We recently visited Fish @ Woodleigh, and it turned out to be one of those spontaneous, unhurried family outings that provided a novel and eye-opening experience for the kids.
A few years ago, we had wanted to try their Bugis outlet after reading blogs recommending prawning as a family-friendly experience, but realised the place was shuttered. It was nice to see them back in a new, less busy location—this one is entirely open air and has easy parking nearby.
Fish @ Woodleigh: No Unpleasant Smell
One thing we noticed right away—there wasn’t that hint of “drain-like fishy” smell you sometimes get at fishing or prawning places.
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I think the open-air setup helps a lot, along with decent upkeep. It made the whole place feel more comfortable to stay longer.
In the evenings, the crowd is light. Nightime is when the place seems to come alive and many spots around the prawn and crab ponds were taken up. There is an occasional smell of grilled seafood wafting into the fishing area.
What “longkang fishing” feels like
“Longkang fishing” in Singapore is less about skill and more about experience. It’s meant to recreate that old-school, village-style way of catching small fish—simple, hands-on, and quite free-form.
Here, it’s set up in a pretty spacious, shallow pool where kids can fish guppies using provided nets.
Also, kids are welcome to step right into the water and wade around to catch guppies. The pond looked pretty well-maintained. For those with eczema, sensitive-skin children, I would recommend to rinse off at the hand and foot wash area immediately after water play, and to bring a change of clothes.
Fish are for some reason easy to catch and that made it super encouraging for the kids. Our previous experience was at Qian Hu, where the guppies darted away quickly and the winding channels made fishing challenging.
There’s ample room to move around, explore, and play. There are round stepping platforms for kids to happily hop across from one end of the pond to the other.
We chose to rent fish tanks (up to 12 fish) instead of buying them, since from our past experience at Qian Hu, we knew we didn’t have the right setup to keep guppies alive at home. Releasing them after felt like a better option.
I was surprised when the staff brought out a box of colourful toy fishes for my kids to choose and bring home when we told them our choice not to bring the live guppies back.
My kids spent a long time choosing because of the myriad colours, I was grateful to the staff for being so indulgingly patient. These toy fishes had tails that could slightly move whilst afloat in water. I thought it was such a sweet and meaningful memento for the kids to remember their fishing experience by.
Prawning experience (and an unexpected lesson in patience)
My kids were absolutely excited about catching prawns (and crabs). My husband and I had zero prior experience, so we totally didn’t know what to expect.
At the payment counter, we shared with the staff that we were absolute beginners. After getting our rods, the staff helpfully walked us through the process, demonstrating how to hook the bait (chicken heart pieces provided), position the rods etc.
My elder girl definitely had sheer beginner’s luck—within minutes of randomly putting the rod into the water, she was cued to pull up her rod, and sure enough—there was a prawn on the other end. My younger one took way longer, but the staff were very patient, standing nearby to watch the bobber, prompting him when to lift the rod, and helping with baiting.
Prawning naturally slows everything down. The kids had to sit, watch the float, notice the slightest dip, and resist the urge to keep pulling the rod up too quickly. It became a quiet exercise in patience and observation.
Around us were more experienced hobbyists with their own rods and special bait like earthworms. Some were catching impressively large prawns—almost crayfish-sized. There was even a prawn size competition going on for the serious prawning hobbyists.
We also happened to be there on a day where tiger prawns were included at the regular price, and every now and then, staff would ring a bell and release buckets of live prawns into the pond, which added little bursts of excitement.
Of course, we hadn’t the time to try our hands at fishing for crabs. The staff transparently told us that wasn’t a big loss, because it wasn’t “Mud Crab Day” that day. That meant there weren’t any new crabs added, the existing crabs in the pond were “remainders” from prior days of fishing by previous patrons. That helped to reduce our sense of missing out.
The kampung spirit
What we didn’t expect—but probably appreciated the most—was the people.
It really did feel like that “kampung spirit” you hear about but don’t often experience in daily life anymore.
We were clearly complete amateurs, and our constant struggles showed. The staff didn’t just give instructions and walk away—they came back, checked on us, guided the kids, and made sure my kids had a fair shot at catching something.
At one point, a kind couple who were done with their session came over and offered us their remaining earthworms for bait.
And then the most surprising moment—another couple, clearly serious hobbyists with two large nets full of prawns, offered to give us their catch. They casually mentioned they don’t really eat that much prawn anyway. Though we declined the catch, we felt floored by their kindness.
The kampung spirit was strong here.
Eating and Resting facilities
The space is set up in a very practical, family-friendly way.
There are plenty of sheltered, well-lit tables with ample seating, so it’s easy to settle down, rest, or just chat while the kids continue playing.
With the prawns caught, there are grill stations where you can skewer and cook them on the spot. If one does not have enough but wishes to barbecue more prawns, extras can be purchased at the counter.
Paper plates are provided, so it’s all fairly fuss-free, almost like a casual supper setup.
There are also fridges with drinks for purchase, and simple instant food like cup noodles available. Many patrons were enjoying noodles with their freshly grilled prawns.
Fish feeding
We also tried fish feeding, which was simple but surprisingly engaging. The kids scattered pellets into the koi pond, and within seconds, the fish gathered in a lively swirl.
They started experimenting—throwing pellets in different spots, watching how fast the fish responded, seeing which area attracted more fish.
Overall feel of Fish @ Woodleigh
This is a place that feels relaxed, a bit old-school, but still clean and comfortable enough for families.
The kids got to move, try new things, try difficult things, wait, observe—and unexpectedly, experience kindness from strangers.
We went for the activities, but left remembering the people as much as the place.
Fish @ Woodleigh
Where: 48 Woodleigh Park #01-00, Singapore, Singapore
Free parking and minutes’ walk from Woodleigh MRT/Bus interchange
Fishing & Prawning Costs
Fish feeding: $2
Fish spa: $15
Longkang Fishing: From $23 (1 hour), $29 (2 hours)
Prawning: From $22 per rod for 1 hour, $44 for 3 hours
Student prices from $14 per hour
Small tank $3 (compulsory and re-usable on next visit or rental at $2)
