Complete Skyrim Fishing Guide: Swims-In-Deep-Water’s Challenges and Radiant Bounties

This is the second part of the complete Skyrim fishing guide, Swims-In-Deep-Water’s Fishing Challenges, and his Radiant Bounties. I highly advise doing Viriya’s questline, detailed in the first part of the guide. The map below is extremely helpful in finding good spots to fish.

Swims-In-Deep-Water’s Fishing Challenges

Swims-In-Deep-Water is a master fisherman, and he challenges the player to catch a series of fish. There are 4 main factors to consider when looking for a specific fish, which are where it can be caught:  what rod to use, its rarity, and what weather it can be caught in. All the fish are also found swimming somewhere in the game, so using a rod is not required. Hence, obtain the fish using whatever method is preferred. It’s recommended that one picks up the Fishing Mastery books that spawn in the Riften Fishery after each of Swims-In-Deep-Water’s quests.

Carp

The Karth River during fair weather is the best place to catch Carp. Since they are large use a regular fishing rod for the best odds of hooking one. Also, they are uncommonly caught, so wait until dawn or dusk to increase the likelihood of hooking one.

Glassfish

Ponds and lakes during fair weather are the most suitable place to catch these. They’re small, so use the Alik’ri Fishing Rod if you’ve already earned it from Viriya.

Complete Skyrim fishing map.

Goldfish

These are caught in ponds and lakes during fair weather. They are easy to spot in the water if one simply wants to reach in and grab one. If using a rod use the Alik’ri Fishing Rod because it increases the chance of hooking a small fish. Since it is uncommonly caught wait until dawn or dusk to increase the odds.

Pogfish

Rivers during fair weather are the best places to hook Pogfish, but they can be caught during rain. They are large, so use the regular fishing rod. Using another rod will decrease the likelihood of hooking a large fish.

Pogfish caught in Riverwood.

Lucky Hat

Swims-In-Deep-Water has lost his hat and needs you to fish it up from Lake Geir. Use the Dwarven Fishing Rod if it has already been earned from Viriya’s questline. That rod increases the chance of hooking items, so it can save time catching the hat.

Catfish

The next 4 fish are caught in rainy weather. Since rain is not common a good strategy is to wait until it starts raining at Lake Ilinalta, then fish at each spot around the lake in hopes of catching as many rainy weather fish as possible during that one storm.

Catfish are commonly caught in lakes. They are large, so use the regular fishing rod. Other rods will decrease the chance of hooking a large fish. Also, many of them swim freely for fishermen to simply grab.

Catfish caught in the rain.

Pearlfish

Fishing Mastery v2 says that these are caught in lakes and streams, but players have been catching them on the northwestern coast as well. Use the Alik’ri Fishing Rod during rain for the best odds of catching a Pearlfish. They are uncommon, so waiting until dawn or dusk is advised.

Pygmy Sunfish

Many players struggle with this one, so it’s covered twice in the video guide. They’re caught during “Caught in the Rain” and in “Further Study.” If using a rod, the best conditions to catch one are at a lake during rain with the Alik’ri Fishing Rod. If trying to grab one in the hot springs of Eastmarch, then walk through each pool slowly during rain. If you don’t see one then there likely aren’t any in that pool, so move to another. The pool west of Broken Limb Camp often has them.

Pygmy Sunfish in Ancestor Glade.

Spadefish

These are caught in Rivers during rain. They’re small, so if using a rod use the Alik’ri Fishing Rod. Also, they’re uncommon, so wait until dawn or dusk. If not using a rod, then they can be found swimming beneath waterfalls along the northern half of the Karth River.

Angler Larvae

This begins the freezing water fish, which are not weather dependent. So long as one looks in freezing waters arctic fish are easily caught. There are lots of freezing fishing spots along the northern shores of Skyrim and Solstheim. Angler Larvae are small, so use the Alik’ri rod for the best odds.

