If you’re the type of player who loves unwinding with a low-stakes minigame after hours of fighting shrouded monsters, upgrading your flame altar, and building out your base, you’ve probably asked does enshrouded have fishing at least once during your playthrough. Survival crafting games almost always include casual side activities to break up the core grind, and Enshrouded’s massive open map is packed with rivers, lakes, and coastal areas that seem perfect for a fishing spot. I’ve logged more than 90 hours exploring every corner of Embervale, testing every possible hidden mechanic and unlisted feature, so I’ve got the full, no-fluff breakdown for you below.
Does Enshrouded Have Fishing as an Official In-Game Feature?
The short, direct answer is no, there is no dedicated fishing mechanic or minigame available in the current full release of Enshrouded. I spent three full in-game days wandering every major water body in the starting biome, testing every tool from spears to pickaxes on the water surface, to see if there was a hidden unlock for fishing, and no prompts or mechanics triggered. A lot of players get confused about this because many quests and crafting recipes reference fish as an ingredient, leading people to assume you can catch it yourself.
Those fish items are actually obtained from looting supply chests in coastal points of interest, or as rewards for completing quests for the Hunter and Farmer NPCs you unlock through progression. There are no plans for a fishing mechanic listed on the official public development roadmap right now, so you won’t be able to cast a line in Embervale any time soon. That doesn’t mean the feature is never coming, though, as the devs regularly update the game based on community feedback.
What Water-Related Gathering Activities Are Available in Enshrouded?
Even if you can’t fish, there are tons of useful and fun things to do around the many lakes, rivers, and coastal areas across the map. Water sources are some of the most valuable spots to set up outposts, as they hold a wide range of crafting materials you’ll need for both early and late-game progression. You can harvest clay from river and lake beds with any pickaxe, which is used for making pottery, advanced building materials, and fire-resistant structures for high-heat crafting stations.
If you’re looking for things to do near water instead of fishing, these are the top activities worth prioritizing:
You can also fill your waterskin at any clean, non-shrouded water source, which lets you restore hydration on long trips deep into high-level shroud zones without having to carry multiple stacks of food. Many players build small rest stops near large rivers to recharge during long exploration runs, and the waterfront views make for great base decoration backdrops too.
Why Fishing Isn’t Included in Enshrouded (For Now)
The Enshrouded dev team has addressed the question of fishing multiple times in official community Q&As, and they explained that the feature didn’t make the initial launch cut because it didn’t tie directly to the game’s core progression loop. The main focus of Enshrouded is reclaiming Embervale from the corrupting shroud, upgrading your flame altar, unlocking NPCs, and building out safe bases for survivors. A fishing minigame didn’t support that core loop enough to be a priority during initial development.
The devs have said they are open to adding side activities like fishing if there’s enough community demand, so it’s possible we’ll see it added in a future content update. Fishing is one of the most requested features on the official Steam discussion boards and Enshrouded Discord server, with thousands of players mentioning they want a low-stakes activity to unwind with after tough boss fights. I get why they skipped it for launch, but it would fit really well with the game’s cozy building and exploration side, so I’m hoping it gets added eventually.
Tips for Adding Chill, Low-Stakes Activities to Your Enshrouded Playthrough
If you were looking forward to fishing as a way to break up the grind of fighting and resource farming, there are plenty of other relaxing activities you can add to your playthrough right now. You don’t have to stick to the main progression path if you want to take it slow, and a lot of players get hundreds of hours of playtime out of side goals that have nothing to do with beating the main story.
Base decorating is one of the most popular low-stakes activities in the game, with thousands of building pieces, decorative plants, and furniture items you can use to build everything from a cozy waterfront cottage to a massive floating castle. You can spend hours hunting for rare flowers, decorative stone variants, and hidden furniture recipes across the map to customize your space exactly how you want it. You can also host multiplayer building sessions with friends to work on group projects without having to fight any enemies at all, which is a great way to unwind after a long week.
Other casual activities include hunting for hidden lore tablets scattered across the map to learn more about Embervale’s backstory, searching for rare pets and mounts like the shroud cat and fox mount, and trying to collect every type of food and crafting ingredient available in the game. You can also set your own personal goals, like building a bridge across the largest river on the map, or creating a full farm with every type of crop available, to make your playthrough feel more personal and low-pressure.
So if you were wondering does Enshrouded have fishing, the short answer is no, at least not at the time of writing. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t tons of fun, relaxing activities to enjoy between your main progression runs, and the many water sources across the map are still some of the most useful and beautiful spots to explore. If you really want to see fishing added to the game, you can submit your feedback to the devs through their official feedback form, or join the community discussions to show your support for the feature. For now, you can spend your time near water gathering clay, looking for pearls, or building a waterfront base to enjoy the views while you wait for future updates.