How to catch Sandfish in Stardew Valley: Location, gifting, recipes, more

Emily Stander
A Sandfish in Stardew Valley

The Sandfish in Stardew Valley is one of the rarer fish you can find, and you can only get it once you unlock the Bus Stop. Here is where it’s located and everything you can use it for including gifting, recipes, and the Fish Pond. 

Finding Sandfish in Stardew Valley can be a bit of a pain, especially if you aren’t sure where to look. As one of the rarer fish in the game, you need to invest some gold before you can get to it

More specifically, you will need to unlock the Bus Stop before you can start trying to catch it. Here is how to unlock the bus, where the Sandfish is located, and all the ways you can make use of it in Stardew Valley. 

Where to catch Sandfish in Stardew Valley 

The Sandfish can be found in Stardew Valley’s Calico Desert, in a pond near Skull Cavern

Fishing in the Desert in Stardew Valley
You can find the Sandfish in this pond when you reach Calico Desert.

The Sandfish is a sneaky fish that is a little difficult to catch, and you can find it in a pond just below Skull Cavern when you unlock the Calico Desert. It can be caught during all seasons, but make sure you are ready to wait a bit before it eventually bites.  

You only unlock the Desert once you fix the bus, though, and you do this by completing the Vault in the Community Center or buying the Joja Community Development form. 

Joja Community Development Form

The Joja Community Development Form can be unlocked once you have purchased a 5000 gold Joja membership from Morris. The Form is the alternative to completing bundles in the Community Center, and you need to pay 40,000 gold to get Joja to fix the bus. 

How to complete the Community Center Vault 

You can only access the Vault bundle if you don’t buy a JojaMart membership. Here, you will find various bundles to be completed by donating specific items. The Vault bundle requires you to donate four times at 2,500, 5000, 10,000, and 25,000 gold. 

Once you have completed the Vault bundles or Joja Community Development Form request, the Bus will get fixed and Pam will be able to drive you to the Calico Desert for 500 gold.

Gifting Sandfish in Stardew Valley 

Sandish can be used to give as a gift to NPCs in Stardew Valley, and some of them love it more than others. 

Here are all the reactions from NPCs who receive Sandfish as a gift: 

  • Loves: Penny
  • Neutral: Demetrius, Elliot, Leo, Linus, Pam, Sebastian, Willy
  • Dislikes: Abigail, Alex, Caroline, Clint, Dwarf, Emily, George, Gus, Harvey, Jas, Jodi, Kent, Krobus, Leah, Lewis, Marnie, Maru, Robin, Sam, Sandy, Shane, Vincent, Wizard
  • Hates: Evelyn, Haley, Pierre

Sandfish recipes in Stardew Valley

While there are no recipes in Stardew Valley that specifically need a Sandfish, there are a few that need any kind of fish that you can use them for: 

NameIngredientsEnergy/HealthRecipe source
Maki RollAny Fish (1)
Seaweed (1)
Rice (1)
E: 100
H: 45
Queen of Sauce (21 Summer, Year 1)
Stardrop Saloon from Gus
SashimiAny Fish (1)E: 75
H: 33
Linus (After reaching 3 hearts)
Quality FertilizerAny Fish (1)
Sap (4)
N/AFarming level 9

Other uses for Sandfish in Stardew Valley

Sandfish in Stardew Valley can be used in Fish Ponds for special rewards, in the Sewing Machine, and in the Specialty Fish bundle in the Community Center.

Community Center in Stardew Valley
The Fish Tank can be found in the entrance area of the Community Center.

Fish Pond

Putting Sandfish in a Fish Pond will yield Roe and Cactus seeds. Roe is a pretty useful item, especially when you manage to fill up your Fish Pond. If you put it in a Preserves Jar, you will get aged Sandfish Roe after three to four days and it sells for a nice price (134 gold). 

Cactus seeds are also a nice addition from the Sandfish Fish Pond, as you can only buy them from Sandy, and they can be a little pricey. 

Community Center

Sandfish is necessary to complete the Specialty Fish bundle in the Community Center.

You can find this Bundle at the Fish Tank, which will unlock once you have completed your first bundle in the Community Center. 

Tailoring

Sandfish can also be used in Tailoring to make a dyeable Fish Shirt. It can also be used as a dyeing material, giving you yellow hues when you use it at the Sewing Machine in Emily and Haley’s house

That’s everything to know about the Sandfish in Stardew Valley! If you want to see how to catch and use other fish, you can check out our guides list below.

How to get Largemouth Bass in Stardew Valley | How to get Tuna in Stardew Valley | How to catch Tilapia in Stardew Valley | How to catch Tiger Trout in Stardew Valley | How to catch Walleye in Stardew Valley | How to catch Bream in Stardew Valley

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About The Author

Emily is a Games Writer at CharlieIntel. Most of the time, you can find her playing RPGs and platformers - but she enjoys engaging in the rage of Overwatch 2 or Apex Legends from time to time. Emily has a Masters in Media Studies and has been working as a journalist for over 5 years, both freelance and full-time. You can contact her at [email protected]