Red Dead Redemption 2 Legendary Fish and how to catch them

To catch every Red Dead Redemption 2 legendary fish you're going to need to hone your angling skills, and then find the actual locations they're swimming around in. By this point you should already have got hold of a fishing rod in Red Dead Redemption 2 and given it a trial run with some simpler catches, but this side quest will seriously ramp up the quality of the fish you're aiming to land. There are 14 Red Dead Redemption 2 legendary fish to snare in total, but you can't do this by casting off in any old spot as they only appear at specific locations, which we'll outline in this guide.

Before you can even get started on this quest, you need to meet up with the aptly named Jeremy Gill. You'll find angler extraordinaire Jeremy in a small lakeside hut to the southeast of Flatneck Station, along the north coast of the large Flat Iron Lake. Going to see him will initiate the Fisher of Fish quest, which will give you an introduction to this celebrity of the fishing world. With that done, you can then head out into the world and hook 13 of the Red Dead Redemption 2 legendary fish - the final fish will only become available once you've netted all the others, so don't stress about still having one to go.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Legendary Animals locations and how to hunt
Red Dead Redemption 2 animal locations - where to find every species

But, before you do anything, head to Lagras just south of Bluewater Marsh and buy these three items: Special Lake Lure, Special River Lure, Special Swamp Lure. These lures are $20 each but basically fit the purpose for this quest, and you’ll struggle to get a bite without them. We’ll let you know which one you need to equip for each fish, but if you haven’t figured it out already, fish dwelling in Swamps require the Special Swamp Lure, and so on.

Catching all of the Red Dead Redemption 2 Legendary Fish is not easy, and the ordeal can last ages if you don’t know what you’re doing. Below are a couple of tips to ensure that you’re hooking nippers at maximum efficiency:

Ensure you’re holding down on the left analogue stick as you’re reeling (to reel, rotate the right analogue stick.) This ensures your rod is angled properly to pull the fish towards you.
Angle your line with the left stick in the opposite direction to the fish when it starts having a tantrum in the water, or your line will snap.
Don’t throw your line too far or you’re just making things hard for yourself. Reel in quickly once you’ve cast the line so there’s not much real estate between the legendary fish and land.
Fish in the morning for more bites.
Use Eagle Eye to locate legendary fish if you’re struggling to get a bite.

When you’ve caught one of the below fish, you also want to get to the Post Office in ample time or face delivering a rotten creature to Mr Gill, which I’m sure he won’t appreciate. Ok, onto the main event. Below you can find our guide to catching every single Red Dead Redemption 2 Legendary Fish.

**Warning, this guide contains location spoilers for Red Dead Redemption 2, so don't scroll on unless you don't mind having some of the vast Red Dead Redemption 2 map spoiled for you**

Legendary Sockeye Salmon

Location: Lake Isabella, North West of Mount Hagen
Necessary Lure: Special Lake Lure

For this glowing red specimen, stand on the West Bank of Lake Isabella and get yourself close to the water where there is no frozen ice to obstruct your line.

Legendary Smallmouth Bass

Location: Lake Owanjila, West of Strawberry
Necessary lure: Special Lake Lure

Head to the West Bank of Owanjila adjacent to the ‘Owanjila Dam’ road and you should see a cluster of bubbles where you will find this beast.

Legendary Largemouth Bass

Location: San Luis River, East of Rio Del Lobo Rock
Necessary Lure: Special Lake Lure

Way down by Rio Del Lobo, the Largemouth Bass is easy to spot in the clear water amidst the small frys. Get your feet wet in the shallows, cast your Special Lake Lure and get ready for a scrap.

Legendary Redfin Pickerel

Location: Stillwater Creek, South West of Thieves Landing
Necessary Lure: Special Lake Lure

This one is fairly tricky to catch as it’s not very big, but use Eagle Eye (L3 + R3) to find it in the water and cast your line off of the pier on the north side of the creek for the best chance of a bite.

