Stardew Valley's Willy is the local fisherman, who runs the town's bait and fishing supplies shop. Having grown up travelling the Fern Islands, he has now settled by the beach, and can often be found fishing before and after work. Unfortunately, you cannot marry this kindly gentleman, but you can befriend him and earn some useful recipes in the process.
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Here's everything you need to know about Stardew Valley's Willy:
What are the best gifts for Willy?
The best time to give Willy a gift is on his birthday, but you can give him gifts any other time, though, and we recommend the items he likes the most:
The best gifts to give Willy are:
- Catfish, diamond, gold bar, iridium bar, Jewels of the Sea book, mead, octopus, pumpkin, sea cucumber, sturgeon, The Art O' Crabbing book, universally liked items, universally loved items (except for life elixir and non-fish related cooking)
The worst gifts to give Willy are:
- Seasonal foraged items, life elixir, universally disliked items (except fish), and universally hated items
When is Willy's birthday?
Willy's birthday is on Summer 24, so you can get him a nice summer-themed food or fish to give him.
What are Willy's favorite movies and concessions?
Fancy taking Willy to the movies? Make sure to pick the snacks he really likes - but any movie will do.
| Movie | Concession | |
| Love | None | Salmon burger, stardrop sorbet |
| Like | It Howls In The Rain, Journey Of The Prairie King, Mysterium, Natural Wonders, The Brave Little Sapling, The Miracle At Coldstar Ranch, The Zuzu City Express, Wumbus | Chocolate popcorn, fries, ice cream sandwich, jasmine tea, nachos, pizza, popcorn, salted peanuts, star cookie, truffle popcorn |
| Dislike | None | Everything else |
How to unlock Willy's heart events
Here's all you need to know about unlocking each of Willy's heart events:
- Three hearts
- When you reach three hearts with Willy, you will get a chowder recipe from him in the mail
- Five hearts
- When you reach five hearts with Willy, you will get a recipe for escargot from him in the mail.
- Six hearts
- Go to the beach between 6 am and 5 pm
- Seven hearts
- When you reach seven hearts with Willy, he will send you his fish stew recipe in the mail.
- Nine hearts
- When you get to nine hearts, you will get a final recipe in the mail from Willy - this one is for lobster bisque.
What does Willy sell in the Fish Shop?
Willy has a few ocean-themed items for you to buy, including rods, bait, foodstuffs, and furniture. You can also purchase a ticket to Ginger Island for 1,000 gold.
Some items unlock as you upgrade your fishing level skill, so bear this in mind if you want a specific item.
| Item | Price | Level required |
| Fish Smoker recipe | 10,ooog | - |
| Trout Soup | 250g | - |
| Targeted bait | 100g | - |
| Bamboo Pole | 500g | - |
| Training Rod | 25g | - |
| Advanced Iridium Rod | 25,000g | - |
| Copper Pan | 2,500g | - |
| Small fish tank | 500g | - |
| Large fish tank | 2,000g | - |
| Deluxe fish tank | 5,000g | - |
| Hanging fish decor | 1,000g | - |
| Fisher double bed | 25,000g | - |
| Bait | 5g | Two |
| Fiberglass rod | 1,800g | Two |
| Crab Pot | 1,500g | Three |
| Deluxe bait | 100g | Four |
| Sonar bobber | 500g | Six |
| Spinner | 500g | Six |
| Trap bobber | 500g | Six |
| Lead bobber | 200g | Six |
| Iridium Rod | 7,500g | Six |
| Treasure Hunter | 750g | Seven |
| Cork bobber | 750g | Seven |
| Barbed hook | 1,000g | Eight |
| Dressed spinner | 1,000g | Eight |
| Magnet | 1,000g | Nine |
What is Willy's schedule?
Regular schedule
| 6:10 am | Fishes outside the shop |
| 9 am | Works in the fish shop |
| 5 pm | Heads to the beach to fish |
| 10 pm | Goes home for the night |
Spring 9
| 6:10 am | Fishes outside the shop |
| 9 am | Stands at the counter in the shop |
| 10:10 am | Leaves the fish shop, walks over to the clinic |
| 5 pm | Leaves the clinic and goes to the saloon |
| 11:20 pm | Goes home |
Desert Festival as a vendor
| 9 am | Boards the bus to Calico Desert |
| 9:10 am | Attends the fishing challenge area |
Summer 20 and 21
| 6:10 am | Fishes outside the shop |
| 10 am | Heads to Cindersap Forest to take part in the Trout Derby |
| 11:20 pm | Goes home for the night |
Winter 12 and 13
| 6:10 am | Fishes outside the shop |
| 12 pm | Goes to the beach and takes part in the Squidfest |
| 11:20 pm | Goes home for the night |
Winter 15, 16, and 17
| 4:30 pm | Goes to the Stardrop Saloon |
| 12:20 am | Goes home for the night |
Green Rain
- Spends the day in the Stardrop Saloon
Rain
| 6:10 am | Fishes outside the shop |
| 9 am | Works in the fish shop |
| 5 pm | Goes over to the saloon |
| 11:20 pm | Goes home for the night |
Friday
| 6:10 am | Fishes outside the shop |
| 9 am | Works in the fish shop |
| 5 pm | Goes over to the saloon |
| 11:20 pm | Goes home for the night |
Saturday
| 6:10 am | Fishes outside the shop |
| 2 pm | Heads into town to fish in the river |
| 7 pm | Goes over to the saloon |
| 11 pm | Goes home for the night |
Winter
| 6:10 am | Fishes outside the shop |
| 9 am | Works in the fish shop |
| 5 pm | Goes over to the saloon |
| 11:20 pm | Goes home for the night |
There you have it - everything you need to know about the fisherman himself, Stardew Valley's Willy.