What is the Midnight Squid in Stardew Valley? What does it do? Why should you catch one? Learn about the benefits of this item in this complete guide.
Fish in Stardew Valley can be found in all bodies of water in the game and even underground. You can catch most of them using a fishing pole, but some may have to be caught using a crab pot. There are different types of fish, and each has varying behavior and difficulty being caught in the game.
The Midnight Squid is considered a fish in the game and can be found in different places under specific circumstances. Keep on reading to find out how to catch this mysterious denizen of the ocean and what it does to make your gameplay better.
What is a Midnight Squid?
It’s a fish that can be found in the ocean’s twilight depths. Its difficulty is at 55 and is a sinker. The smallest Midnight Squid is 8 inches but it can be as big as 26 inches.
Consuming it will have varying restoration effects depending on its quality, which you’ll see in the table below.
| Quality | Energy | Health |
| Normal | +38 | +17 |
| Silver | +53 | +23 |
| Gold | +68 | +30 |
| Iridium | +98 | +44 |
Where to Catch a Midnight Squid?
You can catch the MS at specific times and seasons. You can hook one with a 3.3% chance by using a Magic Bait at The Beach. You can also catch one at any time regardless of the season and weather if you’re using this bait. If you’re using a Curiosity Lure, this chance increases to 6.8%.
You can also use a Curiosity Lure when looking for it in the submarine ride, where you’ll be taken deep-sea fishing, at the Night Market. This gives you a 17% chance.
The following table shows the locations where you can catch this fish.
| Location | Season | Time | Weather |
| Submarine Ride at the Night Market | Winter 15-17 | 5pm – 2am | Any |
| Southwest corner of The Beach | Any | Any | Any |
Fish Pond
The MS will reproduce in the Fish Pond every three days. The pond’s starting capacity is three fish, which you can increase up to ten once you’ve completed three quests.
Item Requests
The table below shows the increase in capacity for each item request in the quests you’ll have to complete.
| Initial Capacity | Item Requested | Fishing XP | Improved Capacity |
| Three | 3 Coral or 2 Sea Urchins | +35 | Five |
| Five | 2 Sardines | +35 | Eight |
| Eight | 1 Ocean Stone | +35 | Ten |
Loots
MS produces Squid Ink when placed in the Fish Pond. The table below shows your chances of production depending on the population.
| Item | Population | Item Percentage | Chance | Fishing XP |
| Squid Ink (1) | 1-2 | 20% | 5-6% | +14 |
| 3-4 | 56% | 22-26% | +14 | |
| 5-6 | 82% | 45-52% | +14 | |
| 7-9 | 96% | 69-84% | +14 | |
| 10 | 72% | 69% | +14 | |
| Squid Ink (2) | 10 | 25% | 24% | +14 |
| Nothing | 1-2 | 80% | 95-94% | |
| 3-4 | 44% | 78-74% | ||
| 5-6 | 18% | 55-48% | ||
| 7-9 | 4% | 31-16% | ||
| 10 | 3% | 8% |
Selling Prices
Selling the MS will earn you 100g, but you can increase its value depending on its quality, and with the Fisher Profession (+25%) and Angler Profession (+50%). See the table below for comparison.
| Quality | Selling Price | With Fisher | WIth Angler |
| Normal | 100g | 125g | 150g |
| Silver | 125g | 156g | 187g |
| Gold | 150g | 187g | 225g |
| Iridium | 200g | 250g | 300g |
Crafting
MS can also be used in crafting Quality Fertilizer. You’ll get the recipe after Farming Level 9 and you’ll need the following:
- Sap (2)
- Any fish (1)
The fertilizer can be sold for 10g at regular quality, but with Qi Seasoning, its value increases to 15g.
Cooking
MS can be used in the following recipes:
| Recipe | Ingredients | Energy | Energy with QS | Health | Health with QS | Selling Price | Selling Price with QS | Recipe Source |
| Maki Roll | • Any fish (1)• Seaweed (1)• Rice (1) | +100 | +180 | +45 | +81 | 220g | 330g | • The Queen of Sauce, 21 Summer Year 1• Stardrop Saloon for 300g |
| Sashimi | • Any fish (1) | +75 | +135 | +33 | +59 | 75g | 112g | • Linus, Mail at 3 Hearts |
Tailoring
You can use the MS in the spool of the Sewing Machine to make a Fishing Hat. It also acts as a blue dye at the Dye Pots.
Gifting
No Villager will like nor love receiving a MS as a gift. Demetrius, Elliott, Linus, Pam, Leo, Willy, and Sebastian feel neutral about it, while Evelyn, Haley, and Pierre hate it. Other NPCs not already mentioned dislike it.
Quests
Not used in any quest.
Bundles
Not used in any bundle.