Legendary Perch

Location: Elysian Pool, South of Annesburg
Necessary Lure: Special Lake Lure

This little nipper isn’t too much trouble to catch, but most of the bubbles are in the centre of the pool, meaning you’re going to want to stand on one of the rocks in the water near the west bank of Elysian to tease it over.

Legendary Bullhead Catfish

Location: West of Sisika Penitentiary
Necessary Lure: Special River Lure

Easily the most annoying fish to catch, the Bullhead Catfish resides across a whole body of water on the landlocked island that houses Sisika Penitentiary. You will need a rowboat to get across which you can find on the outskirts of the swamplands north of Saint-Denis. Luckily, you won’t have to carry it back as it fits nicely in your satchel.

Legendary Lake Sturgeon

Location: Railroad Bridge South-West of Saint-Denis
Necessary Lure: Special River Lure

This beast is not tough to catch but the manner in which you have to go about it is incredibly precarious. The Lake Sturgeon is in the middle of a body of water and the only means to fish for it is by standing on the edge of a railroad bridge. Whilst you can paddle out with a rowboat, it’s much easier and quicker to do it this way, just make sure you’re out of range of any forthcoming trains that might knock you into the briny deep. When fishing, also be careful not to let the fish pull the line under the bridge or it will snap almost immediately.

Legendary Longnose Gar

Location: Lagras, North-West of Saint-Denis
Necessary Lure: Special Swamp Lure

After picking up your lures from the bait shop nearby, this fish should be on your agenda as it resides in the swamplands. It’s really not that big, but the main thing you have to watch out for are the malicious American Alligators lurking around your ankles, ready to pull you in. Make sure to kill and skin any nearby beasts so you don’t get a shock and ruin your hard work.

Legendary Rock Bass

Location: Aurora Basin, West of Manzanita Post
Necessary Lure: Special Lake Lure

There’s not much to say about this particular fish. Very easy to catch as long as you cast your line close, and there’s even a handy pier to stand on at Aurora Basin that isn’t dilapidated like the others you may come across in this guide.

Legendary Muskie

Location: Lighthouse, South of Van Horn Trading Post
Necessary Lure: Special River Lure

This Muskie is difficult to pick up due to its annoying location on the outskirts of the lighthouse south of Van Horn. We recommend scrambling across the rocks and getting a solid position on one of the crags to be in range of it. To make matters worse, you have to stow this fish on your horse, which means you have to carry it back to land. Whistle to bring your horse as close as you can to the crag, or face losing it as you’re ambling through the water on the way back.

Legendary Steelhead Trout

Location: Willard’s Rest
Necessary Lure: Special River Lure

This legendary trout is gargantuan, and the challenge to catch it lines up with its size. The riverbanks aren’t lucrative so you’re going to have to make your way to one of the islands in the stream. Unfortunately, after catching the Steelhead we ended up losing it in the water as we couldn’t get our horse close enough. Luckily it floated downstream and ended up on the shore. Keep this in mind when you’re catching it.

Legendary Chain Pickerel

Location: Dakota River, North-West of Flatneck Station
Necessary Lure: Special River Lure

The legendary Chain Pickerel is teensy and very easy to catch. Luckily, it’s also found bubbling in one of the lowest points of the Dakota River. Get your boots wet and cast away.

Legendary Bluegill

Location: West of Rhodes, near Gill’s Pier
Necessary Lure: Special Lake Lure

South of Gill’s pier you’ll find this final fish, a measly Bluegill. Again, you’ll have to scramble down a hillside to get to where it dwells, but just make sure you cast where the bubbles are and you should have no trouble catching this nipper.

‘A Fisher of Fish’ Aftermath:

Once you’ve caught and mailed all 13 Legendary Fish, you will receive an invitation from Jeremy Gill, who invites the player out for one final fishing trip before the quest concludes. We’ll leave it there to avoid spoilers, but trust us, this one is worth the hours spent getting your shins wet.