TL;DR
- The Golden Carp is a legendary fish found in a small pond near Pailune — look for the tiny lake just below the “P” in Pailune on your map, east of the Argent Peaks
- You don’t need a fishing rod — jump into the water and hold Square (PS5) or X (Xbox) to grab it by hand
- If you prefer fishing, use the Pororin Fishing Rod for reliable legendary fish catches
- Golden Carp sells for around 10 silver, counts toward the legendary animal log, and can be donated to camp for provisions
- Its most powerful use: feed it to any cat to instantly max its Trust to 100 and claim it as a pet
- The best spot to use it for cat taming is Pororin Village — carry the cat to a quiet spot before dropping the fish to avoid other animals stealing it
The Golden Carp is one of Crimson Desert’s five legendary fish, and it stands out for two reasons. First, it’s big — you’ll see it glowing in the pond before you even step into the water. Second, it has a special use no other fish in the game has: feed it to any cat and that cat’s Trust hits 100 points instantly, turning a multi-day taming grind into a single interaction.
This guide covers exactly where to find it, the fastest way to catch it, and everything you can do with it once it’s in your inventory.
Where to Find the Golden Carp
The Golden Carp lives in a small, isolated lake in the Pailune region, located to the east of the Argent Peaks. On the world map, look directly below the letter “P” in Pailune — the pond sits right there near the Snowgrass Heartright area.
Pailune is in the cold, mountainous northwest of Pywel, well north of Hernand. It’s a fair journey if you’re coming from the early game regions, so make sure you’re geared up for the terrain. The area around the pond is generally peaceful with no major combat threats, but watch your step — the legendary horse Royler roams near this same pond. If you’re also hunting legendary mounts for your stables, keep that in mind and approach carefully so you don’t accidentally spook it. Our legendary horses location guide covers Royler’s exact details if you want to tackle both in one trip.
Once you reach the lake, the Golden Carp is hard to miss. It’s noticeably larger than any other fish in the water and has a distinctive golden shimmer. It will be swimming lazily alongside smaller, unremarkable fish. You’ll spot it from the shoreline.
How to Catch the Golden Carp
Method 1 — Grab It by Hand (Fastest)
You do not need a fishing rod. This is the quickest method and works for every fish in the game.
Walk along the shore until you have a clear view of the Golden Carp in the water. Use the elevated terrain around the pond or find a nearby tree and perform a High Jump, then glide down toward the fish. You can also just take a running jump straight into the pond.
Once you’re in the water swimming next to the Golden Carp, hold Square (PS5) or X (Xbox) to catch it. It goes directly into your inventory. Done. No mini-game, no line management, no waiting.
This hand-grab method works on every fish in the game and saves a significant amount of time compared to using a rod, especially for legendary catches. The water needs to be shallow or swimable — the pond at Pailune qualifies fine.
Method 2 — Fishing Rod
If you prefer the rod method or want to work through the fishing system properly, use the Pororin Fishing Rod. This is the only rod in the game that reliably catches legendary fish. Basic rods and the Fine Fishing Rod may technically hook legendary fish occasionally, but the Pororin rod is the reliable option for consistent results.
To unlock the Pororin Fishing Rod: complete the Unreachable Village quest to gain access to Pororin Village, then do the research at the Petalton Workshop in Pororin. Once the research is done, send your comrades on a dispatch mission at the Arboria Craftshop. That dispatch produces the rod. Our how to fish in Crimson Desert guide covers the full fishing mechanics if you need a refresher on casting and reeling.
With the Pororin rod equipped, stand at the edge of the Pailune pond, hold L2/LT to aim your cast, and release to throw. Wait for the bobber to dip and the bite prompt, then press R2/RT to hook. Once hooked, pull your rod in the opposite direction the fish is moving to tire it out. Only reel when the fish stops fighting and the splashing slows down. Legendary fish take multiple phases, so be patient and don’t reel too early or you’ll snap the line.
What to Do With the Golden Carp
Instantly Tame Any Cat
This is the Golden Carp’s most unique use in the game. Every cat in Crimson Desert has a Trust meter that you normally fill by petting and feeding it over multiple in-game days. The Golden Carp skips all of that — one fish, 100 Trust, done.
Here’s how to do it:
- Find a cat you want as a pet. The best location is Pororin Village, which is packed with cats of nearly every breed. To unlock Pororin, you need to complete the Unreachable Village quest — get knocked out by the Shai children three times, then meet Arkin to gain permanent access.
- Approach the cat and press Square/X to pick it up and interact with it. Pet it at least once to register the interaction.
- Carry the cat away from the main street to a quiet, isolated spot — behind a building works well. This step matters. Crimson Desert’s world is active. Other animals, including stray dogs, will run over and steal the Golden Carp if you drop it in a busy area.
- Put the cat down and open your inventory. Highlight the Golden Carp and select Discard to drop it on the ground in front of the cat.
- As soon as the cat eats the fish, Trust hits 100 instantly and you can claim it as your pet.
Known quirk: sometimes a cat will ignore the fish on the ground and wander away. If this happens, don’t panic — pick the cat up again, interact with it once more to re-engage it, and try dropping the fish again. This usually fixes the behavior. Also note that cats in Pororin can be slightly more temperamental than cats elsewhere — if you’re having trouble, try carrying the cat further outside the village boundaries before feeding.
Sell It
The Golden Carp sells for approximately 10 silver at any vendor. That’s a solid payout, especially early-to-mid game. If you’re not planning to use it for cat taming, selling it is a clean way to make quick money. Our how to make money fast guide covers other efficient silver farming methods alongside fish selling.
Donate to Camp
Donating the Golden Carp to your camp provides a generous amount of provisions. If you’re working on camp donations and quests, legendary fish are a high-value contribution.
Cook It or Add to Your Knowledge Log
Like all fish, the Golden Carp can be used as a cooking ingredient at a cauldron. If you’re working on recipes that need fish, it qualifies. Our how to cook best healing food guide shows which recipes are worth prioritizing.
It also adds to your Knowledge Codex under Aquatic Creatures, logging the Golden Carp as a discovered species. Once logged, you can open the Knowledge menu, navigate to Creatures → Aquatic Creatures, select it, and choose to show its location on the map for future reference — useful if you want to come back and catch more.
Tips for the Golden Carp Run
Travel light. Make sure you have inventory space before making the trip to Pailune. The Golden Carp takes up a slot, and if your inventory is full you can’t pick it up at all. Our how to increase inventory space guide shows how to expand it if needed.
Combine the trip with other legendary animals. The Pailune region is home to several legendary creatures. If you want to hunt multiple legendary animals in one run, our legendary creatures location guide maps out everything worth tracking in the area.
Don’t cook it if you want to tame a cat. The Golden Carp is one of the rarer items in the game. If you’re planning to use it for cat taming, keep it whole. Cooking it will work as food but the cat-taming benefit only applies to the whole fish dropped from your inventory.
The hand-grab method means anyone can get this fish. You don’t need the Pororin rod, don’t need to unlock fishing research, and don’t need to sit through the mini-game. If you just want the fish for its cat-taming effect, the jump-in method makes this one of the simplest legendary animal pickups in the game.
For getting a pet in Crimson Desert more broadly, including other animals beyond cats, our how to get a pet guide covers the full system. And if you want to know what else is worth hunting in Pailune and beyond while you’re out there, check our Altar of Solitude puzzle guide for Abyss content nearby, and our full Crimson Desert hub for everything else.
Crimson Desert is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Epic Games Store. For the latest news and updates, visit the official Crimson Desert website.
