GONE Fishing Extremely High CPU Use: Causes and Fixes

Why Does GONE Fishing Use So Much CPU?

GONE Fishing extremely high cpu use can turn a fishing trip into stuttering, loud fans, and a frozen lobby. Earlier builds had networking bugs, demanding host-side fishing calculations, and map-specific performance problems that pushed even powerful processors hard. To troubleshoot GONE Fishing extremely high cpu use, start with the current game version, compare solo and multiplayer behavior, and check whether the slowdown follows a particular map or DX12 session.

The important distinction is which workload triggers the spike. In January’s Canyon case, lowering graphics settings from Ultra to Low left the CPU problem unchanged. A strong graphics card could still have spare capacity while the CPU struggled.

What the Earlier Problems Looked Like

January’s affected builds produced several distinct patterns:

Symptom	Hardware or situation	Troubleshooting clue
CPU usage around 80–90%, sometimes rising after death	Ryzen 7 7800X3D, RTX 4090, 64 GB RAM	Record whether death or respawning triggers the change
CPU reaching 100% while GPU usage stayed around 50%	Ryzen 9 7950X3D, RTX 4090, Canyon map	Compare locations and maps
Performance falling from around 80 FPS to 40–50 FPS, followed by freezes	Ryzen 7 5700X, RX 6700 XT, hosting a duo on Canyon	Compare a fresh session with a longer session
Little improvement from Ultra to Low or different FPS caps	Canyon in solo play	Check more than graphics settings

These examples explain why buying stronger hardware is an expensive starting point. High-end systems experienced the January issues, too.

A networking typo was identified during the initial January spike, and CPU behavior improved afterward for the original affected player. Later Canyon problems involved additional investigation. Keep those incidents separate: similar CPU percentages can accompany different problems.

Official page: GONE Fishing (gonefishing.gg)

What the CPU and Stability Updates Changed

GONE Fishing extremely high cpu use has been addressed through several rounds of optimization. The changes cover fishing calculations, bait AI, networking, fish processing, and specific maps.

Image: Steam / GONE Studios

The early fishing system placed the entire fishing workload on the host’s computer. That created additional CPU demand for the host and added latency to multiplayer fishing. Work on replacing that system was underway in January.

Other fixes targeted individual sources of overhead rather than replacing the whole fishing system.

Update	Relevant changes	What to keep in mind
The Performance Patch	Reduced host CPU and networking overhead; added bait AI draw-distance and tick profiles; fixed infinitely spawning bait	Host load and excessive bait were separate performance targets
CPU Optimizations + Mythic Fish Catch Rate BOOSTED	Added CPU optimizations and identified multiplayer fishing as a major spike contributor	Multiplayer fishing was a specific focus
Arctic Map WIP + Optimizations + Achievements + Fixes	Claimed roughly 20% lower CPU overhead; fixed Jungle CPU spikes; optimized fish CPU usage	The percentage describes that update’s improvement
Complete GONE Fishing Guide + Rot Changes + Optimizations	Added bait optimizations to reduce CPU and network overhead	Bait processing remained part of optimization work
GONE Fishing 1.0	Included further bug fixes, replication fixes, networking optimizations, and crash fixes	Use the release version as your troubleshooting baseline

The roughly 20% CPU reduction belongs to a particular patch. It does not mean every computer should show exactly 20% less utilization in every location.

Also separate CPU improvements from GPU and memory improvements. Another update reduced VRAM use by around 30–40% and RAM use by around 15–20%. A later GPU optimization pass estimated a 15–20% reduction in GPU utilization. Those changes address different resources.

Start With Your Current Build

Update the game before comparing your experience with older behavior. The 1.0 release made stability a central priority, alongside its ending and progression changes.

You can keep existing progress: 1.0 supports existing saves and makes its new content accessible through them. Starting over was recommended for the redesigned progression experience, rather than presented as a CPU repair.

Avoid deleting a save just because performance is poor. A separate comparison session gives you useful information while preserving your established run.

Check DX11, Host Load, and Graphics Settings Separately

For GONE Fishing extremely high cpu use, change one variable at a time. Switching maps, lowering every setting, and changing the host together makes any improvement difficult to interpret.

Image: Steam / GONE Studios

Begin with the condition closest to your problem, then repeat the same activity after the change.

Comparison	What to change	What to record
Solo versus hosting	Compare solo play with hosting friends	CPU usage, frame rate, and when stuttering starts
Host versus client	Join another player’s lobby instead of hosting	Whether the problem follows the hosting role
DX12 versus DX11	Compare the graphics APIs when investigating DX12 instability	Freezes, crashes, and frame pacing
Ultra versus Low	Change the graphics preset while keeping the scenario similar	Whether CPU usage and FPS respond
Different FPS caps	Compare frame-rate limits under similar conditions	Whether CPU demand changes with the cap

Use the DX11 Workaround in Context

During January’s Canyon troubleshooting, DX12 instability prompted a developer recommendation to use DX11.

Compare DX11 with DX12 if you are investigating similar freezing or instability. Keep the map and activity consistent so the API comparison answers a clear question.

