Fishing in GTA 6: what we know about locations and catches

Fishing will be in GTA 6. Rockstar has shown the protagonists with rods, and Rockstar North development lead Rob Nelson has spoken to journalists about the activity. According to answers relayed by TGG, fishing has a depth comparable to another Rockstar game, Red Dead Redemption 2, but caught fish must be released. It will also involve story elements, collectibles and challenges. We know some places where fishing is possible, although there is no complete guide to tackle or controls yet.

Will GTA 6 have fishing?

Yes, and the evidence goes beyond a rod appearing in someone’s hands. In an interview with Famitsu, Nelson was asked about his favorite activities in the game. He named fishing. In other words, he described an activity he actually enjoys while playing.

In an official screenshot, Jason Duval stands on a boat holding a rod and reel while his friend Cal Hampton looks through binoculars. An Extended Look offers a more direct scene: Jason and Lucia hold rods, and Cal lifts a fish he has caught. Fishing gear is visible on board, and the hull reads Lurepredator L35P. The three later talk on the same boat.

These scenes establish a fishing trip at sea involving both protagonists. They do not show how the player controls Lucia, chooses a spot or switches characters while fishing. That distinction matters if you are hoping for trips together: Lucia is shown with a rod, but the full rules for such outings have not been explained.

Why you will have to release your catch

The main details came in TGG’s video of September 3, 2026. After seeing the game, the creator specifically asked Nelson about fishing and hunting. In TGG’s account, the answer was that fishing is as deep as it is in RDR 2, but you cannot keep the fish because that would not fit this game. Fishing therefore follows a catch-and-release approach.

That changes what happens to a catch. This account gives no basis to expect a stock of fish in your inventory, a trip to a buyer or a meal prepared from what you caught. The fish goes back into the water instead of becoming supplies carried by a protagonist.

It would be easy to attach an extra explanation to Rockstar’s decision, such as environmental protection, Florida fishing laws or the tiny proceeds compared with a robbery. Nelson did not give any of those reasons in the reported answer. He said keeping fish did not fit GTA 6. The team has not explained in more detail why it drew the line there.

In the same conversation, TGG describes a different purpose for hunting in GTA 6: it earns money and connects to someone Jason knows. That arrangement cannot simply be applied to fishing. At the same time, the lack of fish sales does not settle whether a challenge might have a reward. No specific prizes have been named.

What the Red Dead Redemption 2 comparison means

The comparison with RDR 2 concerns the depth of the activity itself. In the western, players chose tackle and bait for particular fish and waters, then could use their catch for food or sell it. Lure choice and what happened afterward were distinct parts of the system.

In GTA 6, judging by Nelson’s reported words, detailed fishing remains while the option to take a fish away is removed. Mandatory release does not mean the entire activity is reduced to a short animation. Conversely, it would be premature to promise that Rockstar has carried over every lure and every movement from RDR 2.

Jason’s screenshot clearly shows a rod, line and spinning reel. It does not show the full sequence: choosing bait, getting a bite, setting the hook and reeling the fish in. Comparable depth tells us something about the scale of the activity, but it is still too early to write button instructions or advise when to let the line slacken.

Where will you be able to fish?

There are already several geographical clues. They concern different bodies of water and vary in how precisely they are described.

Mount Kalaga. In its official description of the national park near the northern edge of Leonida, Rockstar explicitly mentions excellent fishing, hunting and off-road driving. Forests, streams and a river with a kayak beside a railroad bridge are shown. This is a confirmed destination for fishing enthusiasts, although specific casting spots have not yet been marked on a map.

A northern lake among cypress and oak trees. In its account of a Game Informer report, VGTimes recounts environment art director Paul McPherson’s description of northern Leonida. He mentions bass fishing on a lake surrounded by cypress, oak and hanging Spanish moss. The description gives no precise address. Similar scenery alone does not establish that the lake is in Mount Kalaga or that it is Lake Leonida.

Gambit Bay. It is named in Rockstar’s official description of the Shitzu Squalo in the Ultimate Edition. The pink and blue boat sits off Washington Beach, and Rockstar suggests taking it fishing in the bay. This supplies a specific name for a marine fishing location, although the description does not reveal every fish available there.

