ESO Pelagic Lanternfish is one of four rare fish required for the High Seas Master Angler achievement during the High Seas of Tamriel event. You can catch it from Abecean Saltwater Fishing Holes off the Gold Coast, near the Anchorage for the Riotous Redress. You’ll need Worms or Chub for bait, along with some patience while waiting for the rare fish to appear.
The event runs until October 14, 2026, giving players a limited time to complete their collection. While searching for ESO Pelagic Lanternfish, you can also make progress towards the Set Sail on the High Seas Golden Pursuits fishing challenges, which use the same fishing holes.
Where to Find ESO Pelagic Lanternfish
High Seas of Tamriel event artwork. Image credit: ZeniMax Online Studios.
ESO Pelagic Lanternfish can be caught from Abecean Saltwater Fishing Holes in the waters off the Gold Coast, close to the Anchorage for the Riotous Redress.
Travel towards the event anchorage outside Anvil and look for the special fishing spots around the nearby water. When you approach a fishing hole, check that its name reads Abecean Saltwater Fishing Hole before casting.
These are different from the ordinary saltwater fishing spots found elsewhere along the Gold Coast. Only the event-specific holes are listed as the source of the four High Seas Master Angler fish.
Despite its deep-sea name, Pelagic Lanternfish isn’t found by exploring the underwater caves or defeating Krelzimar during Bounty of the Abecean Sea. It’s caught through regular fishing at the surface.
Each fishing hole has a limited number of catches. Once one is exhausted, move to another active Abecean Saltwater Fishing Hole near the anchorage and continue fishing.
Our ESO Abecean Saltwater Fishing Holes guide covers the event fishing area and the four available trophy fish.
Best Bait for ESO Pelagic Lanternfish
The correct bait for ESO Pelagic Lanternfish is Worms or Chub, the standard bait types used for saltwater fishing in The Elder Scrolls Online.
Both work in Abecean Saltwater Fishing Holes, and neither has a confirmed advantage for catching Pelagic Lanternfish specifically. There’s no additional event bait to collect or special lure required for this fish.
Using bait intended for another water type can result in Used Bait rather than a proper catch, so make sure you’ve selected Worms or Chub before casting.
It’s worth bringing a reasonable supply if you’re planning to fish for a while. You’ll catch ordinary fish and potentially duplicate trophy fish before finding the species you need, and there’s no guaranteed number of attempts required.
How to Improve Your Chances of Catching Pelagic Lanternfish
Although ESO Pelagic Lanternfish is a random rare catch, several existing fishing bonuses can improve your chances of obtaining trophy fish.
Artaeum Pickled Fish Bowl is particularly useful. This food increases your chances of catching higher-quality fish and can be used alongside other fishing bonuses.
The Angler’s Instincts Champion Point perk also improves your chances of catching higher-quality fish. If you’ve unlocked the perk, make sure it’s slotted before beginning your fishing session.
Players with Sharp-as-Night can benefit from his Sharp’s Patience companion perk, which improves the chance of catching trophy fish and slightly reduces the time spent reeling them in.
Fishing alongside other players at the same hole can also improve fishing results. However, the group shares the available catches, so holes may run out faster when several people are fishing together.
None of these bonuses guarantees that Pelagic Lanternfish will appear on your next cast. They simply help improve your chances while working through the achievement.
ESO Pelagic Lanternfish and High Seas Master Angler
Catching ESO Pelagic Lanternfish completes one of the four required entries for the High Seas Master Angler achievement.
The other three fish are Pelican Eel, Abecean Slaughterfish and Abyssal Grenadier. All four are classified as Salt catches and come from the same event-specific fishing holes.
You only need to catch each species once for its achievement entry. After catching Pelagic Lanternfish, open your achievement menu and check that the corresponding requirement has registered.
If you’re still missing another fish, there’s no need to change locations or bait. The remaining species can all be caught from Abecean Saltwater Fishing Holes using Worms or Chub.
You can find the full collection in our ESO High Seas Master Angler guide.
Golden Pursuits Fishing Challenges
Set Sail on the High Seas Golden Pursuits activities.
Fishing for ESO Pelagic Lanternfish also contributes towards two activities in the Set Sail on the High Seas Golden Pursuits campaign.
The first requires fishing from Abecean Saltwater Fishing Holes 10 times, while the second requires 20 fishing attempts at these locations.
Both use the same holes as High Seas Master Angler, so there’s no need to visit a separate fishing area to complete them.
These Golden Pursuits tasks count fishing activity rather than requiring a particular trophy fish. You can therefore make progress towards both objectives even if Pelagic Lanternfish hasn’t appeared yet.
The campaign also includes rewards such as the Lilmoth Turtle pet, Gold and pieces of the Abecean Sea Privateer outfit.
Our ESO Set Sail on the High Seas Golden Pursuits guide covers all 24 tasks and their milestone rewards.
Why Isn’t ESO Pelagic Lanternfish Appearing?
If ESO Pelagic Lanternfish isn’t appearing, first make sure you’re fishing from an Abecean Saltwater Fishing Hole rather than an ordinary Gold Coast saltwater spot.
Check your equipped bait as well. Worms and Chub are both suitable, while bait used for lakes, rivers or foul water won’t improve your chances of catching this fish.
Even with the correct location and bait, you might catch several ordinary fish or duplicates before Pelagic Lanternfish appears. Trophy fish are chance-based catches, and there isn’t a confirmed method of forcing one particular species to spawn.
Finding Pelican Eel, Abyssal Grenadier or Abecean Slaughterfish doesn’t mean you’ve missed a step. These species share the same fishing locations, and it’s possible to catch one several times before finding another.
You also won’t receive Pelagic Lanternfish as a reward for defeating Krelzimar or opening a High Seas treasure box. The fish comes directly from the event’s fishing holes.
Players have reported accessing the fishing holes before completing the full Bounty of the Abecean Sea daily quest, so finishing the underwater boss encounter isn’t an established requirement for catching it.
If a fishing hole disappears after several catches, simply find another active hole nearby.
When Does ESO Pelagic Lanternfish Stop Being Available?
ESO Pelagic Lanternfish is associated with the High Seas of Tamriel event, which runs from September 30 to October 14, 2026.
The special fishing holes and their associated High Seas Master Angler achievement are part of this limited-time event. If you’re still missing Pelagic Lanternfish, it’s worth finishing the collection while the event is active.
Once you’ve caught it, check your achievement progress and continue fishing for any remaining species. You can keep using the same bait and locations for all four fish, while additional casts can contribute towards unfinished Golden Pursuits objectives.
With the correct saltwater fishing holes and a few helpful bonuses, you’ll have everything you need to keep searching for Pelagic Lanternfish before the High Seas event ends.
For official event dates and information, visit the Elder Scrolls Online High Seas of Tamriel event page.
Official source: Official High Seas of Tamriel event page
