Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Mahi-Mahi - Where, When And How To Catch The Rare Mahi-Mahi

Nu ma nu ma nu ma

by Zion Grassl Mon 8th Nov 2021

There are several rare fish to find in Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the Mahi-Mahi is certainly one of them. It's only available for six months of the year (which will differ depending on which hemisphere you're in) and then only in one very specific location on your island. If you're wondering how, when and where to catch the Mahi-Mahi, just follow the steps below and you'll soon have it hooked.

If you're after information about every fish in New Horizons and general tips on how to hook them, check out our Animal Crossing: New Horizons fish guide and list for all the fishy facts you could want.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Catch the Mahi-Mahi

When can you catch the Mahi-Mahi?

The Mahi-Mahi is only available at the following times of the day/year:

Time: All day and night
Months: May-Oct (N) / Nov-Apr (S)

Golden Trout Animal Crossing New Horizons

Where is the Mahi-Mahi?

The Mahi-Mahi can only be found when fishing off the pier located on your beach. We caught ours while tossing fish bait straight out from the end of the dock but we had trouble trying to catch one anywhere else on the pier. Try to stay away from tossing fish bait on the sides and corners of your pier if you can and just toss it straight out from the end.

Blathers Golden Trout — *Image: Nintendo Life*

How do you catch the Mahi-Mahi?

The trick to unraveling the myth of the Mahi-Mahi is to craft fish bait using the squirting Manila Clams you dig up on the beach with your shovel in order to have the rare fish spawn. Each clam can be crafted into a single helping of fish bait which you can sprinkle in any body of water for the shadow of a fish to appear.

Golden Trout Fish Bait — *Image: Nintendo Life*

To catch the Mahi-Mahi you're going to need time, patience, and some luck. We went out to the pier located on our beach, faced straight off the edge, and fished to our heart's content with an unhealthy supply of fish bait. After tossing in a few hundred fish bait we managed to nab only a single Mahi-Mahi. However, your results may drastically vary.

It's also worth noting that the shadow of the Mahi-Mahi is on the larger side, meaning you'll be catching a lot of Sea Bass in the process. Also, when you toss out fish bait, if you see a fish shadow that doesn't match up with the fish your searching for you can simply toss more fish bait out and a new fish shadow will appear.

Golden Trout Wrapped And Bagged — *Image: Nintendo Life*

Of course, the fish will still spawn in the spot without the use of bait, but the chances of a fish being present off your pier and it being a Mahi-Mahi are far fewer than if you use bait to spawn new fish repeatedly in that location.

It should be noted that the above method and location is exactly the same one we used to catch the rare Giant Trevally, too. However, we were much more fortunate with the Giant Trevally as we managed to catch three in one sitting with the help of around 100 or so fish bait.

How much is the Mahi-Mahi worth?

The elusive Mahi-Mahi is worth 6,000 Bells if you sell it to Timmy and Tommy (or 4,800 Bells if you leave it in the Nook's Cranny Drop Box). Make sure you donate one to the Museum, though!

This article is part of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons walkthrough, which includes a Complete Fish List, Complete Bug List and Complete Sea Creatures List. If you're looking for specific fish or bugs, we can tell you how to catch the elusive Coelacanth, Mahi-Mahi, Giant Trevally, Stringfish, Golden Trout and all the Sharks and Beetles, along with a full list of critters leaving at the end of the month (unless you visit Kapp'n's Boat Tour islands, of course!).