How to Beat the Pufferfish Boss in How to Fish

To beat Pufferfish, catch an endangered fish accepted by the Island 3 tourist with a Standard Lure, trade it for a Carrot, and use the Carrot to summon the boss. Fight around separated trees or solid obstacles, widen your route when purple poison appears, then return the Pufferfish Fin to the tourist.

Get the Carrot and summon Pufferfish

1. Accept the beach tourist’s endangered-fish request on Island 3.
2. Use a Standard Lure and catch a fish that satisfies the current request.
3. Give that fish to the tourist and keep the Carrot you receive.
4. Equip the Carrot as the boss bait and cast in the Island 3 water.

The acceptable fish list may change with a game update, so follow the active quest text rather than selling a likely match early.

Recommended preparation

• Bring an upgraded SMG with magazine or control improvements.
• Carry healing and enough ammunition for a longer second phase.
• Choose an area with several solid obstacles and room to move between them.
• Keep the Fin after the fight; do not sell or cook the progression item.

Patch 1.0.4 officially nerfed Pufferfish, but the developer did not publish exact HP or phase thresholds. The loadout and movement advice here comes from current guide testing and player footage, not an official “best build.”

Fight strategy

Pufferfish moves quickly in a straight line but turns slowly. Backpedal around a tree or solid obstacle, fire during the turn, and move to the next obstacle before it closes the gap. Avoid a tiny circle: collision physics can push you into its path.

After roughly half the fight, Pufferfish leaves persistent purple poison clouds. Expand the loop and stop reusing contaminated ground. Keep shooting during wide turns rather than standing inside the cloud for extra damage.

Explosives can shorten the fight, but they can also injure you after Patch 1.0.11. They are optional, not required.

If you die or the island does not unlock

If the attempt fails, repeat the tourist exchange to obtain another Carrot. After winning, identify the Pufferfish Fin and deliver it to the tourist. A kill alone does not update the Radar or unlock the next destination.

For the complete route, use the island progression guide. The dedicated video above shows this encounter rather than a general boss compilation.

Sources: GamesRadar Pufferfish guide, PC Gamer Pufferfish guide, Steam Community discussion, and Finnybarr’s encounter video, checked 2026-09-04.