Arctic Char

These are large, so use the Argonian Fishing Rod that Swims-In-Deep-Water awards for completing “Caught in the Rain.” That rod increases the chance of hooking large fish. They are uncommon, so for the best odds wait until dawn or dusk.

Arctic Grayling

This is the most common arctic fish and can be found swimming in most cold waters. If using a rod, then use the Argonian Rod at any freezing fishing spot and one should bite quickly.

Cod caught at Haknir’s Shoal.

Cod

These are uncommon, so wait until dawn or dusk if using a rod. They’re large, so use the Argonian Fishing Rod. If not using the rod, then they can be found swimming in River Yorgrim.

Direfish

The next 4 fish are caught underground. The map shown earlier uses pink x’s to mark all the underground spots. These fish are not weather dependent, so they are simple to catch.

Direfish are large, so use the Argonian Rod for the best odds. They can be found swimming in many caves.

Glass Catfish

These are large, so use the Argonian Rod when fishing for them underground. The only known place where one can be found swimming is Blackreach, which is shown in the video.

Tripod Spiderfish

One can easily find this fish sitting stagnantly in underground waters. If using a rod, then use the Argonian Fishing Rod to increase the chance of hooking a large fish. Waiting until dawn or dusk is advised because these are uncommon.

Vampire Fish

Use the Argonian Fishing Rod if using a rod to catch a Vampire Fish. Also, they’re uncommon, hence waiting until dawn or dusk will increase the odds of hooking one. The only place I’ve found any swimming is inside of Dead Drop Falls in Fort Dawnguard.

Vampire Fish in Dead Drop Falls.

Angelfish

The last 4 fish are the rarest of them all. One strategy to consider is saving at a fishing spot at dawn or dusk, then fishing the spot dry, and if the desired fish is not caught reload the save and try again. They will strike 4 times before one can reel them in and the margin for success is very slim. After the 4th strike watch the rod closely and the second it moves reel the line in.

Angelfish are caught in lakes during any weather. The Alik’ri Fishing Rod is required to hook one. If not using a rod, then they can be found swimming in the Ancestor Glade.

Angler

These are caught in freezing waters and only with the Argonian Fishing Rod. They are not weather dependent. The only place one can be found swimming discovered yet is at the bottom of Pilgrim’s Trench, which is shown in the video.

Angler deep in Pilgrim’s Trench.

Lyretail Anthias

Caught in rivers and one must use the Alik’ri Fishing Rod. If one wants to grab one without using the rod, then they can be found swimming in the Evergreen Grove pond.

Scorpionfish

These are caught underground. The Argonian Fishing Rod is required to hook one. If one declines to use a rod, then the only place they have been found swimming is the first pool in Darkfall Cave. This is the last of Swims-In-Deep-Water’s fishing challenges.

Swims-In-Deep-Water’s Radiant Fishing Bounties

If Swims-In-Deep-Water is asked about work, he will give the player one of 3 radiant fishing bounties. For those not familiar with the radiant classification in BGS games, it means repeatable and non-sequential. The video guide has 1 example of each kind of radiant fishing bounty offered by Swims-In-Deep-Water.

Swims-In-Deep-Water.

Rubbish Retrieval

In these, the objective is to reel in items to clean out a certain waterway. Use the Dwarven Fishing Rod to increase the chance of hooking items, thus saving time. After the waterway in question is clean report to whoever commissioned the bounty to complete the quest.

Stocking Up

An NPC needs a supply of a certain kind of fish for their store. Use the information about each fish from this guide to determine where to look. Once all the needed fish are gathered deliver them to the NPC that requested them to complete the quest.

Further Study

A specialist needs a certain fish to study. Examine this guide for the fish you need to determine where they can be found. Once the needed fish is obtained give it to the NPC that needs it to complete the quest.

That concludes the second part of the complete Skyrim fishing guide, Swims-In-Deep-Water’s Fishing Challenges, and his Radiant Fishing Bounties.