The bonus boat needs an important qualification. Rockstar is describing extra transport in the Ultimate Edition; it does not say fishing itself is limited to buyers of that edition. In An Extended Look, the characters fish from a boat marked Lurepredator L35P. The boat’s name is not shown in the separate screenshot of Jason.

The Squalo description also mentions a weapon box containing explosives. That playful line does not establish a separate explosive-fishing mechanic. Turning it into a guide to catching fish with grenades would go well beyond the evidence.

Which fish are known, and what does not count as a catch?

The clearest clue about a species currently comes from the northern lake: bass fishing is specifically mentioned there. Cal holds an already caught fish in one scene, but the video does not identify its exact species. Rockstar has not supplied a complete list of possible catches.

Three things are easy to conflate: fish that can be caught with a rod, animals living underwater and interior decoration. Official materials show schools of fish and other marine life. An animal appearing underwater does not mean it belongs to the fishing activity. A manatee or sea turtle certainly does not become a “catch species” merely by swimming near fish.

Decoration also calls for care. In an official screenshot of Jason and Cal playing pool, a large fish really is mounted on the wall. It helps establish the fishing culture of local establishments, but it does not prove that players can make their own trophy and hang it at home.

Game Informer’s report of more than 170 animal species is not a count of fish, either. It refers to Leonida’s fauna as a whole, on land, in the air and at sea. The magazine also discusses tracking certain animals, including rare and legendary ones, but that does not amount to a published list of legendary fish. A general guide to GTA 6 animals and a future catch guide answer different questions.

Why fish if you cannot sell the catch?

Nelson’s answer as relayed by TGG goes further than “just to relax.” He mentions enjoying the activity itself, story elements, collectibles and challenges. It would therefore be misleading to present fishing as an entirely isolated pastime with no connection to anything else in the game.

How those connections work remains unclear. A collectible element could mean several things, and the published answer does not say that fish must be stored in a collection at home. No conditions, leaderboards, cash prizes or clothing rewards have been specified for the challenges. A story connection does not promise a mandatory mission with a particular character, either.

A Reddit discussion about releasing fish shows why the decision has prompted different reactions. Some players want a material result: to sell a catch, cook it or keep an especially large fish. Without that, they feel part of the appeal of a fishing trip is lost. Others are content with the act of fishing and spending time on the water. The scene with Jason, Lucia and Cal illustrates how such an outing might fit into their ordinary lives.

The thread also raises fishing tournaments, photo rewards and cataloguing fish. These are players’ ideas about how releasing a catch might still be rewarding. They do not confirm that any particular tournament or payment will be in the game.

Fishing is linked to the story, collectibles and challenges mentioned by TGG, and the activity is meant to be enjoyable in itself. We will need a fuller explanation of the rules before we can judge how long it will stay engaging or what a dedicated angler might earn.

What remains unknown about tackle and access?

A proper guide still needs basic practical details: where to get a rod, what tackle and bait are available, whether they must be purchased and how the controls work. The conditions for unlocking fishing for each protagonist are also unknown. Lucia is shown with a rod, but that alone cannot tell us when the player will be free to fish as her.

Fishing from a boat has been shown. Fishing from any shoreline, pier, kayak or airboat should not yet be treated as established. We also need to learn whether time of day, rain, wind or a particular lure affect the bite. These questions will separate a useful future guide from advice copied over from another game.

Sources

• TGG: Gyms, Basketball, Fishing, Hunting and Everything Else, September 3, 2026. Account of fishing depth, releasing catches, story elements, collectibles and challenges.
• Famitsu: direct interview with Rob Nelson. Fishing among the developer’s favorite activities.
• Rockstar Games: GTA VI screenshots, An Extended Look, Mount Kalaga and the Ultimate Edition description. Characters, equipment, boats and named places.
• VGTimes: account of Game Informer’s Leonida report. The northern lake and bass fishing.
• Game Informer: more than 170 animal species. Fauna as a whole and categories of rare animals.
• RDR2.org: fishing in Red Dead Redemption 2. Reference for tackle and uses of a catch.
• Reddit: discussion of catch and release. Participants’ arguments and their ideas about possible rewards.