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How to use fish traps in Sons of the Forest

We goin' fishin with this guide on how to get the fish trap, as well as how to use it.

Update: Sons of the Forest has received a few updates since it first launched into Early Access, and that means that fish traps now actually work as intended! We've updated this guide to be up to date with the latest changes to Sons of the Forest.

There’s no way around it, if you want to survive in Sons of the Forest, you’ll need to track down some food. The fish trap is perfect for this, able to snatch up fish from bodies of water all around the island. It’s hugely important, so you may be wondering how to make a fish trap in Sons of the Forest?


How to make a fish trap in Sons of the Forest

The first thing you’ll want to do is collect 25 sticks., or have Kelvin go ahead and acquire them for you. You can find these all over the island around trees, or by cutting down a small tree using your axe and picking them up off the ground.

Once you’ve grabbed 25 sticks, head to your inventory and access the guide book, or press 'B' to open the build menu. Navigate over to craftable items and you should find the fish trap under the traps tab. By following these steps, you’ll be able to craft a fish trap whenever you need to.

Sticks in Sons of the Forest
Sticks! You'll need a bunch of them!

Once you select the fish trap in the crafting menu, you’ll be able to place it in a chosen location. Then, head over to the blueprint and use 'E' to place your sticks to complete the trap.

How to use a fish trap in Sons of the Forest

Now you know how to make a fish trap, make your way over to some water and take a look into the depths. This can be any type of water too — freshwater or salt. You should be able to see some fish swimming around after a bit of investigation, at which point you’re ready to use your trap.

Build your fish trap on the water where you see the fish swimming around. Once you have, you’re free to leave it be and return later.

Fish trap in Sons of the Forest
Once your trap is set up, come back later and you may find some tasty fish inside!

After some time, your fish trap will have hopefully caught some fish! Simply interact with the trap and the fish will be yours to cook on a fire.

Your trap will then be able to catch new fish every five to ten minutes, but if you want even more fish to cook, you can always ask Kelvin or Virginia to go ahead and get some more for you.


For more Sons of the Forest guides, we’ve got a whole hub of guides in our Sons of the Forest walkthrough.

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