The Greenland Shark is the single most valuable fish I have pulled out of Skårland Fjord in coins. My Trophy went 521.933 kg and 392.9 cm, and it paid 177,206 coins along with 80,214 XP. That is more coin than even my Unique European Sea Sturgeon returned. It is also one of the hardest fish in the game to get on the hook, because the game itself calls it an almost mythical target that rarely takes bait. This guide covers the eastern deep water where it holds, the heavy rig that landed it, and honest expectations for a fish that makes you work.
The Highest Coin Payout on the Map
Let me put the numbers in context, because there is a real distinction worth understanding. My Trophy Greenland Shark paid 177,206 coins, which is the highest coin payout of anything I have landed at Skårland Fjord, ahead of the 131,411 from my Unique sturgeon. But the sturgeon still won on experience, giving 177,926 XP against this shark’s 80,214.
So the honest answer to which fish is best depends on what you are grinding. If you want coins, the Greenland Shark is the top target on this map. If you want levels, the sturgeon edges it. And remember this was a Trophy, not a Unique, so the coin ceiling here is likely even higher for anyone who lands the biggest class. Compared to the other shark out here, my Trophy Porbeagle paid 47,628 coins, so the Greenland Shark is in a different league entirely.
For the full map see my Skårland Fjord setup guide. This shark shares the eastern water with the Porbeagle Shark, and the top XP earner is covered in my European Sea Sturgeon guide.
Set Your Expectations: This Fish Rarely Bites
Before you go out expecting a quick payday, read what the game tells you about this fish. The Greenland Shark is a deep ocean leviathan of the Arctic that can grow past 4.5 metres and 700 kg, with a lifespan that can exceed 400 years. It prowls the icy depths of the North Atlantic, usually between 200 and 2000 metres and far from shore. Crucially, it is described as notoriously elusive, a slow moving predator that rarely takes bait, which makes it an almost mythical target for deep sea anglers.
Take that at face value. You will not reliably catch one of these on a short session. Expect long waits between bites, and expect to leave empty handed on some trips. The right rig and the right spot stack the odds in your favour, but they do not make this an easy fish. My advice is to fish it patiently, ideally while a lighter rod works something more reliable nearby, so a slow shark session is not a wasted one. It comes in Young, Common, Trophy, and Unique classes, so any bite is a good bite.
Where to Catch Greenland Shark at Skårland Fjord
This is a deep water fish, and at Skårland Fjord that means the eastern side of the map. I marked and caught mine near coordinates 3319, -3517, with my boat sitting out around 2775, -4497. That puts it in the same eastern grounds where I take the Porbeagle Shark, which held nearby at 3407, -3605. If you already know the Porbeagle water, you already know roughly where to start for the Greenland Shark.
The map shows the depth dropping away sharply on this eastern edge, which is exactly what a fish that lives between 200 and 2000 metres wants. Take the boat out east, drop a marker buoy so you can hold the deep line, and fish the bottom hard. This is nowhere near the northern Ranvika ground where the cod and haddock hold, or the southern sturgeon water, so commit to the eastern deep water and stay there.
Timing: Fish It at Night
My shark took at 23:01, logged as Night, at 4°C air and 8°C water with a light north westerly around 3.7 m/s. The map activity chart around that time showed a bite rate peak in the late evening and early night, roughly the 21:00 to 01:00 window, before tailing off toward the small hours.
As always, that chart is generalised bite rate rather than a Greenland Shark specific graph, and given how rarely this fish bites at all, treat timing as one small edge rather than a guarantee. What I can say is that the night window is when mine came. Use Forward Time to reach it, and do not touch Next Day, which sells everything in your storage. On a fish worth 177,000 coins, that mistake stings more than anywhere else.
The Rig: Heavy Chillarc Setup for Deep Water
This is the exact rig that landed the fish:
- Rod: Chillarc 180 SE
- Reel: Arcspark 2W 22000 SE
- Main line: ZenLine Braid 0.51 mm, 941 m spooled
- Leader: Njörinvik Steel Leader 0.54
- Hook: Kaku Tsuribari Hook #20/0
- Sinker: Tungsten Sinker 1000 g
- Teaser: Torch Flashlight 17 cm
- Bait: Fish Head
A word on the rod, because it may surprise you. This is the same Chillarc 180 SE I use for Atlantic Cod, just built out with much heavier terminal tackle. It handled a 521 kg shark without issue, which tells you the rod has far more capacity than its cod duty suggests. If you would rather use a dedicated heavy rod, my PulseWave 170 SE Porbeagle and sturgeon rig will also do the job. Both heavy setups work; this is simply the one that was on my deck when the shark took.
The parts that genuinely matter for this fish are the deep water essentials. You need a lot of line, and 941 metres of braid is there because this shark lives deep and can take you down. The 1000 g sinker gets your bait to the bottom in that depth and holds it. The #20/0 hook is enormous, matched to a mouth that can engulf a whole tuna head. And the steel leader is non negotiable here, unlike with cod, because this is a genuine shark with the bulk to part a lighter leader.
Run the Torch Flashlight
The Torch Flashlight teaser earns its place on a fish this hard to tempt. Down in deep, dark water its glow widens the area your bait draws from, and when you are chasing a fish that rarely bites, anything that improves your odds of being noticed is worth carrying. I run it on all my heavy Skårland rigs for exactly this reason.
Bait: Fish Head and the Alternatives
Fish Head is what caught mine. It is a fresh tuna head that slowly releases its natural oils into the water, which the game describes as irresistible to voracious saltwater predators and a solid pick for bottom fishing. It is rated X Heavy, exactly what you want sitting on the deep seabed, and it targets Grouper, Shark, and Snapper. It is also the same bait I use for the Porbeagle Shark, so a stock of Fish Head covers both sharks in the eastern water.
If you are out of Fish Head, the Greenland Shark also favours Bluey, Seal Blubber, Gutted Fish, and Large Fish Strips. All are heavy baits suited to this style of deep bottom fishing. Note that this is a bait only fish, so there are no lures or trolling options here. It is heavy tackle, patience, and a strong stomach for waiting.
Landing a Half-Tonne Shark
Once one of these finally takes, the fight is the reward for the wait. At over half a tonne, this is a fish the Valkyrie’s crane exists for; there is no hand landing a shark this size. The boat lists a 720 kg single fish maximum, so a 521 kg Greenland Shark fits with headroom, but a bigger Unique could push closer to that limit. Make sure your storage has room before you commit a long session, because losing a fish this valuable to a full hold would be a genuinely painful way to end a trip.
Common Mistakes
Expecting fast results. The game flat out says this fish rarely bites. If you sit down expecting a shark in ten minutes, you will quit before it takes. Bring patience and a backup rod.
Fishing too shallow. This is a deep water fish on the eastern edge of the map. If you are not out where the bottom drops away, you are in the wrong water entirely.
Spooling too little line. A fish that lives at depth needs a reel loaded with plenty of line. I ran 941 metres. Turn up short and a big shark can empty your spool.
Skipping the steel leader. Cod let you get away with fluorocarbon. This shark does not. Run steel or expect to be cut off.
Hitting Next Day. It sells your whole storage. On the most valuable fish on the map, use Forward Time instead and protect your catch.
Letting the Advanced licence lapse. I keep mine current out here. Fishing on an expired licence only feeds coins into fines.