D100 Fresh Water Fish
A D100 table of freshwater fish with flavor, uses, and magical/poisonous effects — perfect for stocking rivers, lakes, and swamps in a campaign. Entries range from mundane market fare to dangerous magical catches — mix common and rare results as needed for your table’s power level.
| # | Fish | Description | Uses | Magical/Poisonous Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silverback Roach | A small, flashing schooling fish with a mirror-bright flank. | Cheap food, bait for larger fish, sold by the bucketful in market towns. | None. |
| 2 | Muddy Whiskerfin | A bottom-dwelling catfish with long barbels and a wide, flat head. | Hearty stew fish; whiskers used in minor alchemical thickeners. | None. |
| 3 | Common Brook Trout | Speckled orange and olive, found in cold running streams. | Prized eating fish; a favorite of anglers and inns alike. | None. |
| 4 | Reedback Minnow | Tiny fish that hide in dense reed beds in huge schools. | Bait, or fried whole as a bar snack. | None. |
| 5 | Grey Carp | A large, slow, ugly fish that roots in silty riverbeds. | Feeds a family for a week; bones used for cheap needles/tools. | None. |
| 6 | Duskgill Perch | Striped fish active only at dawn and dusk. | Popular sport fish; fins used in minor dyes (grey-blue). | None. |
| 7 | Longjaw Pike | An aggressive ambush predator with needle teeth. | Tough, oily meat; teeth sold to fletchers for arrow barbs. | None, but a bite from a live one deals 1 piercing damage if mishandled. |
| 8 | Golden Bream | A sunfish with scales that catch the light like coins. | Considered a delicacy; scales used as cheap decorative currency in some river villages. | None. |
| 9 | Stonecrawler Loach | Eel-like fish that cling to river-bottom rocks with sucker mouths. | Used in soups; sticky mucus used as a crude adhesive. | None. |
| 10 | Marsh Sculpin | A squat, spiny, camouflaged fish found in shallow bogs. | Rarely eaten (bony), but spines are used as crude needles. | Mildly venomous spines; sting causes 1 minute of numbness in the affected limb. |
| 11 | Emberscale Trout | A trout with scales that glow faintly like coals when agitated. | Prized by chefs for presentation; glow fades within a day of death. | When alive, sheds dim light in a 5-ft radius. |
| 12 | Whispering Eel | A long, sinuous eel that produces a faint humming sound underwater. | Skin used for enchanted bowstrings; meat is a mild soporific. | Eating raw flesh grants advantage on the next Wisdom (Perception) check involving sound, but disadvantage on the following one. |
| 13 | Frostbelly Char | A pale fish found only in glacial-fed lakes, cold to the touch even out of water. | Meat naturally preserves without salting for weeks. | Its flesh, if eaten raw, grants resistance to cold damage for 1 hour. |
| 14 | Sunkoi | A brilliant orange-and-white ornamental carp bred by nobles. | Status symbol pet; occasionally eaten at extravagant feasts. | None, but killing one in a noble’s pond may cause a diplomatic incident. |
| 15 | Bellringer Bass | A fish whose swim bladder produces a clear bell-like tone when struck. | Swim bladder crafted into a small chime used by fisherfolk to signal across water. | None. |
| 16 | Inkgill Catfish | A jet-black catfish that secretes a cloud of ink-like fluid when startled. | Ink used as a cheap, waterproof writing ink substitute. | The ink cloud can be used as a minor smokescreen underwater (5-ft radius, 1 round). |
| 17 | Mirrorscale Shad | A fish whose scales are so reflective they can blind in direct sun. | Scales used to craft small signal mirrors or decorative jewelry. | A sudden flash from a school can impose disadvantage on a Perception check made to spot something else nearby. |
| 18 | Bogroot Lamprey | A jawless, sucker-mouthed fish that latches onto larger creatures. | Rarely eaten; used in unsavory folk remedies for “bad blood.” | Can latch onto a creature in the water and deal 1 necrotic damage per round until pulled off (DC 10 Strength check). |
