How to Fish in Pokémon Emerald

Last Updated: September 16, 2022

While most Pokémon can be caught on land, the best way to catch a Water-type Pokémon is to fish for it. In order to fish, you'll need a fishing rod and a good fishing spot. Fishing in Emerald is a bit different than previous versions of Pokémon, requiring more focus and quicker reflexes. Mastering it can yield some powerful and rare Pokémon, including the elusive Feebas.

Steps

1
Find the best fishing rod. The fishing rod you are using determines the level of Pokémon that you can catch. You will come across more powerful rods as you travel. There are three rods in the game:^{[1]
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- Old Rod - This can be obtained from the fisherman near the Dewford Town gym. This will let you catch Pokémon up to level 15 (mostly Magikarp).
- Good Rod - This can be obtained from the fisherman on the right side of the river on Route 118. This will let you catch Pokémon up to level 30.
- Super Rod - This can be obtained from the fisherman living in the house on the northern cliff in Mossdeep City. This will let you catch any swimming Pokémon.
2
Find a fishing spot. You can fish from any spot directly next to water, or from the back of a surfing Pokémon. You can't fish if you are too high, such as on a cliff.
- The chance of finding a certain Pokémon is based on the area, not on your fishing spot. There is no one spot that will be better for catching a specific Pokémon than another. The only exception to this is Feebas, who can only be caught on certain tiles in a specific area.
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3
Start fishing. Open your menu by pressing Start and select your Rod from the Key Items, or press Select if you've registered your rod as a shortcut. Your character will begin fishing.^{[2]
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4
Wait for a bite. Once your line is out, the text box will appear at the bottom of the screen. Dots will appear as you wait. If a Pokémon bites, the text "Oh! A bite!" will appear. As soon as that happens, press the "A" button.
- If you don't press "A" soon enough, the Pokémon will get away.
5
Continue to press the "A" button at the right time. Each time you press the "A" button correctly, the waiting period will begin again. The amount of time between bites will change each time. After hitting "A" at the right time enough times in a row, you will pull the Pokémon out of the water.
6
Fight the Pokémon. Pulling the Pokémon out of the water will start a battle. You can defeat the Pokémon or try to catch it. If you are farming for a specific Pokémon and catch the wrong one, the fastest way to get out of the fight is to run away.

Community Q&A

Question

Where can I find the good rod on Pokemon Emerald?

Community Answer

The good rod can be obtained from the fisherman on the right side of the river on Route 118, it will let you catch Pokémon up to level 30.
Question

Every time I press "A," the Pokemon gets away. How do I solve this problem?

JONAH LORENZO

Community Answer

You must press “A” as soon as you see “Oh,a bite!” No sooner no later. You will get used to it.
Question

How do I time my fishing in Pokemon Emerald better?

Community Answer

Look at the dot and time it to when it says: "Oh a bite!". Because if you don't time it right, it'll flee.