
Animal Crossing New Horizons: How to Catch a Frog
We explain how to catch a frog and what it's worth when sold.
One of the more unique creatures you can catch in Animal Crossing New Horizons is the simple frog, a little green amphibian found in your island's waters. We'll show you how to catch a frog and what the selling price is.
On this page:
- How to Catch a Frog in Animal Crossing New Horizons
- Frog Shadow Size
- Can You Turn Tadpoles Into Frogs?
- How Much Do Frogs Sell For?
How to Catch a Frog in Animal Crossing New Horizons
You can catch frogs in Animal Crossing New Horizons in the same way as fish, by using a fishing rod in the right body of water at the right time. Equip a rod and check the following:
- Frogs aren't around for most of the year, spawning in the May-August period (in the Northern Hemisphere) and November-February (in the Southern Hemisphere). Make sure to get one during these months, otherwise you'll have to wait or time travel.
- Unlike many fish, frogs aren't limited to a certain time of day. You can catch them at any time, day or night.
- Frogs only spawn in ponds, not in rivers or oceans. This can be a little tricky, as ponds tend to be the least common type of water around (unless you use the Island Designer App, outlined here, to create more of them,)
- Frogs aren't rare, but the small size and infrequency of ponds means it could take a while for one to spawn. Check your island's ponds regularly or use fish bait to prompt one to appear.

Frog Shadow Size
Frogs have the second-smallest size of shadow, so when looking for one you should try casting your rod at anything smaller than the average.
Can You Turn Tadpoles Into Frogs?
No, there is no way for tadpoles in the player's possession to become frogs, though presumably they are implied to be the same species. If you want a frog, the only way is to catch one normally.
How Much Do Frogs Sell For?
Frogs are not very valuable at all, and can be sold for a measly 120 bells. Despite not technically being a fish, CJ will also buy them from you for an increased price of 180 bells, which still isn't great, but is marginally better. If you want a more valuable creature that's around at the same time, we've laid out how to catch a great purple emperor butterfly here.
We'll croak before we stop adding to our great Animal Crossing content. Why not check out Hirun's story on how Roald took the internet by storm, or see how the new Island Planner game allows you to do Animal Crossing on your desktop browser.
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