Animal Crossing New Horizons Fishing Tourney
Image: Nintendo Life

You may have already met social media-mad C.J. while he was visiting your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The fish-crazy beaver appears on random days challenging you to catch certain fish and paying top dollar for your catches.

However, C.J. also appears on certain Saturdays throughout the year to host the Fishing Tourney. In this Fishing Tourney guide we'll give you the lowdown on upcoming tourneys and how to make the most of these Saturday events.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Fishing Tourney Event

When is the Fishing Tourney?

Fishing Tourneys are seasonal events which take place once every three months, specifically on the second Saturday of January, April, July and October.

Depending on your hemisphere, each Fishing Tourney corresponds to the season it occurs in. Naturally, the January Fishing Tourney is a winter event in the Northern Hemisphere, and a summer event in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Fishing Tourneys in 2022 will take place on the following dates:

  • Saturday 8th January
  • Saturday 9th April
  • Saturday 9th July
  • Saturday 8th October

What is the Fishing Tourney?

Between 9am and 6pm C.J. will be on the main plaza of your island. For 500 Bells (or for free if it's your first ever Fishing Tourney) you can compete to catch as many fish as possible in 3 minutes.

You can enter the competition as many times as you like throughout the day. The whole set-up for the Fishing Tourneys is very similar to Flick's Bug-Offs during the summer months.

Each fish you catch is worth 1 point, with three or more fish bagging you 2 bonus points. These points can then be redeemed from C.J. for rewards that cost 10 points each.

What rewards can I get during the Fishing Tourney?

Entering the Fishing Tourney multiple times during the day (note: the same day - points don't carry over) will eventually unlock trophies depending on the number of points you accumulate:

Number of points obtained Reward
100 Bronze Trophy
200 Silver Trophy
300 Gold Trophy

You can also redeem points for fish-themed rewards from C.J.. Each one will cost you 10 points and they'll be doled out at random:

  • Anchor statue
  • Fish doorplate
  • Fish-drying rack
  • Fish pochette
  • Fish print
  • Fish-print tee
  • Fishing-rod stand
  • Fish rug
  • Fish umbrella
  • Fish wand
  • Fresh cooler
  • Marine pop wall
  • Tackle bag

By participating in the Fishing Tourney, you'll also earn Nook Miles and get a stamp for the first four events you take part in.

C.J. will also pay 1.5x more for the fish you catch than you'll get from Timmy and Tommy at Nook's Cranny, so be sure to take advantage when C.J. is visiting (either for a Fishing Tourney, or on random days when he can be found wandering your island).

Hang on, where's K.K. Slider?

Animal Crossing New Horizons KK Group Shot
Don't worry! If there's a tournament event on a Saturday K.K. will play the next day. — Image: Nintendo Life

On Saturdays when the Bug-Off and Fishing Tourneys are taking place on the plaza, K.K. Slider won't be there. Instead, K.K. will visit on the Sunday after the tournament, so you can still get your weekly concert from your favourite musical dog.

Before the July 2020 update, K.K.'s visit would occur on the Friday before the tournament but this is no longer the case, so look out for him on the Sunday instead.


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 bug, 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. We've also compiled a Complete Villager List and a Complete List of K.K. Slider Songs, as well as the Best Custom Design Codes and Islands we've found so far, and the best islands to visit using Dream Address Codes.

We can also help with How to Spot Redd's Fake Paintings and Statues, How to Make Bells Fast, How to Breed Flowers, How to Get more DIY Recipes, How to Upgrade Nook's Cranny, where and when to find special characters like Gulliver, Sable, Label, Wisp, Celeste, Pirate Gulliver and Jack, plus tips on using the Star Wand, Tool Ring, Rock Trick, Cutting Down and Moving Trees, using amiibo on Harv's Island, How to Back Up Your Island Data, How to Time Travel, How to Get a 5-Star Island Rating and a whole lot more.

And finally Where to Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch if for some reason you haven't yet picked up the game.