Game wiki
Stardew Valley Fishing Festivals
Fishing festival guide for Trout Derby and SquidFest, including Golden Tags, Rainbow Trout, Squid targets, prize tiers, targeted bait, tackle, time-passing festival rules, and animal care.
Quick facts
Trout Derby runs on Summer 20-21 in Cindersap Forest and uses Golden Tags from Rainbow Trout catches.
SquidFest runs on Winter 12-13 at the Beach and uses a daily Squid counter for copper, iron, gold, and iridium reward tiers.
Both events keep time moving, keep shops and homes open, and require normal animal care.
Trout Derby route
Trout Derby is a Golden Tag loop. Every Rainbow Trout catch can produce a tag, and tags can be redeemed for a rotating prize pool or saved for later years.
- Use Rainbow Trout Bait, Challenge Bait, fishing buffs, and Cork Bobber or Trap Bobber depending on catch consistency.
- Golden Tags are exchanged one at a time and carry across event days and years.
- Farm maps with Cindersap Forest fish can interact with the event's Rainbow Trout rules.
SquidFest route
SquidFest is a two-day target ladder. The counter resets after Winter 12, so the second day needs its own bait, tackle, and prize plan.
- Use Squid Bait from a Bait Maker after the first Squid to improve the rest of the day.
- Clear inventory before claiming tier rewards such as Mystery Boxes, Pearl, book rewards, Seafoam Pudding, Treasure Chest, and Squid Hat.
- Plan each day separately because Winter 13 has its own target thresholds.