DevDiary: Back to Basics

[Fishing Planet]

 

Hey Anglers,

As many of you know, we recently released the Catch & Compete Update, bringing a variety of quality-of-life improvements and new daily activities to enjoy in Fishing Planet. But we’re not stopping there, we're continuing to improve and reimagine the overall player experience. 

This time, our attention is on the early-game stages and the first-level waterways. That’s why this update has a simple and straightforward name: First Levels Rework.

Let’s take a sneak peak at what we’ve been cooking up.

 

All Roads Lead to Lone Star

Our stats show that many players keep returning to Lone Star Lake long after they’ve unlocked higher-level locations and new destinations to explore. That’s why we wanted to create a cozier space for you guys to actually feel at home here.

The waterway is being completely reworked: significantly expanded in size with now four new locations and kayaks allowed on the water. There is much more to explore, so keep on reading.

We’ve also reworked the Tight Lines tutorial to make the first steps in Fishing Planet much more engaging for new players learning the game’s core mechanics.

 

Home Sweet Home

Yes, you’ll finally have a real Home of your own—one you can actually enter and walk around in!

Inside, you’ll find a spacious Trophy Room, one of the most requested features by players of all time. There’ll be plenty of space to show off your finest catches, including the Mounts you’ve brought back from waterways all around the world.

 

Kayak Rentals

It’s a small spot where any angler can rent a completely new to the game type of kayak. 

It is pedal-powered, meaning your character’s hands stay free so you can keep fishing while moving non-stop across the water. It will also come equipped with rod holders, allowing you to troll directly from the kayak.

Set off and move through shallow waters, glide over grass flats, and paddle into quiet coves. Out here, you’ll find spots that stay out of reach from the shoreline, opening up even more opportunities to catch a wider variety of fish.

 

Lakeside Grill Area

Lakeside Grill Area is a lively part of Lone Star where people from all over the state come to relax, gather by the water, and enjoy a good barbecue and picnic. Here, you’ll be able to begin a brand-new chain of Adventure Missions that will guide you through the updated Lone Star and help you discover fishing spots along the way. Complete them to earn the updated Tablet Firmware “Lone Star Map” as your reward, unlocking a much more detailed water map of the lake!

 

Beaver Dam

Beaver Dam is a rough area of the lake shaped by the natural activity of local beavers. Fallen trees and small dams create shallow cover that smaller fish like to hide in. Explore this quiet lake bay, but be careful with your casts, as the local beavers have scattered fallen trees all around the area, both above and below the water.

There’s also a small island now hidden behind the dam. If you manage to make your way there, you’ll find an Insect Hotel tucked among the wild nature. Visit it once a day to collect a free bait reward before heading back out onto the water!

 

Mudwater River, Lesní Víla, Quanchkin, Rocky Lake, Ghent-Terneuzen Canal

While Lone Star Lake received a complete rework, some of the following locations also got a few updates and improvements.

You’ll now be able to take your kayaks to Mudwater River as well or rent one right there. The bite map of the location will be updated, and predator trolling has been added to the river.

Lesní Vila Fishery has been spruced up visually and now also has its own chain of Adventure Missions, along with a reworked bite map and numerous visual improvements across the waterway, including updated terrain and shoreline areas, giving you a great reason to explore this location all over again. Complete the missions to unlock the Tablet Firmware “Lesní Víla Map” with a detailed map of the waterway!

Rocky Lake, Quanchkin Lake, and Ghent-Terneuzen Canal have also received a variety of tweaks and improvements, including bite rate adjustments, new fish species, and many other small enhancements.

Now, let’s get to the fish  - the part every angler is always most excited to discover.

 

Guadalupe Bass

Guadalupe Bass is a freshwater predatory fish native to Texas. Lone Star Lake will be the only location in the game where  you will find this pretty fish. It prefers well-oxygenated waters with rocky or gravel bottoms. Its diet typically consists of small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects. It responds well to live bait, small lures, and natural baits, which makes it a popular and engaging target for sport fishing. Depending on the time of day and feeding activity, Guadalupe Bass can hunt from the bottom to the surface. It is most active during daylight hours, when its energetic feeding behavior is easiest to observe.

 

 

Threadfin Shad

Threadfin Shad will also be added to Lone Star Lake. It is a small freshwater forage fish commonly found in warm lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers. It plays a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems as a key food source for larger predatory fish and is often used as a natural bait. Threadfin Shad is typically found in the mid-water layers and near the surface, where it forms dense schools. The species is mainly active during daylight hours, moving in tight schools as it feeds.

 

 

Yellow Bass 

Yellow Bass will be added to Lone Star and Quanchkin Lake. It is a freshwater predatory fish that thrives in warm lakes, reservoirs, and calm sections of rivers. Yellow Bass feeds mainly on small fish, as well as crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates. It responds well to live bait and worms. Most often found in the mid-water layer, it will rise closer to the surface during feeding periods. The species is mainly active during daylight hours, with peak biting activity occurring in the early morning and late evening.