| 19 | Coldwater Sturgeon | A massive, ancient-looking armored fish from deep lakes. | Prized for its eggs (roe), which sell as a luxury food. | None, but can weigh over 200 lbs and capsize a small boat if hooked carelessly. |
| 20 | Duckbill Herring | A silvery fish with an oddly flattened, duck-like snout. | Common food fish; oil rendered for cheap lamp fuel. | None. |
| 21 | Thistlefin | A spiny freshwater fish covered in sharp dorsal barbs. | Meat is tasty once cleaned carefully; spines used as needles. | Handling one without gloves deals 1 piercing damage and requires a DC 10 Constitution save or suffer poisoned condition for 1 hour. |
| 22 | Moonveil Grayling | A pale, translucent fish that seems to shimmer under moonlight. | Considered sacred by some moon-worshipping cultures; rarely sold openly. | If eaten during a full moon, grants advantage on the next Wisdom saving throw. |
| 23 | Copper Dace | A small fish with metallic copper-colored scales. | Ground scales used as a minor component in copper-detection rituals. | None beyond alchemical use. |
| 24 | Snaggletooth Gar | A long, armored fish with rows of needle-sharp teeth. | Tough meat, mostly used in soups; teeth sold to craftsmen. | A live gar can bite for 1d4 piercing damage if handled roughly. |
| 25 | Weeping Willow Fish | A slender fish that congregates beneath willow trees, said to “cry” bubbles. | Sold to alchemists; bubbling secretion used in minor sleep draughts. | Its secretion, distilled, can be brewed into a weak sleeping draught (DC 12 Con save or drowsy for 1 hour). |
| 26 | Barrelbelly Sunfish | A round, fat, slow-moving fish easy to catch by hand. | Common food for the poor; easy to farm in still ponds. | None. |
| 27 | Glasswater Minnow | An almost fully transparent tiny fish, visible only by its shadow. | Rarely eaten; prized by scholars studying anatomy. | None, but very difficult to spot (DC 15 Perception to notice in clear water). |
| 28 | Ashfin Trout | A fish found near volcanic hot springs, with grey, ash-streaked scales. | Considered a delicacy for its smoky natural flavor. | Resistant to fire; eating it grants resistance to fire damage for 10 minutes. |
| 29 | Ripplejaw Chub | A common river fish that makes distinct splashing ripples when feeding. | Basic food fish, popular bait. | None. |
| 30 | Bloodfin Piranha-Kin | A small but vicious freshwater predator found in warm swamps, distant cousin to true piranhas. | Feared by swimmers; meat is edible but unpopular. | Attacks in schools; a swarm can deal 1d4 piercing damage per round to a creature bleeding in the water. |
| 31 | Starlit Koi | A rare ornamental fish whose scales seem to hold tiny points of light. | Kept in temple ponds; considered an omen fish. | At night, sheds dim light in a 10-ft radius; killing one is considered bad luck in local folklore. |
| 32 | Ironscale Carp | A carp with unusually hard, metallic-grey scales. | Scales too tough to eat easily; ground into polish for armor. | Scales have resistance to being pierced; used in minor armor crafting as reinforcement flakes. |
| 33 | Witherfin | A gaunt, sickly-looking fish found in stagnant, cursed waters. | Avoided by most; sought by necromancers and hedge witches. | Eating it requires a DC 13 Constitution save or take 2d6 poison damage and become poisoned for 1 hour. |
| 34 | Honeyscale Tilapia | A fish with a faint golden sheen and naturally sweet-tasting flesh. | A prized delicacy, often grilled with local honey. | None. |
| 35 | Thundercarp | A large carp said to leap from the water during storms. | Exciting sport fish; meat tastes faintly metallic. | If caught during a thunderstorm, its flesh can be used as a component in lightning-based alchemy (minor). |
| 36 | Pale Cavefish | A blind, colorless fish found in underground rivers and lakes. | Rare delicacy for its unusual, buttery texture. | None, but only found in subterranean waters — a clue to nearby cave systems. |