That recommendation concerned instability in those earlier builds. It should not become a promise that changing APIs eliminates every CPU problem.

Compare Hosting With Joining

Hosting deserves its own test because the earlier fishing system concentrated calculations on the host.

If your friends can play smoothly while your hosting session deteriorates, compare the same kind of activity after another player hosts. Record the result rather than assuming the CPU model alone explains it.

Solo play also matters. January’s Canyon problem persisted in a solo session, so leaving multiplayer did not solve that particular case.

Stop Repeating Changes That Do Nothing

If Low settings leave CPU demand and stuttering unchanged, move to the next comparison. The January Canyon case persisted across presets and different frame-rate caps.

GONE Fishing extremely high cpu use becomes easier to investigate when each failed adjustment narrows the problem. Record “Low made no difference,” then test the map, session length, hosting role, or graphics API.

Track the Map, Weather, and Fishing Activity

Location can be more useful than a single utilization number. Earlier Canyon trouble intensified near Jeb’s location and deeper water, while conditions improved closer to the house.

Image: Steam / GONE Studios

The same affected session became less demanding after sleeping and entering the next morning. Moving back toward the canal and larger lake brought the problem back, and thunderstorms or sandstorms intensified it.

Use those patterns to organize a comparison:

• Compare the same location before and during bad weather. Record whether the spike follows the storm.
• Compare the house area with the troublesome fishing area. Keep track of where performance changes.
• Check another map. Separate a Canyon-specific problem from behavior that follows you everywhere.
• Compare the beginning of a session with later play. Record whether frame rate gradually deteriorates.
• Record fishing activity and nearby bait or fish. These systems received dedicated CPU optimizations.

These checks turn “the game runs badly” into a repeatable scenario.

Keep Session Length in the Picture

One earlier Canyon duo session deteriorated over roughly 17 in-game days, with frame rate falling before complete freezes.

If your session starts smoothly, record that starting point. Then note when stuttering begins and what happened immediately beforehand.

A restart can help compare session states, but it does not identify the underlying cause. The useful detail is whether the same activity repeatedly brings the slowdown back.

Watch Bait and Fish Processing

Bait and fish have been explicit optimization targets. Earlier fixes addressed bait spawning without limit, bait AI processing, and CPU demand when many fish were present.

When GONE Fishing extremely high cpu use appears around a busy fishing area, include that context in your comparison. Note whether the trouble starts while fishing, handling catches, or spending time around accumulated bait.

Avoid turning the test into a cleanup project before recording the original conditions. A clear description of the affected area is more useful than an unexplained improvement after many simultaneous changes.

Build a Useful Performance Report Without Risking Your Save

If GONE Fishing extremely high cpu use continues on the current version, collect a concise description that someone else can reproduce.

Start with the trigger. “Canyon slows down near Jeb during a sandstorm while hosting” gives a much clearer starting point than “optimization is bad.”

Detail	What to include
Game version	The build you are currently running
Hardware	CPU, GPU, and RAM
Session role	Solo, multiplayer host, or multiplayer client
Location	Map and the area where performance changes
Trigger	Weather, death, fishing activity, or longer play
Performance	CPU usage, GPU usage, FPS, and whether freezing occurs
Comparisons	What happened after changing the API, preset, host, or map

Keep measured behavior separate from your explanation. “CPU reaches 100% near the canal” is a concrete symptom. “Runtime virtual textures are broken” assigns a cause.

Runtime virtual textures were considered during the January Canyon investigation, but that discussion remained an investigation. Report the location and behavior you can reproduce.

Preserve the Complete Save Backup

The 1.0 release encrypts saves and automatically creates a backup during migration. For a manual backup of an existing map, preserve all the associated files identified for that save:

• Savefile#enc
• Savefile#_mac.sav
• SaveGame#MetaData.sav

Keep the matching files together. Copying only one part leaves out files the game requires for that backup.

Your troubleshooting goal is a reliable comparison: same activity, one changed condition, and a clear result. That gives you a practical next step while protecting the fishing run you want to keep.

FAQ

Is GONE Fishing extremely high cpu use always caused by weak hardware?

No. Earlier affected builds pushed systems with processors such as the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Ryzen 9 7950X3D to high utilization. Networking bugs, host-side fishing calculations, and map-specific problems contributed to those incidents. Compare your version and the conditions that trigger the slowdown before considering hardware changes.

Does lowering graphics settings fix the problem?

It depends on the workload. The January Canyon issue persisted from Ultra to Low, including tests with different FPS caps. Compare presets once, record the result, and move on to hosting, map, API, and session-length checks if performance stays the same.

Should I use DX11 instead of DX12?

DX11 was the developer’s January workaround for DX12 instability. Compare it when troubleshooting similar freezes or crashes, keeping the rest of the scenario consistent. Judge the result by stability and frame pacing as well as average FPS.

Did GONE Fishing 1.0 include performance fixes?

Yes. Version 1.0 included networking optimizations, replication fixes, crash fixes, and other stability improvements. Earlier updates also targeted CPU overhead, bait AI, fish processing, and individual maps. Begin troubleshooting on the current version so you can focus on behavior that still affects your game.