New Leaf Month by Month: What to Catch & Do
New Leaf runs on the 3DS clock, so the fish, bugs, deep-sea creatures and events change through the year. Pick a month for its full catch list, best earners and calendar.
Edition: Nintendo 3DS game (2012–13) with the free 2016 Welcome amiibo update; dates are for the Northern Hemisphere. Wild World, City Folk and New Horizons work differently.
New Year’s Day, Fishing TourneyFebruary30 fish · 10 bugs · 21 seaGroundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, Festivale, Fishing TourneyMarch31 fish · 16 bugs · 21 sea
Festivale, Shamrock Day, Bunny Day, Fishing TourneyApril37 fish · 20 bugs · 20 seaBunny Day, April Fool’s Day, Cherry blossoms, Nature DayMay40 fish · 25 bugs · 16 sea
Mother’s Day, Fishing TourneyJune50 fish · 41 bugs · 20 sea
Bug-Off, Father’s Day, Summer SolsticeJuly53 fish · 57 bugs · 20 seaBug-OffAugust52 fish · 59 bugs · 19 seaBug-Off, FireworksSeptember50 fish · 47 bugs · 23 sea
Bug-Off, Labor Day, Harvest Moon FestivalOctober35 fish · 26 bugs · 18 sea
Harvest Moon Festival, Explorer’s Day, Halloween, Fishing TourneyNovember36 fish · 20 bugs · 23 seaMushrooming Season, Harvest Festival, Fishing TourneyDecember31 fish · 10 bugs · 23 seaToy Day, Winter Solstice, New Year’s Eve, Fishing TourneyThe year at a glance
| Month | Fish | Bugs | Sea | Top fish | Top bug | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30 | 10 | 22 | Stringfish 15,000 | Bee 2,500 | New Year’s Day, Fishing Tourney |
| February | 30 | 10 | 21 | Stringfish 15,000 | Bee 2,500 | Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, Festivale, Fishing Tourney |
| March | 31 | 16 | 21 | Coelacanth 15,000 | Bee 2,500 | Festivale, Shamrock Day, Bunny Day, Fishing Tourney |
| April | 37 | 20 | 20 | Coelacanth 15,000 | Bee 2,500 | Bunny Day, April Fool’s Day, Cherry blossoms, Nature Day, Fishing Tourney, Weeding Day |
| May | 40 | 25 | 16 | Coelacanth 15,000 | Raja Brooke butterfly 2,500 | Mother’s Day, Fishing Tourney |
| June | 50 | 41 | 20 | Dorado 15,000 | Golden stag 12,000 | Bug-Off, Father’s Day, Summer Solstice |
| July | 53 | 57 | 20 | Dorado 15,000 | Golden stag 12,000 | Bug-Off |
| August | 52 | 59 | 19 | Dorado 15,000 | Golden stag 12,000 | Bug-Off, Fireworks |
| September | 50 | 47 | 23 | Dorado 15,000 | Rainbow stag 10,000 | Bug-Off, Labor Day, Harvest Moon Festival |
| October | 35 | 26 | 18 | Coelacanth 15,000 | Petaltail dragonfly 8,000 | Harvest Moon Festival, Explorer’s Day, Halloween, Fishing Tourney |
| November | 36 | 20 | 23 | Coelacanth 15,000 | Bee 2,500 | Mushrooming Season, Harvest Festival, Fishing Tourney |
| December | 31 | 10 | 23 | Stringfish 15,000 | Bee 2,500 | Toy Day, Winter Solstice, New Year’s Eve, Fishing Tourney |
FAQ
Does New Leaf have seasons?
Yes. It follows the 3DS clock and calendar: snow in winter, cherry blossoms in April, different fish, bugs and sea creatures each month, and events on set dates.
What is the best month for Bells?
July and August: beetles worth up to 12,000 Bells on summer nights, sharks at 15,000 and big diving catches. Tortimer Island is summer all year, so it pays well in any month.
Can you time travel in New Leaf?
Changing the 3DS clock moves the game’s calendar too, but weeds, cockroaches and villagers moving out can pile up while you are “away”.
Sources & picture credits
Guide text is original retrogameindex writing, checked against Nookipedia and the Animal Crossing Wiki. Icons, renders and screenshots © Nintendo; local copies archived from Animal Crossing Wiki file pages (listed in the picture gallery).