There are many interesting discoveries to be made in Stardew Valley, and a major one that many players don’t discover until the late game is the existence of the void salmon. Requiring the completion of the “Dark Talisman” quest the Wizard gives you after finishing the Community Center quests (i.e. late game), which unlocks the Witch’s Swamp.
This is crucial since you have no access to the void salmon before this point and unlike some other items, this will never appear in a Traveling Cart or Krobus’s Shop!
Read on to learn everything you need to know about the void salmon in Stardew Valley, including helpful tips for catching it.
All You Need to Know About the Void Salmon
The void salmon is described as a jet black fish whose flesh is even black, but turns a normal salmon pink when exposed to air. This is a highly difficult fish to catch, ranking as an 80 out of 100 on the difficulty scale, barely behind the also headache inducing lingcod, and far more difficult to catch than a regular salmon which is a mere 50.
- Where to Catch: Only in the Witch’s Swamp (unlocked with a Wizard’s Quest north of the train tracks)
- When: The Void Salmon can be caught in any season with any weather
- Difficulty: Extremely difficult. 80/100 difficulty with the dreaded “Mixed” behavior modifier
- Best For: Exceptional for energy recovery for a fish, also needed for Missing Bundle to unlock Movie Theater
- Value: 29-41 XP
- Spawn Number: [795]
So what are the base stats? How much does a void salmon sell for?
| Void Salmon Quality | Energy | Health | Base Price | Fisher Price | Angler Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | +63 | +28 | 150G | 187G | 225g |
| Silver | +88 | +39 | 187G | 233g | 280g |
| Gold | +113 | +50 | 225g | 281g | 337g |
| Iridium | +163 | +73 | 300g | 375g | 450g |
The void salmon is quite the fish, and one thing that I do very much like about it is that it actually delivers when it comes to good energy, health, or money when you catch it for the effort put in. Unlike some others (lingcod).
How Do You Get a Void Salmon in Stardew Valley?
Void salmon can only be found in one place in the entire game, and you actually have a clue to follow in the game itself. Who has had interactions with the player resulting in chickens laying black void eggs which hatch into black void chickens?
Yup, that’s the Witch. And since the goblin there only gets out of the way when you give him void mayonnaise, it makes sense that you would need to go to the Witch’s Swamp to catch it. This is the only area where a void salmon can be caught, and the good news is that it can be found here:
- In all seasons (they are not one season fish like regular salmon)
- In all weather
While you will get a lot of trash before a fish bite, once you do get a bite there’s a decent chance that you can find a void salmon and then the fight is on to reel it in!
Upgrade Your Gear
The void salmon is a hard fish to catch, and it can be a challenge for even an experienced angler to bring in. The void salmon is even more difficult than the often swore at catfish!
To prepare to catch a void salmon in Starew Valley you will want to:
- Upgrade to an iridium fishing rod
- Upgrade your fishing skill level (level 10 isn’t necessary, but the higher up you are, the better)
- Use bait (the more bites you get the sooner you’ll hook a void salmon)
- Eat Trout Soup before fishing (+4 temporary fishing bonus, and temp bonuses can push you beyond the 10 skill limit)
Some players like using a hook, I personally find hooks to be more hinderance than help with high-level fish like the void salmon. If you are good using the hooks then feel free, otherwise if this is a fishing accessory that you usually don’t use then I wouldn’t toss one on – you’re likely to get frustrated and lose the fish.
How Do You Get the Gold Star Void Salmon in Stardew Valley?
The potential value of the fish is generally based on the distance of the nearest land from where your cast lands. Because of the layout of the Witch’s Swamp, this can actually be pretty tricky to pull off a long cast. There is an ideal spot for casting to get the gold star void salmon or even an iridium star void salmon.
Basically you want to line up with the door of the Witch’s Hut. Then look southeast from the door, diagonally to the first corner. Stand near that spot, in the space just under the small number of red spots. Then cast to the right using maximum power. This is the sweet spot.
As long as your fishing level is high enough and you have one of the upgraded fishing rods, you should be able to get plenty of distance to put a cast where no shoreline comes close to it. This is the best spot to catch gold star void salmon in the area.
How to Use Void Salmon in Stardew Valley?
There are several good uses for the void salmon in Stardew Valley.
Complete the Movie Theater
After completing the Community Center you can open the movie theater by going into the rundown Joja Mart which now has juminos asking for some pretty advanced stuff. One of those is a gold star void salmon. Use it to complete the bundle.
Eat for Energy/Health
Among fish the void salmon is actually good for replenishing health and energy even in its raw form. The cooked fish dishes are still better, but the void salmon is surprisingly good if you find yourself overwhelmed in a mine, it will work in a pinch.
Great Gold
The void salmon is a surprisingly high selling fish. While there are definitely easier ways to make money, they do at least give you a decent repayment for shipping them out.
Ingredients for Crafting
The void salmon can be used for the Maki Roll, Quality Fertilizer, or Sashimi. However because of the fish’s high energy/health, this is one of the fish that it doesn’t make much sense to turn into a Maki Roll or Sashimi.
For tailoring the void salmon actually makes the fishing hat, which goes really well if you already have the vest or shirt (or both).
Void Salmon FAQ
Can you buy a void salmon?
Nope. Unfortunately for anglers struggling with this one, there is no shortcut. This never appears in the Traveling Cart nor does it show up in Krobus’s Shop. So you will have to catch this one the hard way.
How do I unlock the Witch’s Swamp?
You need to finish all the Community Center quests to unlock it. At least one day after go up to the spa/train station and you will have a cut scene with the Wizard. If you go the JoJa Mart route, you need to finish that full route up, as well.
While the void salmon can be a challenge, once you know where and when to fish it, you should be set to go.
Other Stardew Valley Articles of Interest
- Rainbow Trout Stardew Valley
- How to find a shad Stardew Valley
- Is Stardew Valley Worth the Money?
- Is Stardew Valley Cross Platform?
- Stardew Valley Watering Guide
Proud to embrace the locally created moniker of “Corrupt Overlord” from one of the all time great Lords of Waterdeep runs, Shane is one member of the Assorted Meeples crew and will be hard at work creating awesome content for the website. He is a long-time player of board games, one time semi-professional poker player, and tends to run to the quirky or RPG side of things when it comes to playing video games. He loves tabletop roleplaying systems like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Werewolf, Fate, and others, and not only has been a player but has run games as DM for years. You can find his other work in publications like Level Skip or Hobby Lark.