How to catch tuna in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Bring in the big haul with our Animal Crossing: New Horizons tuna guide.

So you’re looking to go big by catching a tuna in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, eh? Well let us tell you something, only the bravest, strongest anglers have got the guts to haul in th- wait where are you going?! Okay, fine, it’s really not that tough to catch tuna in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. All you need is the right spot, a nice stash of bait, and plenty of patience. Want to know more? This guide will teach you how to catch tuna in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

How to catch tuna in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

How to catch tuna animal crossing: new horizons
 
© Nintendo

Before you start aiming to catch tuna in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you need to know the core details about when the fish is around and what it’s worth. Here are the core tuna details:

  • When: All Day, November - April (Northern Hemisphere) / May - October (Southern Hemisphere)
  • Where: Sea (Pier only)
  • Shadow Size: Massive
  • Value: 7,000 Bells

As noted above, the Tuna is available only from November to April in the Northern Hemisphere, and May to October in the Southern Hemisphere. It appears as a massive shadow, making it quite distinct from other fish. 

The biggest challenge to catching a tuna in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is that it’s only available from the pier. This means you can only catch it from any wooden platform which stands out over the sea. Your island will have one of these on its east or west coast, but you can also fish from the pier next to the airport, if you so wish. 

It’s worth checking your pier periodically throughout the day just in case any massive shadows appear, but the real way to increase your odds of catching a tuna are through island tours. Fish spawn at an increased rate while on any island tour, making it much easier to get the rarer fish in the game. We recommend crafting plenty - at least 10 or more - of fish bait (click here if you don’t know how) and two or more fishing rods before heading out on a tour.

Animal crossing new horizons tuna guide
 
© Nintendo

While on an island tour, you want to fish from the wooden pier on which Wilbur is standing. You can either stand here and throw bait out to lure fish in, or sprint in a loop around the island. Because spawns are increased while on island tours, you’ll find a fish appearing regularly next to the pier. 

If it’s not a massive shadow, you can either catch it, or scare it away by sprinting near to it. We prefer to catch the fish, as there’s a chance of scoring other rare fish such at the Blue Marlin from the pier. Repeat this process until a massive shadow appears and you catch a tuna in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It can take a while, as the spawn chance is fairly low for tuna, but stick with it and you’ll get there!

More AC: New Horizons guides:

Now that you know how to catch tuna in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, be sure to check the remaining bugs and fish which are leaving in April so you don’t miss any!

Associate Editor

Henry Stenhouse serves an eternal punishment as the Associate Editor of AllGamers. He spent his younger life studying the laws of physics, even going so far as to complete a PhD in the subject before video games stole his soul. Confess your love of Super Smash Bros. via email at henry@moonrock.biz, or catch him on Twitter.

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