“A primarily vegetarian fish that prefers warm water.”
In this article, we will be diving into all things Tilapia: how to catch it, where to find it, + a whole lot more. Join us as we drop a line and tell all!
Tilapia
This grey-orange fish is fairly average, with a size range of 11-31 inches in length. It can be found at several locations across Pelican Town, depending on the season.
Stardew Valley‘s tilapia sell for a base price of 75g
. If consumed, the fish provides players with base stats of 25 energy and 11 health. These numbers grow with fish quality.
Depending on whether you’ve caught standard quality, silver, gold, or iridium quality tilapia, you can expect a varying price point, which we have laid out for you below:
| Name | Energy / Health | Sell Prices | Fisher (+25%) | Angler (+50%) |
 Tilapia | 25 11  35 1545 20 65 29 | 75g93g  112g  150g  | 93g116g 140g 187g | 112g139g 168g 225g |
Fishing
Tilapia have Mixed behavior, so the fishing minigame may be slightly more challenging for beginner fishers. With a catch difficulty level of 50, the tilapia might be a catch to save until you’ve developed your fishing skill a bit.
Here are a few tips for a true Angler, so you can catch this tricky fish and more:
- Fish with an Iridium Rod, which makes it easier to catch a Tilapia and other more challenging catches.
- Use a Cork Bobber, which will extend the length of your fishing rod in the fishing mini-game, making it easier to catch large fish!
- Don’t forget to add bait on your rod: We suggest trying both Bait and Wild Bait when fishing for Tilapia.
- Try using a Trap Bobber, which will slow down the movement of the green bar in the fishing mini-game, making this fish a bit easier to catch!
Where to Find It
| Name | Location | Seasons | Time | Weather | Size |
| Tilapia | Beach, Ginger Island | Summer, Fall | 6am-2pm | Any | 11-31 in. |
In Summer and Fall, players can find the Tilapia at The beach (or the Beach Farm). However, the Tilapia can be caught during any season on Ginger Island West (which is fresh water) or Ginger Island North.
As for the time of day, the best time to catch a Tilapia is between the hours of 6 am and 2 pm. Despite these parameters, Tilapia can be caught in any kind of weather.
NOTE: If a player uses Magic Bait, the tilapia can be caught at any time of day or during any season.
If fishing isn’t your style, Tilapia may also be randomly found inside Krobus’ shop on Wednesdays, where it sells for 200g. It can also sometimes be found at the Traveling Cart, where it will often sell for a price ranging between 225g and 1,000g.
Bundles
As for community center bundles, the fish tank requires 1 Tilapia in order to complete the Ocean Fish Bundle.
Recipes & Uses
There are a few tilapia recipes that can be useful, though this fish isn’t exactly known for its wide range of uses. Still, we’ve listed all the info on how to make these recipes below:
| Name | Description | Ingredients | Energy / Health | Sources | Sell Price |
 Maki Roll | Fish and rice wrapped in seaweed. |  Any fish (1) Seaweed (1) Rice (1) | 100 45  | The Queen of Summer Sauce (21 Summer, Year 1) Stardrop Saloon for 3000g | 220g |
 Sashimi | Raw fish sliced into thin pieces. | Any fish (1) | 75 33 | Linus (Mail – 3+  ) | 75g |
 Quality Fertilizer | Improves soil quality, increasing your chance to grow quality crops. Mix into tilled soil. sliced into thin pieces. |  Sap (1)Any fish (1) | N/A | Farming Level 9 | 10g |
At the sewing machine, players may use a Tilapia for tailoring by inserting the fish into the spool slot, allowing them to create a dyeable Sailor Shirt.
If players have access to the fish pond, a Tilapia may be placed inside, where it will reproduce continuously every 2 in-game days. While the pond’s initial capacity caps out at 3 fish, players may increase this to 10 by completing three separate quests.
The only possible output from the fish pond is dark gray Tilapia Roe. Tilapia Roe has a base sell price of 67g, but the price increases with aging.
| Item Name | Price | Artisan Price  (+40%) |
 Dark Gray Tilapia Roe | 67g | __ |
 Aged Roe | 134g | 187g |
Quests
During summer, Demetrius may randomly request 10 Tilapia at the Special Orders Board outside of the Mayor’s Manor. The reward for this quest is simply the gold equivalent to selling the fish you caught, as well as the farm computer recipe.
Gifting
It might come as no surprise that no villagers in Pelican Town like Tilapia as a gift. However, there are a few who feel neutral towards it, including Demetrius, Elliot, Leo, Linus, Pam, Sebastian, and Willy.
The other townspeople generally outright dislike tilapia, except for Evelyn, Haley, and Pierre, who hate it. Think twice before handing one of these fish over to a friend!
Happy Fishing!
