One of the most common ways to pass the time in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is fishing, a longtime staple in the series. Different fish can be found in different bodies of water and different locations; they also change seasonally. Although there are plenty of rare, valuable fish worth selling for tons of bells, there are also more common fish that can just as easily rack up cash for players -- especially if they sell to C.J., the otter, who randomly visits islands.
C.J. will not only buy fish, but he will do so at 1.5x the original price. That leaves the potential for high profits to be made through fishing. Two of the most expensive fish in New Horizons are the oarfish with an original price of 9,000 bells and the coelacanth for 15,000 bells. However, both fish are very rare -- especially the coelacanth, which can only be caught in rain. It is unlikely players will catch very many of these fish when C.J. is visiting.
That said, there are other, more commonly found fish that can also rack up bells, even though players might be overlooking them.
Pond Fish
Surprisingly, the ponds in a player's town might be where they want to focus their attention. Ponds have a small number of fish living in them, which makes it easier to find higher-value and rare fish. For example, koi fish are not too difficult to find in ponds and they sell for 4,000 bells normally, which means C.J. will pay 6,000 bells per koi. Even goldfish are worth a moderate amount of bells, which can add up quickly. Here are pond fish worth catching and selling to C.J. during his visits.
- Ranchu Goldfish: Available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., all year in North and South -- C.J. will buy for 6,750 bells
- Koi: Available from 4 p.m. to 9 a.m., all year in North and South -- C.J. will buy for 6,000 bells
- Goldfish: Available all day, all year in North and South -- C.J. will buy for 1,950 bells
- Pop-eyed Goldfish: Available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., all year in North and South -- C.J. will buy for 1,950 bells
River Fish
River fish are a bit trickier than pond fishes. There is a good variety of river fish available, but a majority of them do not sell for very much. Larger-shadowed river fish have a higher likelihood of selling for more bells, though these can sometimes turn out to be a black bass, which is a low-value fish. Of course there are river fish worth 15,000 bells, like the golden trout, but they are so rare that it might not be the best idea to hunt for them specifically. Here are some more common fish to catch.
- Char: Available from 4 p.m. to 9 a.m., March-June/Sept.-Nov. in North and March-June/Sept.-Dec. in South -- C.J. will buy for 5,700 bells
- Angelfish: Available from 4 p.m. to 9 a.m., May-Oct. in North and Nov.-April in South -- C.J. will buy for 4,500 bells
- Snapping Turtle: Available from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., April-Oct. in North and Oct.-April in South -- C.J. will buy for 7,500 bells
- Betta: Available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., May-Oct. in North and Nov.-April in South -- C.J. will buy for 3,750 bells
- Mitten Crab: Available from 4 p.m. to 9 a.m., Sept.-Nov. in North and March-May in South -- C.J. will buy for 3,000 bells
Ocean Fish
When people think of rare fish in New Horizons, they think of the ocean. After all, oarfish and coelacanth are both found there. However, those are a bit too rare to be a reliable source of income. Finding one is difficult enough, let alone finding multiple. This is especially true if one considers the large-shadowed fish that are not worth much, like the sea bass -- which is regularly priced at 400 bells. Nevertheless, down below is a list of ocean fish that are more common and can turn a good profit. Hopefully, players won't catch too many sea bass while hunting for these fish.
- Barred Knifejaw: Available all day, March-Nov. in North and Sept.-May in South -- C.J. will buy for 7,500 bells
- Red Snapper: Available all day, all year in North and South -- C.J. will buy for 4,500 bells
- Moray Eel: Available all day, Aug.-Oct. in North and Feb.-April in South -- C.J. will buy for 3,000 bells
- Ray: Available from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m., Aug.-Nov. in North and Feb.-May in South -- C.J. will buy for 4,500 bells
Any of the fish on these lists can turn a nice profit when sold to C.J. They are not the rarest or priciest fish in New Horizons, but they are common enough and worth the catch. It's not as easy to sell fish for profit compared to bug hunting, but finding these fish while C.J. is around is worth players' time.