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DREDGE

⚓ Equipment and upgrades

All16 equipment entries. This guide covers rods, engines, lights, nets, hull improvements and upgrade order.

📈 Suggested upgrade priorities
① Opening priorities
Lights (Cracked Bulb → Halogen Spotlight)Hydraulic Rod (Oceanic)

Night visibility, panic control and a rod for Oceanic fish affect both early income and safety.

② Recommended early upgrades
Improved Outboard (engine)Hull upgrades at the Dry Dock

More speed and cargo grid space improve fishing trips, letting you carry both equipment and fish.

③ Midgame priorities
Versatile RodCrab Pot

Cover more water types and use crab pots for an additional source of income while they are deployed.

④ Recommended later upgrades
Fathomless Winch (Abyssal and Hadal)Incandescent Array (high-output light)

Reach deep-water fish in Stellar Basin and Devil’s Spine. Stronger lighting gives more room for safe travel at night.

⑤ Late-game improvements
Large Trawl NetJet Drive EngineSpecial rods from shrines

Improve cargo use and bulk catches. Solving regional Rock Slab shrines rewards special rods, including deep-water equipment.

🎣 Fishing rods
Basic Fishing Pole Tier C
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

Starting rod for Coastal fish.

Hydraulic Rod Tier B
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

Covers Oceanic fish and increases fishing speed.

Versatile Rod Tier A
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

General-purpose rod covering Coastal, Shallow, Mangrove and Volcanic; not Oceanic, Abyssal or Hadal.

Fathomless Winch Tier S
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

Covers Abyssal and Hadal fish.

⚙️ Engines
Peculiar Engine Tier C
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

Starting engine with moderate speed.

Rusty Outboard Engine Tier C
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

Inexpensive, slow engine available from the Shipwright or Travelling Merchant.

Improved Outboard Tier B
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

A medium-speed engine for midgame trips.

Jet Drive Engine Tier A
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

A compact engine using one equipment space.

🔆 Lights, 🕸️ nets and 🦀 crab pots
🔆 Lights Cracked Bulb
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

Basic light for nighttime visibility and panic management.

🔆 Lights Halogen Spotlight
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

A light with moderate output and range. A relic-return unlock requirement is unverified; check the current shop and research screen.

🔆 Lights Incandescent Array
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

Strong lighting and long range. A relic-count unlock requirement is unverified; check the current shop and research screen.

🕸️ Trawl net Basic Trawl Net
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

Trawls fish while sailing.

🕸️ Trawl net Improved Trawl Net
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

Improved operating duration and catch capacity.

🕸️ Trawl net Large Trawl Net
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

A large trawl net occupying substantial equipment space. Its yield ranking against every net is unchecked.

🦀 Crab pots Basic Crab Pot
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

Deploy to catch crabs, transporting the pot in cargo.

🦀 Crab pots Reinforced Crab Pot
Price unverified
Effect:Individual values not fully checked; see the description below.
Acquisition:Full acquisition list unverified; checked rods are covered in the fish guide.

A longer-lasting pot. Check its actual tooltip rather than assuming a universal aberration bonus.

← Back to hub Fish guide → Islands and regions → Endings →

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What kind of game is DREDGE?
Developed by Black Salt Games and published by Team17 in March 2023, DREDGE combines fishing with Lovecraftian horror exploration. Travel by small boat, sell catches by day and uncover mysteries amid nighttime threats. Explore The Marrows, Gale Cliffs, Stellar Basin, Twisted Strand and Devil’s Spine while collecting five relics. The retained Steam snapshot is Overwhelmingly Positive.
Why do illusory rocks, strange lights and damage appear at night?
Panic increases during night travel, narrow passages and unsettling encounters. High panic brings hallucinations and hull danger. Improve lights such as Halogen Spotlight, favor daytime travel and dock to rest when needed. Manifest offers an emergency return to base.
Why did a fin offshore lead to a one-hit sinking?
That is Leviathan, a threat near the map edge and in open water, including at high panic. Turn toward shallow water after its fin warning. Do not rely on speed or Banish; Manifest offers an emergency return. Avoid treating high panic as its only possible trigger.
Why can I not catch deep-water fish?
Fish require the appropriate water type. Hydraulic Rod covers Oceanic, while Versatile Rod covers Coastal, Shallow, Mangrove and Volcanic. Abyssal and Hadal access involves the Research Assistant’s equipment progression; Fathomless Winch is another deep-water option. Regional Rock Slab shrines also reward special equipment. Check coverage before sailing.
Giving all relics away led to the bad ending. How do I reach the secret ending?
Give the Collector five relics for the standard ending. For the other ending, collect them, speak to the Old Mayor near P-10 and Greater Marrow’s Lighthouse Keeper, then return the Book of the Deep to the sea at G-8. The Collector is implied to be the fisherman’s reflection.
Why can I not catch aberrations?
Ordinary spots offer a low chance. Look for green shimmering disturbed water and match the base fish’s time, water type and method. Universal depleted-stock, nighttime and reinforced-pot bonuses are unverified. Aberrations generally sell for more than regular fish.
How should I pack the cargo grid?
Fish and equipment occupy different shapes, including 1×1, 1×2, 2×2 and irregular forms. Place large or awkward fish first, then fit smaller catches into gaps. Remove overlapping equipment coverage when appropriate. Compare a valuable aberration’s price against its occupied space, and expand hull and cargo when capacity becomes the limiting factor.
Which upgrades should come first?
A useful general order is cargo/hull capacity → engine speed → fishing coverage. More cargo improves each trip’s return; speed makes returning before night easier and reduces panic risk. Prioritize rods or nets that cover fish you can currently reach and use.
What is an efficient daily routine?
Use a loop of sail → fish → organize cargo → sell and return before night. Staying too long can raise panic and cost fish or repairs. When panic rises, docking and resting can save more money and time than pushing on to one more spot.
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Based on site-wide views, captured July 6, 2026 (previous 28 days plus capture day).