To automate fishing, use the Fishing Net
Fill a Fishing Net with critters
Place a Fishing Net on water or lava and put one critter (bugs and the like) in each of its 4 slots. Each slot catches a fish.
8-12 min
One fish per slot every 8-12 min
The bait critter is replaced by a fish. Fishing rods, fishing stats and skills don't apply, and you get no fishing XP.
Make bait with a Critter Catcher
Put crops in a Critter Catcher to catch critters, so you can chain crops → critters → fish.
How to use the Fishing Net (automatic fishing)
- Place the net on water or lava: the biome and liquid where you place it decide which fish it catches.
- Add critters: interact with the net to open it and put one critter in each of the 4 slots (each slot holds one). Any critter works the same: its species changes neither the fish nor the catch time.
- Wait: each slot catches one fish in 8-12 minutes, replacing the bait. The net keeps working while you are somewhere else, as long as the world is running.
- Take the fish out and rebait: a slot with a fish in it does not catch again until you take the fish and add new bait.
- Swapping an unfinished slot's critter for a different one starts that slot's timer over.
- Each slot's remaining time and bait are saved, so nothing is lost when you leave and reload the world.
- The net does not give Fishing skill XP.
What does the Fishing Net catch?
It depends on the biome and liquid (water, lava, etc.) where the net is placed. It catches one of the fish that can be caught there. Fish by location are listed in how to fish and fish by location.
Getting bait critters automatically (Critter Catcher)
- Put crops or mushrooms into a Critter Catcher and each of its 4 slots catches one critter every 8-12 minutes. Which plant you use makes no difference, but switching to a different plant restarts the slot's timer.
- In the game's words, the crops are “irresistible to critters of the local biome”, so the critter depends on where it is placed: both the biome and the floor tile under the catcher count. If neither matches anything, you get a Blackbug. Any of them works as Fishing Net bait.
- Crops can come from an automatic farm, so a line of farm → Critter Catcher → Fishing Net gets you fish with very little effort (moving items between them is done by hand).
Fishing Net vs. fishing rod
| Fishing Net | Fishing rod | |
|---|---|---|
| Effort | Just leave it | You fish yourself |
| Time per fish | 8-12 min per slot (4 slots) | Depends on your skill |
| Fishing stats and rod strength | Don't apply | Apply |
| Fishing skill XP | None | Yes |
| Fish caught | One fish from that location's fish table (no double catches or rare-fish bonuses) | Changes with fishing stat and effects |
For rare fish or leveling the fishing skill, use a rod (see fishing gear). For stockpiling fish for cooking, the net is the better fit.
What you need for automatic fishing
| Machine | What it does | Power | Recipe |
|---|---|---|---|
 Fishing Net | Placed on water or lava, catches fish using critters as bait | Not needed | Fiber ×30, Wood ×8, Tin Bar ×4 Made at Fishing Workbench |
 Critter Catcher | Catches critters using crops as bait | Not needed | Plank ×8, Fiber ×20, Iron Bar ×5 Made at Livestock Workbench |
 Fishing Net Rack | A rack that displays up to 3 fish | — | Not craftable (see how to get it) |
Slot counts, catch times (480–720 seconds), what each slot accepts and the lack of any electricity component are read from the prefabs of the Fishing Net, Critter Catcher and Fishing Net Rack in Core Keeper 1.3.0.6. That the net uses the location's fish table and ignores your fishing value and skills is from the game's automation code. Bait species, timers when you are away or swap bait, saving, mushrooms and floor tiles in the Critter Catcher and the fallback critter are from the Core Keeper Wiki (Fandom) pages “Fishing Net” and “Critter Catcher” (game 1.3.0.6, CC BY-SA 3.0).
More automation guides
Unless a note on the page says otherwise, numbers are read from the game files of Core Keeper 1.3.0.6 (prefabs, configuration files, drop tables and the game's program) and calculated by this site, including upgraded (per-level) values, sell prices and mana costs. Names and descriptions are the game's official English text. Only reinforcing materials, minion and pet attacks and some food values are based on the Core Keeper Wiki (Fandom) data (CC BY-SA 3.0). Core Keeper and its images are © Pugstorm. This is an unofficial fan site.