| 37 | Wartclub Toadfish | An ugly, warty fish with a stout, club-like tail. | Rarely eaten (bitter); sold as a novelty or used in prank potions. | Its slime causes mild skin irritation; DC 8 Con save or disadvantage on Charisma checks for 1 hour from the smell alone. |
| 38 | Featherfin Darter | A fast, brightly colored fish with delicate, feather-like fins. | Popular in ornamental ponds; occasionally used in dye-making. | None. |
| 39 | Bonecrusher Muskellunge | A massive, aggressive predator fish known to attack waterfowl and small boats. | Trophy fish for hunters; tough meat requires long cooking. | A large specimen can deal 2d6 piercing damage if it attacks a creature in the water. |
| 40 | Duskveil Eel | A shadowy eel that becomes nearly invisible in murky water. | Meat is tender; skin used for enchanted cloaks (minor stealth bonus). | Grants advantage on one Stealth check in water if its skin is worn as an accessory. |
| 41 | Glimmerscale Anchovy | A tiny schooling fish whose scales sparkle like scattered gems. | Sold in bulk to alchemists as a cheap shimmer-dust substitute. | Crushed scales can be used as a cheap alternative material component for spells requiring “a pinch of shiny sand.” |
| 42 | Rootgnawer Catfish | A catfish known to chew on submerged tree roots and wooden dock pilings. | A nuisance to dock owners; meat is edible and mild. | Can gnaw through soft wood; sometimes used (trained) to clear debris from waterways. |
| 43 | Sapphire Darter | A small, brilliant blue fish found in only the clearest mountain streams. | Highly sought by jewelers for scale-based inlay work. | None, but only found in unpolluted, pristine water — a sign of a healthy ecosystem. |
| 44 | Grumbling Toadhead Fish | A fish with a bulbous head that makes a low croaking noise when caught. | Amusing catch for children; meat is tough and unremarkable. | None. |
| 45 | Vaporfin | A fish that releases a faint mist when it breaches the water’s surface. | Rarely eaten; mist-glands used in fog-effect stage props and minor illusions. | Its gland, properly prepared, can create a small patch of harmless fog (5-ft radius, lasts 1 minute). |
| 46 | Deepwater Anglerfish (Freshwater Variant) | A grotesque fish with a bioluminescent lure, found in deep, dark lakes. | Rare delicacy for the adventurous; lure organ sold to alchemists. | Lure organ can be harvested to create a small everburning light source (dim light, 10 ft, lasts 24 hours before fading). |
| 47 | Chalkstream Roach | A common fish found in mineral-rich chalk streams, with unusually white flesh. | Popular in poaching and delicate dishes. | None. |
| 48 | Boneplate Sturgeon | An ancient, heavily armored sturgeon with bony plates instead of scales. | Plates used as crude natural armor scraps by desperate crafters. | Plates provide minor AC bonus (+1) if worked into leather armor by a skilled leatherworker. |
| 49 | Sicklefin Shad | A silvery fish with a distinctly curved, sickle-shaped fin. | Common food fish, sold in large schools’ worth at once. | None. |
| 50 | Tanglehook Eel | An eel notorious for wrapping around fishing lines and hooks, hard to land. | Frustrating to catch; tough, stringy meat once cooked long enough. | None, but requires an extra DC 12 Dexterity check to land without it escaping. |
| 51 | Witchlight Minnow | A tiny fish that glimmers with a faint, eerie green light after dark. | Feared by superstitious fisherfolk as a bad omen; alchemists seek it eagerly. | Ground into paste, it can be used as a minor light-based spell component substitute. |
| 52 | Blightscale Carp | A carp found in polluted or magically tainted waters, with mottled, diseased-looking scales. | Never eaten; used as an indicator of tainted water sources. | Eating this fish requires a DC 15 Constitution save or contract a minor disease (disadvantage on Constitution checks for 1d4 days). |
