you’re in, the pond at the bottom left of the map is your target. You can hook a Carp or a Catfish (on rainy days) in addition to the Woodskip, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t snag one first try. It’s basically a one-in-three chance! Try to fish deeper into the lake, and build up your fishing skill, to maximize your chances.
The Forest Farm’s ponds also have a very small chance to have a Woodskip. However, this is largely based on daily luck. If you don’t pull a good fortune from the Fortune Teller, then you’ll have to “skip” the farm for the day!
Otherwise, you can find an overly-priced Secret Woods fish on the Traveling Cart. It is not recommended to hook this deal, since it’s a fairly consistent farm once you enter the Secret Woods.
Expert Tip
If you’re desperate to enter the Secret Woods early, as of patch 1.5, you can! Grab a chair furniture item and go to the northwestern log. Place your chair on the other side of the log and sit in it to go right past. You’ll need the chair to evacuate the situation in the same way, placing it on the other side of the log and taking a seat.
Woodskip Recipes and Crafting Uses
The Woodskip is not used for any specific recipe that does not require generic fish. It can also be used to make the non-dyeable Fishing Vest or used for Orange Dye.
This is not the most versatile fish. You can use it for Maki Rolls, Quality Fertilizer, or the very solid food Sashimi. But, since this fish sells for a good amount, you are almost certainly better off saving those recipes for less potent fish, like the Bream.
Other Uses For Woodskip
Other than for selling or making a terrible gift, the Woodskip might have some of the best item production quality in the game when placed in a Fishing Pond. It can also be useful for Fish Pond quests, as the Dorado, Longcod, and Pike might need the woody water creature to upgrade their capacity. Finally, you will need one for the standard Specialty Fish Bundle.
If you can dedicate a slot to it, make a Woodskip fish pond. At maximum population, they have a solid chance of producing five Hardwood. They also produce various Foraging seeds, like Acorns, Maple Seeds, and Pine Cones. In the worst case, their Roe is actually an okay deal, selling at 67g.
The Secret Woods’s Fish will be rarely requested for upgrading a Dorado, Lingcod, or Pike pond’s capacity. Plan on keeping two of the Secret Woods’s fish in your pocket if you want a pond with any of those three. Their ponds are expensive!
Alongside the Pufferfish, Ghostfish, and Sandfish, the Woodskip is required for a Fish Bundle. It might be the easiest of the four to find, at least, owing to its time and how simple it is to access the Secret Woods consistently.
