Forest (Island 2)
The second island, northwest of the Lighthouse. Ten regular catches on French Fries and the Beginner Lure, two optional mini-bosses, and the Giant Piranha story boss behind the three-leech quest.
How to unlock
Hand the Spider Crab meat to the Lighthouse Keeper and take the boat.
⚠️ Avoid these mistakes on Forest (Island 2)
- The Giant Piranha ignores the Beginner Boss Lure — players burn $40 lures wondering why nothing spawns. The story boss only answers Leech Bait.
- Boss lures are consumed on use; never cast one casually.
- Clear the smaller piranhas before focusing the Giant Piranha — fighting both at once is the standard way this fight goes wrong.
Fill out the Forest catch pool
- French Fries catch the Mackerel and Gar; the Pike answers both French Fries and the Beginner Lure.
- The Beginner Lure catches everything else here: Cod, Piranha, Triggerfish, Goby, Salmon, Goldfish, and Perch.
- Optional: buy the Beginner Boss Lure on this island (community price lists put it at $40) to summon the Sunfish and The Old Pike mini-bosses. The lure is consumed on use.
Giant Piranha boss: the Leech Bait quest
- Speak with the woman by the lake.
- Search the Forest for three Leeches lying on the ground.
- Return all three Leeches to her.
- Take the Leech Bait she gives you — the Giant Piranha does not answer the Beginner Boss Lure.
- Equip the Leech Bait and cast in the Forest to summon the Giant Piranha.
- Kill the smaller piranhas first, then defeat the boss and return its drop to the woman for the Island 3 (Desert) coordinates.
Creatures
Mackerel
A regular How to Fish catch landed with French Fry. The forest island is the recommended or lure-unlock stop, not a universal location lock. Like every regular creature, it has a rare drip variant that counts toward Fishipedia.
Gar
A regular How to Fish catch landed with French Fry. The forest island is the recommended or lure-unlock stop, not a universal location lock. Like every regular creature, it has a rare drip variant that counts toward Fishipedia.
Pike
A regular How to Fish catch landed with French Fry or Beginner Lure. The forest island is the recommended or lure-unlock stop, not a universal location lock. Like every regular creature, it has a rare drip variant that counts toward Fishipedia.
Cod
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Beginner Lure. The forest island is the recommended or lure-unlock stop, not a universal location lock. Like every regular creature, it has a rare drip variant that counts toward Fishipedia.
Piranha
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Beginner Lure. The forest island is the recommended or lure-unlock stop, not a universal location lock. Like every regular creature, it has a rare drip variant that counts toward Fishipedia.
Triggerfish
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Beginner Lure. The forest island is the recommended or lure-unlock stop, not a universal location lock. Like every regular creature, it has a rare drip variant that counts toward Fishipedia.
Goby
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Beginner Lure. The forest island is the recommended or lure-unlock stop, not a universal location lock. Like every regular creature, it has a rare drip variant that counts toward Fishipedia.
Salmon
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Beginner Lure. The forest island is the recommended or lure-unlock stop, not a universal location lock. Like every regular creature, it has a rare drip variant that counts toward Fishipedia.
Goldfish
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Beginner Lure. The forest island is the recommended or lure-unlock stop, not a universal location lock. Like every regular creature, it has a rare drip variant that counts toward Fishipedia.
Perch
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Beginner Lure. The forest island is the recommended or lure-unlock stop, not a universal location lock. Like every regular creature, it has a rare drip variant that counts toward Fishipedia.
Sunfish
An optional Forest island mini-boss summoned with the Beginner Boss Lure.
The Old Pike
The second optional Forest island mini-boss, also answered by the Beginner Boss Lure.
Giant Piranha
The Forest island story boss. It does not answer the Beginner Boss Lure — it requires Leech Bait from the woman by the lake.
Notable loot
- Beginner Lure
- Beginner Boss Lure
- Shotgun
- Island 3 coordinates
Collection & drip variants on this island
Every normal creature on Forest (Island 2) (Mackerel, Gar, Pike, Cod, Piranha, Triggerfish, Goby, Salmon, Goldfish, Perch, Sunfish, The Old Pike, Giant Piranha) has a rare drip variant with a rainbow-colored name. Drip variants appear in the same pool, on the same bait — there is no special drip lure. Kill the drip creature so the entry registers, then press Tab in-game to check the encyclopedia. Track what you still need with our collection tracker — normal catches count toward Collector, drip variants toward Fishipedia.
Related guides
Island not unlocking?
Progression gates in How to Fish are quest hand-ins, not discoveries: Forest (Island 2) unlocks when the previous island's boss trophy is delivered to its quest NPC. If the next destination has not appeared, return to the previous island, confirm the boss was defeated and the trophy actually handed in, then restart the game once. Still stuck? Check the troubleshooting hub for save, quest-state, and multiplayer-desync checks.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't the Giant Piranha spawn in How to Fish?
The Giant Piranha does not answer any shop lure, including the Beginner Boss Lure. It only spawns from Leech Bait, which the woman by the lake gives you after you return three Leeches found lying on the ground around the Forest.
What does the Beginner Boss Lure catch?
The Beginner Boss Lure (sold on the Forest island, about $40 per community price lists) summons the two optional Forest mini-bosses: the Sunfish and The Old Pike. It is consumed on use, so buy one per attempt.
How do I unlock the Desert island in How to Fish?
Defeat the Giant Piranha with the Leech Bait, kill the smaller piranhas first, and return the boss drop to the woman by the lake. She hands over the Island 3 coordinates.
Source notes
KeenGamer complete walkthrough & all fish locations (per-island bait tables), checked 2026-08-26.
Checked against the public evidence ledger; unsupported coordinates, rates, and timings remain deliberately unlisted.