| 53 | Ripcurrent Salmon | A powerful, muscular fish that swims upstream against fierce currents. | Highly prized food fish; a favorite for smoking and preserving. | None, but a strong catch — requires a DC 13 Strength check to land without snapping the line. |
| 54 | Hollowbone Pike | A pike with unusually light, hollow-seeming bones. | Meat is fine but unremarkable; bones ground into a minor levitation-adjacent alchemical reagent (very weak). | Bones used in minor featherfall-adjacent potions (reduces fall damage by 1d6 once, DM’s discretion). |
| 55 | Duneshadow Catfish | A large catfish found burrowed in sandy riverbeds, ambushing prey. | Tough but flavorful meat; whiskers used as fishing line by locals. | Can ambush from sand with surprise; if roleplayed as a hazard, may startle a wading creature. |
| 56 | Prism Trout | A trout whose scales split light into rainbow patterns when wet. | Highly prized ornamental catch; occasionally eaten at festivals. | None, but scale dust can be used as a harmless component for illusion-based cantrips. |
| 57 | Gravelthroat Sucker | A bottom-feeding fish with a wide sucking mouth used to filter gravel. | Cheap food, though bony; used in fish paste for poorer communities. | None. |
| 58 | Everfrost Grayling | A fish found only in enchanted or magically frozen lakes, that never seems to fully thaw. | Meat stays fresh indefinitely if kept cold; a novelty at feasts. | If eaten, grants resistance to cold damage for 1 hour (does not stack with other sources). |
| 59 | Rustbelly Bream | A fish with reddish-orange scales that resemble rust patches. | Common food fish in mining communities. | None. |
| 60 | Sablefin Loach | A dark, slender eel-like fish that hides in mud during the day. | Used in stews; slime occasionally used as a crude waterproofing agent. | None. |
| 61 | Fatewhisper Koi | An exceptionally rare koi said to appear only before significant events. | Never sold; considered a powerful omen if caught. | Catching one grants advantage on the next Wisdom (Insight) check made within 24 hours (DM’s discretion, one-time use). |
| 62 | Screaming Eel | An eel that emits a piercing shriek when pulled from the water. | Rarely eaten due to the ordeal of catching it; used to startle intruders when kept in moats. | The shriek can be heard up to 100 feet away, potentially alerting nearby creatures. |
| 63 | Sunset Barbel | A catfish-like fish with orange-red coloring that deepens at dusk. | Popular at evening markets for its vivid color when served. | None. |
| 64 | Tidebound Salmon | A salmon that inexplicably swims in freshwater lakes connected to the sea by underground channels, carrying faint tidal magic. | Prized by sailors and coastal folk for luck. | Eating it grants advantage on the next saving throw against being knocked prone by water or waves (DM’s discretion, one-time use). |
| 65 | Gloomfin Perch | A dull grey fish found in shaded, overgrown ponds. | Bland but filling food fish. | None. |
| 66 | Shatterscale Pike | A pike whose scales are brittle and shatter loudly when it thrashes. | Meat is fine; shattered scales sometimes used as a component in noise-based alchemical items. | Scales can be ground into a component for a minor noisemaker trap or alarm. |
| 67 | Duskwater Grayling | A fish active primarily at twilight, with dusky purple-grey scales. | Popular with anglers who fish at dusk. | None. |
| 68 | Cloudfin Catfish | A pale catfish with wispy, cloud-like fin patterns. | Common food fish; considered lucky by riverboat sailors. | None. |
| 69 | Brackenpike | A reed-colored pike that blends seamlessly into marsh vegetation. | Prized ambush-hunter’s trophy; tough, gamey meat. | Very difficult to spot while stationary (DC 16 Perception). |
| 70 | Ninefin Herring | A herring mutated (or blessed) with nine fins instead of the usual set. | Considered a lucky catch; rarely eaten, often released. | Superstition holds that releasing one grants good luck (DM’s discretion: advantage on next death saving throw). |
