Community evidence · checked September 29, 2026
How to find leeches in How to Fish and unlock Island 3
On Forest Island, speak to the woman by the lake, pick up three leeches from the ground, and trade them for Giant Piranha bait. Beat the boss and return its quest drop to her to continue toward Desert Island. The exact drop name differs across published guides, so follow the current in-game quest text.
Where do the three leeches spawn?
The leeches are small ground pickups on Forest Island, the game's second island. Finish the woman's dialogue by the lake, then search the forest floor while looking for the interaction prompt. The player guides we checked confirm the count of three, but do not verify permanent coordinates for each pickup. Avoid maps that present precise positions without a current screenshot.
How do I turn leeches into Island 3 progress?
Collecting the leeches is only the first half of the Island 2 story route. Return all three to the woman, use the bait she gives you for the Giant Piranha, and bring its quest drop back after the fight. Do not substitute an optional Forest Island boss for this hand-in.
1. Talk to the woman by the lake
On Forest Island, speak to the woman by the lake and finish her dialogue before hunting the quest pickups.
2. Collect three ground leeches
Search the forest floor and watch for the pickup prompt. The quest calls for three leeches, not five.
3. Exchange leeches for boss bait
Return all three leeches to the woman for the bait used to summon the Giant Piranha.
4. Defeat the Piranha and return its quest drop
After the fight, keep the boss quest item and bring it back to the woman to advance toward Island 3.
What if the leeches are missing after a failed boss attempt?
First return to the woman and complete every dialogue line. In a Steam discussion, one player reported that this caused new leeches to appear, while another said it did not. A further report said reloading the last save restored the pickups. Treat both as community troubleshooting, not a guaranteed fix. Check what your current save contains before taking any action that could lose progress.
Attribution note: Piranha tail or skeleton?
The Steam achievement walkthrough describes a tail; Dexerto describes a skeleton. Both sources agree on the actionable step: give the Giant Piranha's quest drop to the woman by the lake. We have not verified which label the current game build uses, so this guide keeps both reports visible.
Island 2 leech FAQ
How many leeches do I need in How to Fish?
Three. The Forest Island woman asks for three ground leeches and exchanges them for Giant Piranha bait. An older version of this site's route incorrectly said five; that has been corrected.
Where are the leeches on Island 2?
They are ground pickups in the Forest Island area, not fish caught with a rod. Talk to the woman by the lake first, then move slowly through vegetation while watching for the pickup prompt. Community guides do not establish three fixed coordinates.
What if leeches do not spawn?
First finish the woman's dialogue. Players in a Steam discussion report that leeches sometimes failed to return after a boss attempt and that reloading the last save helped. This is a community workaround, not a guaranteed fix for every patch.
Is the Piranha drop a tail or a skeleton?
Published sources conflict: a Steam achievement guide calls it a tail; Dexerto calls it a skeleton. Both say to return the boss drop to the woman by the lake. Check your current in-game item and quest text rather than selling it.