Where to find gravid bowfins in Monster Hunter Wilds

Gravid bowfins are a kind of aquatic life in Monster Hunter Wilds.

You’ll need to fish for them as part of a side quest, “Fishing for Flavor,” for Kanya at the Scarlet Forest base camp. This is the third of her side missions after catching your first fish and a then a goldenfish.

Our Monster Hunter Wilds guide will tell you where to find gravid bowfins and how to catch them.

Where to find gravid bowfins in Monster Hunter Wilds

If you’re really lucky, a gravid bowfin will spawn right in the pond where Kanya is fishing and you won’t have to travel at all.

Gravid bowfins can (hypothetically) be found in every region. It’s just a question of whether or not they spawn when you’re there. They seem to be most common in the evening (and setting the environment to plenty never hurts). Here are some waypoints:

• In the Windswept Plains, check the oasis in Area 13
• In the Scarlet Forest, head to the deep water near the waterfall between Areas 12 and 13
• The Aquatic Life menu says that gravid bowfin can be found in Oilwell Basin, but if they’re there, we haven’t found them yet (or any other fish for that matter)
• In the Iceshard Cliffs, Reddit users report success in the deep pool just north of the Area 1: Icy Shore pop-up camp (but we did not have any luck there)
• In the Ruins of Wyveria, head into the tunnel on the west side of Area 8 to find the Area 8: Gap in Rubble pop-up camp and its fishing hole

If you don’t luck out in Windswept Plains or Scarlet Forest, we recommend heading to the Area 8: Gap in Rubble in the Ruins of Wyveria. We found several there on our first visit. Just be prepared to fish your way through every other (greedy) fish first.

How to catch a gravid bowfin in Monster Hunter Wilds

Gravid bowfins go for the emerald jiggerbait, but they’re a little finicky about it — they only go for the lure when it’s moving. When you spot a gravid bowfin, cast your lure past where they’ll be and start reeling it in slowly by moving the left thumbstick up and down. You can pause your reeling occasionally and mix in a jerk by pressing down on the left thumbstick. Just keep reeling slowly even as the bowfin takes an interest in the lure.

To also help you understand Monster Hunter Wilds, we explain how to capture monsters, how to change weapons, provide some Seikret tips, and teach you how layered armor works.