| 71 | Corpsewater Eel | An unsettling eel found near battlefields or graveyards flooded by rivers. | Avoided by the superstitious; necromancers occasionally seek it. | Eating it requires a DC 14 Constitution save or become frightened of the next undead creature encountered within 24 hours. |
| 72 | Silverstream Salmon | A common, healthy salmon found in clean, fast-flowing mountain rivers. | A staple food fish; smoked and traded widely. | None. |
| 73 | Bellyaching Bass | A bass known for causing stomach upset if not cooked thoroughly. | Cheap food fish, but risky if prepared carelessly. | Undercooked meat requires a DC 10 Constitution save or suffer 1 hour of poisoned condition (mild food poisoning). |
| 74 | Duskcrown Koi | A regal koi with a marking resembling a crown on its head. | Kept by nobility as a symbol of status; occasionally gifted diplomatically. | None, but a valuable gift fish (worth 10-50 gp to the right buyer). |
| 75 | Riftgill Lamprey | A strange lamprey said to occasionally swim out of planar rifts near ley lines. | Rare and unsettling catch; sought by planar scholars. | Its flesh, eaten fresh, grants a 1-in-6 chance of brief (1 round) truesight as a bizarre side effect (DM’s discretion). |
| 76 | Wickerfin Sunfish | A small, flat fish with fin patterns resembling woven wicker. | Common pond fish; popular with children learning to fish. | None. |
| 77 | Frenzybite Piranha-Kin | A more aggressive cousin of the bloodfin, found in warm, murky waters, known to swarm. | Feared predator; rarely eaten due to difficulty catching safely. | A swarm can deal 2d4 piercing damage per round to a bleeding creature in the water. |
| 78 | Moldwater Perch | A fish found in damp, moldy cave pools connected to rivers. | Rarely eaten; used in the creation of minor mold-based alchemical reagents. | None directly, but associated waters may carry disease risk (DM’s discretion). |
| 79 | Glassy Silverside | A nearly transparent fish that schools in massive, shimmering numbers. | Popular in fine dining, served whole and fried crisp. | None. |
| 80 | Ashenfin Char | A grey-black fish found in rivers near burned or blighted forests. | Smoky flavor; popular with woodcutters and hunters. | None. |
| 81 | Fablefin Trout | A trout said to only bite on hooks baited with a truthful confession spoken aloud by the angler. | Legendary catch among folk anglers; meat said to taste of memory. | Local legend: eating it grants advantage on the next Charisma (Persuasion) check involving honesty (DM’s discretion, one-time use). |
| 82 | Nightpool Eel | An eel found only in pools that never see direct sunlight. | Pale, delicate meat; considered a delicacy among cave-dwelling folk. | None. |
| 83 | Tollbooth Toadfish | A territorial fish said to “guard” narrow river crossings, nipping at those who pass. | More nuisance than food; occasionally trained by mischievous druids. | Can deliver a startling but harmless nip (no damage) to wading creatures, imposing disadvantage on the next Stealth check. |
| 84 | Ripplecrown Bream | A bream with a fin pattern resembling a small crown of ripples. | Considered a lucky fish among river merchants. | None. |
| 85 | Weirdwater Grayling | A grayling found in rivers near sites of old magical disasters, with faintly shifting scale colors. | Alchemists pay well for it; rarely eaten due to unpredictable effects. | Eating it triggers a random minor magical effect (DM’s discretion — roll on a wild magic-adjacent table, or treat as harmless). |
| 86 | Bramblefin Chub | A spiny-finned chub found tangled among submerged brambles and roots. | Tricky to clean due to spines, but tasty once prepared. | Handling carelessly deals 1 piercing damage from spines. |
