There is no single "Kingfish" species in Starsand Island — "King" is a yellow rarity tier shared by exactly six fish. The six are Arapaima and Paddlefish (rivers), Swordfish (Coral Sea), Long-barbelled Dragonfish (Celestwave), Megamouth Shark (Luminwave), and the autumn late-night Glowfish. Start the Angler profession with Delphin at the AquaBlue Outpost, chum the matching bait to spawn shadows, and land Kings with a rod — wiki.gg says the Fishing Net cannot catch yellow-rarity fish. Expert Angler asks for two King catches of any species. The only real dispute is the Glowfish's exact water: wiki.gg says Lake, Eurogamer and TechRaptor say Spore Cascade, and player reports point at the Dreamfall Garden waterfall in the Moonlit Forest.
On this page
- For casting, bait, and the full fish reference, return to the Fishing Guide.
The Six King Fish
Conditions follow the wiki.gg fish and Angler tables, cross-checked against Eurogamer and TechRaptor's Early Access lists. No reviewed official source publishes a Version 1.0 King-fish price table. The confidence column reflects the row as a whole, while the Glowfish row's water cell is the known exception.
| Fish | Season | Time | Water / boat ground | Bait | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddlefish (King) | Spring, Winter | 6:00–22:00 | River | Bug, Veggie | Cross-checked; one guide calls it the easiest King |
| Arapaima (King) | Summer, Autumn | 12:00–2:00 | River | Veggie, Meat | Cross-checked; weather cells differ between sources |
| Swordfish (King) | All | 6:00–18:00 | Coral Sea (boat) | Meat | Cross-checked |
| Long-barbelled Dragonfish (King) | All | 20:00–2:00 | Celestwave (boat) | Meat | Cross-checked |
| Megamouth Shark (King) | All | 20:00–2:00 | Luminwave (boat) | Meat | Cross-checked |
| Glowfish (King) | Autumn | 0:00–2:00 | Disputed — see below | Bug | Conditions cross-checked; exact water unresolved |
How to Catch King Fish
- Start the Angler profession with Delphin at the AquaBlue Outpost (he mails you on Summer 3 of year 1, per wiki.gg).
- Upgrade rods along the Angler ranks — Wooden to Chrono, Noble, Solar, Titanium. A higher tier is not a proven requirement, but players report King catches get easier as rods improve.
- Craft or buy the matching chum bait and throw it into the water to spawn shadows. Without Workpedia's Hooked on Fate upgrades, a shadow must be present.
- Cast on the green bobber marker, hold to reel, and release if the line turns yellow or red.
- Use a rod — the Fishing Net caps at purple rarity and cannot land Kings.
River Kings vs Boat-Ground Kings
River Kings (no boat needed). Paddlefish runs in Spring and Winter from 6:00 to 22:00 with Bug or Veggie bait; Arapaima runs in Summer and Autumn from 12:00 through 2:00 with Veggie or Meat bait. One player guide places Arapaima in the river north of the farm by the Green Pasture Ranch bridge around 2 AM, and Paddlefish at the town waterfall — useful anecdotes, not verified map pins.
Boat-ground Kings. Swordfish (Coral Sea, daytime), Long-barbelled Dragonfish (Celestwave, night), and Megamouth Shark (Luminwave, night) are listed as exclusive to those grounds on the wiki's location pages, and Eurogamer, TechRaptor, and player reports agree. Reaching them requires the rebuilt Starsand Port and access to the Parrot boat. For the two night Kings, charter before their evening catch windows open.
The Glowfish Conflict
Expert Angler Requirement
- The final Angler rank, Expert, requires catching two King fish — any two, and they do not have to be the same species (wiki.gg). The two river Kings are the usual picks because no boat unlock is needed: Paddlefish in Spring/Winter and Arapaima in Summer/Autumn cover the whole year between them.
- Note the separate Intermediate Trial is worded "Catch a Glowfish" — the wiki does not specify whether that means Glowfish (King) or any Glowfish-named species such as the Comet, Fringetail, or Pearl Glowfish, all of which are ordinary lake catches.
King Catch Preparation Checklist
- Confirm the target's season, time window, water category, and preferred chum before leaving the farm. The six species do not share one universal schedule, so preparing for a named target is more reliable than fishing randomly for yellow rarity.
- Start the Angler profession and keep upgrading the rod as ranks make better tools available. A hard top-tier requirement is not confirmed, but stronger rods make demanding catches easier according to the reviewed guides and player reports.
- Carry the matching bait type and throw chum where a valid shadow can appear. Use the documented bait preference for the chosen species instead of relying on unsupported alternative methods.
- Check the current Angler information after every rank increase. Rod progression and bait access change with the profession, so a later tool may make a difficult catch more manageable without proving a universal minimum gate.
- Reserve enough in-game time to complete the fight before the target's window closes. Arriving at the correct water near the end of a short schedule can waste an otherwise valid setup.
- Keep the target name separate from its rarity. King is a yellow tier shared by six fish, and a quest asking for King catches does not refer to one species literally named Kingfish.
- Use a fishing rod rather than the Fishing Net. The community fishing reference says the net cannot land yellow-rarity fish, while the normal cast-and-reel interaction is used for King catches.
- Watch line tension during the fight. Hold while the marker is safe, release as it changes toward warning colors, and resume only after the tension recovers.
- Plan boat-ground catches before the relevant time window. The three ocean Kings are tied to named grounds, so generic shoreline fishing does not substitute for reaching Coral Sea, Celestwave, or Luminwave.
- Keep two rod-caught King fish in the bag until the Expert Angler objective updates. Community reports disagree about stored, hatched, or pond-raised fish, making direct catches the safest evidence for the quest.
- Treat the Glowfish location as Unconfirmed. Sources conflict over its exact water, and repeating one unverified map pin would be less reliable than checking current Version 1.0 quest and fish information.
FAQ
Is there a fish called Kingfish in Starsand Island?
Do I need two of the same King fish for Expert Angler?
Can I catch King fish with the Fishing Net or Fish Traps?
Is bait required for King fish?
Do I need Expert Angler or a top-tier rod before a King can bite?
Sources
- Community WikiAngler — Starsand Island Wiki (wiki.gg) (Opens in a new window)
- Community WikiFishing — Starsand Island Wiki (wiki.gg) (Opens in a new window)
- Community WikiCelestwave — Starsand Island Wiki (wiki.gg) (Opens in a new window)
- PressAll Fish List in Starsand Island — Eurogamer (Opens in a new window)
- PressStarsand Island Fishing Guide | Fish List — TechRaptor (Opens in a new window)
- Player ReportHow do I catch King fish? — r/Starsandisland (Opens in a new window)
- Player ReportGlowfish (King) "Spore Cascade"? — r/Starsandisland (Opens in a new window)