To cross the Black Waters Fishing Hole in Mina the Hollower, use your Fishing Rod on the purple slime enemy across the gap to pull yourself over—you cannot jump or burrow across this water. Here’s how to get there:
How to Get the Fishing Rod First
You need the Fishing Rod before attempting to cross:
Step 1: Travel to Backwaters
Head west/northwest of Ossex: Western Wilds to reach Occupied Bridge, then go all the way left past lava and enemies.
Step 2: Descend to Shanty Swamp
At the wall, find the path down (south) leading to Shanty Swamp.
Step 3: Reach Fishing Hole
Traverse Shanty Swamp south to the next map screen, then travel right (east) to find the Fishing Hole where Durwin gives you the Fishing Rod.
Step 4: Cross the Black Waters
Head east of the Fishing Hole and look for an elevated area to the right facing the water gap.
Throw your Fishing Rod over there at the purple slime enemy across the water.
Once the purple enemy grabs the rod, it pulls you over to the other side—you cannot jump there normally.
Go to the top and intersect with the rope to permanently unlock the shortcut back to the upper platform.
Critical Mistakes to Avoid
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Don’t try jumping—the gap is too wide and you’ll fall.
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Don’t try burrowing—the water blocks burrowing movement.
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Don’t skip unlocking the shortcut rope—you’ll need to redo the crossing. every time without it.
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Make sure you have the Fishing Rod first—you can’t cross without it.
This crossing is required to access the Thalassion secret boss—you’ll need to catch all 15 fish first to unlock it. Once you’ve crossed, head right to continue your exploration of the Backwaters area.