| 87 | Loreleifin | A hauntingly beautiful fish said to occasionally hum in tune with nearby singing. | Rarely caught; sought by bards for its scales, used in enchanted instrument crafting. | Scales can be used as a component in crafting an instrument that grants advantage on one Performance check per day (DM’s discretion, requires downtime crafting). |
| 88 | Cinderscale Bass | A bass with dark red scales found near warm mineral springs. | Popular at spa towns; considered good for one’s health (folk belief). | None. |
| 89 | Hexgill Catfish | A catfish with an odd, six-gill mutation, found near sites of old hedge-witch rituals. | Avoided by most; sought by witches and warlocks for its unusual anatomy. | Its gills, dried and burned, can be used as a substitute material component for a spell of 1st level or lower (single use). |
| 90 | Duskmarsh Sunfish | A sunfish adapted to murky, tannin-stained swamp water. | Common food fish in bog villages. | None. |
| 91 | Riverking Salmon | An unusually large, old salmon said to lead its school for decades. | A trophy catch of legendary size; meat feeds a whole feast hall. | Catching one is a notable local event; may grant a boon from a river-associated deity or spirit (DM’s discretion). |
| 92 | Featherscale Koi | A koi with impossibly delicate, feather-thin scales that shimmer iridescent. | Extremely valuable ornamental fish; rarely eaten. | None, but worth significant coin (20-100 gp) to the right collector. |
| 93 | Stormfin Pike | A pike that grows more aggressive and active during thunderstorms. | Exciting, dangerous catch; tough meat. | During a storm, deals an extra 1d4 piercing damage if it bites a creature in the water. |
| 94 | Pale Widowfish | A ghostly white fish found in waters where drownings have occurred, according to local legend. | Avoided by superstitious locals; morbidly sought by collectors of oddities. | Eating it requires a DC 12 Wisdom save or experience unsettling dreams for one night (no mechanical effect, roleplay only). |
| 95 | Sagefin Trout | A trout found near druidic groves and sacred springs, with faint green-tinted scales. | Considered sacred by druidic circles; eating one without permission is taboo. | If eaten with proper ritual, grants advantage on the next Nature or Survival check (DM’s discretion, one-time use). |
| 96 | Deepglow Sculpin | A rare, bioluminescent sculpin found in the deepest parts of ancient lakes. | Alchemists prize its light organ highly. | Light organ can be harvested to create a small, permanent glowing trinket (dim light, 5 ft). |
| 97 | Truthscale Carp | A carp said to swim only in waters blessed by lawful deities, with unnervingly clear eyes. | Sought by paladins and clerics; rarely eaten out of reverence. | Legend claims eating it makes lies told within the hour taste bitter to the speaker (roleplay effect, DM’s discretion). |
| 98 | Wyrmwater Eel | A massive, serpentine eel rumored to be a distant, diminished kin of true dragons. | An impressive trophy; tough, richly flavored meat. | Requires a DC 15 Strength check to land; scales occasionally used as a minor component in resistance-granting alchemy. |
| 99 | Starfall Koi | An impossibly rare koi whose scales are said to contain flecks of fallen starlight. | Never sold; the stuff of legend and bard’s tales. | Once per long rest, a creature who eats a bite of Starfall Koi flesh can reroll one failed saving throw (DM’s discretion — a powerful, campaign-defining catch). |
| 100 | The Sovereign of the Deep | A colossal, ancient fish of unknown true species, said to rule the depths of one specific lake for centuries. Easily large enough to be mistaken for a lake monster. | Not a fish anyone “uses” — a boss-tier encounter or legendary quarry, not a meal. | A living legend: may possess minor spellcasting, control over local waters, or serve as guardian of a sunken treasure or ley line (fully DM’s discretion — treat as a unique creature, not a generic fish). |
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