Volcano (Island 5)
The final island. Five regular catches on the Scientific Lure, the optional Goblin Shark, and the Bowhead Whale chain that ends with the Mutated Bowhead Whale and the trip home.
How to unlock
Hand the Albatross's head to the Rocks island NPC for the coordinates.
⚠️ Avoid these mistakes on Volcano (Island 5)
- Do NOT sell the Bowhead Whale — throwing its body into the volcano is the only way to start the final boss.
- Gear up before throwing the whale in: once the Mutated Bowhead Whale fight starts, you are committed.
- The Goblin Shark is optional — do not let the $5,800 Scientific Boss Lure delay your first clear; come back during cleanup.
The endgame pool and the optional Goblin Shark
- The Scientific Lure ($500) catches all five normal Volcano creatures: Stonefish, Blobfish, Anglerfish, Oarfish, and Superdwarf Fish.
- Optional: the Scientific Boss Lure summons the Goblin Shark — not required for the story, but needed for the full creature collection. Its lure cost and sale value are patch-sensitive.
Bowhead Whale boss: the scientist's Fish Bucket quest
- Complete the scientist's requests — catch five Volcano-native fish with the Scientific Lure.
- Receive the Fish Bucket and equip it as bait.
- Catch and defeat the Bowhead Whale.
- Keep the whale instead of selling it — its body triggers the final encounter.
Mutated Bowhead Whale: the final boss and the trip home
- Carry the defeated Bowhead Whale to the volcano crater.
- Throw it into the volcano to start the final encounter.
- Defeat the Mutated Bowhead Whale.
- Take its fin to the NPC in the hazmat suit — he gives you the military boat key.
- Sail back toward the mainland; reaching it triggers the ending and credits.
Creatures
Stonefish
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Scientific Lure. The volcano 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.
Blobfish
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Scientific Lure. The volcano 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.
Anglerfish
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Scientific Lure. The volcano 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.
Oarfish
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Scientific Lure. The volcano 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.
Superdwarf Fish
A regular How to Fish catch landed with Scientific Lure. The volcano 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.
Goblin Shark
The optional Volcano mini-boss required for the complete creature collection. Exact health, lure cost, sale value and multipliers are patch-sensitive.
Bowhead Whale
The Volcano story boss, summoned with the Fish Bucket from the scientist's quest. Its body becomes the trigger for the final boss.
Mutated Bowhead Whale
The final boss of How to Fish. Defeating it and finishing the hand-in completes the main story.
Notable loot
- Scientific Lure ($500)
- Scientific Boss Lure ($5,800)
- Fish Bucket
- Military boat key (ending)
Collection & drip variants on this island
Every normal creature on Volcano (Island 5) (Stonefish, Blobfish, Anglerfish, Oarfish, Superdwarf Fish, Goblin Shark, Bowhead Whale, Mutated Bowhead Whale) 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: Volcano (Island 5) 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
How do I start the final boss in How to Fish?
Complete the scientist's requests (five Volcano-native fish on the Scientific Lure) to receive the Fish Bucket, catch and defeat the Bowhead Whale with it, then carry the whale to the volcano crater and throw it in. The Mutated Bowhead Whale encounter begins immediately.
Is the Goblin Shark required to finish the game?
No — it is an optional mini-boss summoned with the Scientific Boss Lure. You need it for the full creature collection, but the story ends with the Mutated Bowhead Whale either way. Its lure cost and sale value are patch-sensitive.
How do I trigger the ending in How to Fish?
Defeat the Mutated Bowhead Whale, take its fin to the NPC in the hazmat suit, and receive the military boat key. Sail back toward the mainland — reaching it triggers the ending and credits.
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.