Should You Keep Or Sell Legendary Fish In Stardew Valley? (2024)

Summary

There are four Legendary Fish that can be caught in Stardew Valley.
They can be sold for fairly high profits, especially if turned into Artisinal Goods.
The Legendary Fish are unique items, however, so players may want to display their catch instead.

It can be difficult to decide what to do with Stardew Valley’s Legendary Fish, especially given how they function. Fishing in Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update has changed with new additions that make the aquatic farming style easier and more profitable, which naturally extends to the potential profits of Legendary Fish. However, it is important to keep in mind that there are valid reasons to keep these valuable fish as well.

The Legendary Fish in Stardew Valley are truly one of a kind, with it only being possible to make one successful catch of each in a save file. Naturally, each fish has its own specific conditions for being caught regarding both location and time of year, and they are both rare and extremely difficult to catch. Each fish has an individual required Fishing Level for being hooked, but reeling it in may require both additional levels above the minimum and the use of helpful items such as a carefully selected Tackle and a high-quality fishing rod.

Selling Stardew Valley’s Legendary Fish Is Profitable But Unnecessary

Artisinal Goods Made From Legendary Fish Are Valuable

Should You Keep Or Sell Legendary Fish In Stardew Valley? (2)

Each Legendary Fish has its own monetary value, which can vary greatly depending on its quality and the effects of any relevant Professions the Farmer has. For example, the appropriately-named Legend has a base value of 5,000g, which doubles to 10,000g at Iridium quality. The Angler Profession adds an extra 50% to this value, meaning that the maximum value of the Legend is an incredible 15,000g, a very tempting sum for any farmer. The Angler, meanwhile, is the least valuable of the Legendary Fish but still provides an appreciable maximum sale price of 2,700g.

The Legendary Fish are the Crimsonfish, Angler, Legend, Glacierfish, and Mutant Carp. The fishing minigame helpfully indicates their presence by giving the fish icon a hat.

Of course, these values only cover the Legendary Fish in their natural state; converting them into Artisanal Goods drives their value even higher. To be more specific, using the Fish Smoker, which was one of the many new features introduced in Stardew Valley 1.6, allows the player to turn these fish into Smoked Fish, which doubles their original value. In the case of the Legend, this means that selling a single Smoked Fish has the potential to earn the Farmer an amazing 30,000g.

On the other hand, it is also worth noting that this is far from the only way to make money quickly in Stardew Valley, and the other, more renewable methods available are arguably far more reliable. With that in mind, it must be acknowledged once again that these Legendary Fish are unique items, which are both hard to obtain and impossible to retrieve once sold. Because of this, although it brings no monetary value, there is a notable appeal in simply keeping the Legendary Fish instead.

Stardew Valley’s Legendary Fish Make For A Perfect Fish Tank Display

Unique Items Worthy Of Being Displayed

Having even one Legendary Fish, let alone all of them, is arguably symbolic of a Farmer’s skill and dedication to fishing. Because of this, combined with their unique designs, it makes perfect sense to keep them on display rather than selling them. This can be achieved via one or more Fish Tanks, either the Community Center’s own or others bought to decorate the Farm. Notably, as the former can house five swimming fish, something matched only by the Aquatic Sanctuary purchasable at the Walnut Room, it is arguably the perfect choice to display all Legendary Fish together in one place.

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It should also be noted that, separate to Legendary Fish, Stardew Valley also includes the quintet of Legendary Fish II. Each is a clear reference to one of the original Legendary Fish, and replace them as catchable fish when Mr. Qi’s Extended Family quest is active. Crucially, Legendary Fish II both share their predecessors’ monetary value and are not unique, becoming available again whenever a new instance of the Extended Family quest is begun. As a result, they can be safely caught and sold in place of the Legendary Fish without risking the permanent loss of any unique specimens.

In the end, it simply seems a waste to treat the Legendary Fish like normal items in Stardew Valley and simply sell them off. Instead, considering their uniqueness, keeping them on display seems far more appropriate, especially given that Legendary Fish II can easily fill any gap left in a farm’s profits. Stardew Valley offers plenty of ways to sustainably make profits, and so sacrificing these super-rare catches for a one-off payment ultimately seems unnecessary.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is a charming indie farming scene that took the world by storm. After inheriting a run-down farm from their grandfather, the player moves to Stardew Valley to start a new life away from the city. Grow crops, raise animals, befriend the villagers, and discover the secrets the valley has to offer.

Platform(s): PC , Xbox One , Android , iOS , PS4 , Switch
Released: February 26, 2016
Developer(s): ConcernedApe
Publisher(s): ConcernedApe
Genre(s): RPG , Simulation
ESRB: E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)