 

Shortnose gar 

Shortnose Gar is a new inhabitant of Mudwater River, it prefers slow-moving rivers and shallow warm lakes with abundant vegetation. Shortnose Gar feeds primarily on small fish and juvenile specimens of other species, occasionally taking crustaceans and large aquatic insects. It is most often encountered in the upper water layers and responds well to live bait. The species is mainly active during daylight hours, when it can be seen patrolling quietly near the surface before striking its prey.

 

Greenback Cutthroat Trout 

Greenback Cutthroat Trout is a rare and highly valued freshwater trout native to Rocky Lake, Colorado. It lives in cold well-oxygenated waters and feeds mainly on aquatic and land-based insects, as well as invertebrate larvae. Larger individuals may also hunt small fish and crustaceans. Greenback Cutthroat Trout responds well to natural baits and artificial lures, especially insect imitations, and often feeds at the surface during insect hatches. Its activity is strongest during daylight hours and around dusk.

 

Longnose Dace 

Longnose Dace is a freshwater fish adapted to well-oxygenated cold waters with rocky bottoms and is a perfect addition to Rocky Lake. It serves as an important forage fish for larger predators. Longnose Dace is usually found near the bottom, where it feeds mainly on small aquatic invertebrates, insect larvae, and organic matter. The species is most active during daylight hours.

 

New Bait and Lures

Every angler loves new baits and pretty shiny trinkets. You will get a few in this update as well!

Dragonfly Nymphs inhabit shallow freshwater areas with dense vegetation, reed beds, fallen branches, and muddy bottoms. As a natural part of the food chain, they make an excellent bait for predatory fish species, especially Bass that actively feed near cover and shoreline structures. 

Popular Bass Jigs have also received several new vibrant color variations, expanding the available palette further.

 

As for the lures, you will get three Spoons that will always bring a little piece of good ol’ Texas fishing spirit wherever the water takes you! And there’s a little surprise waiting for you with them, so stay tuned!

 

A Few More Things 

With this release, we’ve started a gradual rework of the game’s overall sound design. Lone Star Lake, Lesní Víla Fishery, Mudwater River, Rocky Lake, Emerald Lake, Neherrin River, Ghent-Terneuzen Canal and White Moose Lake have received completely updated ambient audio, including new bird, wind, rain, weather, and various other in-game sounds. 

This is just the beginning, and we’ll continue improving and updating audio across more locations in future releases until all waterways are brought up to the new standard.

We’ve also been working on a lot of smaller quality-of-life improvements. Inventory management is getting more convenient with item search, quicker category filtering when equipping gear, and the ability to move items between your Backpack and Home Storage either individually or in bulk. You’ll also notice improvements across various UI windows, making navigation and everyday tasks feel smoother.

Premium Account anglers will notice a few extra benefits as well. Beyond the well-known XP and Credit boosts, Premium comes with plenty of quality-of-life perks, including lower repair costs, faster  groundbait mixing time, free boat rentals and competition registration, extra Daily Missions, and several advantages for Fishing Together sessions. With the addition of free Marker Buoy painting and free Daily Mission regeneration, Premium is now more rewarding.

 

This update is all about making Fishing Planet more enjoyable and accessible for everyone. With numerous quality-of-life improvements and a more beginner-friendly experience for new anglers, we're laying the foundation for an even better journey from the very first cast. Best of all, these improvements will be available to all players for free. We can't wait for you to try the update and share your feedback with us on the water! 

 

 

Tight lines!

 

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*All visual content in this DevDiary is crafted to showcase the upcoming features; however, there may be differences upon the actual release of the update

[wishiniwasfishin]

I’m excited for this update. Is there an ETA for the PlayStation version?

[philisaac]

Amazing work guys. A couple of things maybe you can bring at the meeting table in the future. And maybe give us users what you think.

• Can we have a box on the MAP so we can enter direct coordinates to put a marker instead of having to scroll,zoom, and try to pinpoint it with the mouse.. I can't even imagine players with controllers.
   
• This is another suggestion. I've seen TONS of people in forums and FB/Reddit NOT using x-series gear or things they win during missions or certain achievements because they are scared to lose it.... Why don't you guys have a section in the store that for every special mission or accomplishment done and you get a special item. You can re-buy it with baitcoins if you lose that item. (etc golum lure, special x-series float and lures etc) Once they are gone, there is NO way to get them back again. I think that's a bummer and lots of people don't use those items because they are worried about losing them in a fight. 

Keep up the good work guys!

 

 

[amanda_fsh]

This is amazing! Thank you so much for the recent updates—the FPS (performance) on PS5 has improved significantly!

I have a suggestion for further realism: when using a long rod for float fishing and placing it on a rod holder, could you make it so the line between the tip of the rod and the float isn't always pulled tight like a straight line?

It would be great if we could let out a bit of slack so the line rests or hangs loosely on the water's surface. Naturally, this would mainly apply to still water (lakes/ponds). It would add a lot to the immersion and realism of the game.

PS: Thanks for all your work!"

[bass pro optict]

On 6/5/2026 at 1:35 PM, wishiniwasfishin said:

I’m excited for this update. Is there an ETA for the PlayStation version?

I'm thoughts exactly. I can't wait! Glad to see better updates to the game.