-----------------------------------------------------------AC:GC Monthly Info - A Complete Guide
Welcome everyone to the new AC:GC Monthly Info Thread! You'll find fish and insect guides as well as info on AC events all organized by month. All info in this guide was compiled from the following sources: AXA's fish and bug charts and their Animal Crossing Event Guide. I also referenced ACC's Event Calendar and various gamefaqs guides (here and here). If you find any errors in any of the sections, please let me know by posting here or sending me a PT. Before we get started with the monthly guides, I have a few year long lists you might find helpful.
Location Key
Air: Insect is found flying around outside. Candy: Insect is found crawling on Candy. Holding Pond: Fish is found in the smaller ponds (not attached to the river). In Grass: Insect is found in the tall grass (bushes) that you can run through. In Trees: Tree must be shaken for insect to fall out. Near Water: Insect is found flying near any body of water. Ocean: Fish only found in the ocean or river's mouth. On Flowers: Insect found crawling on flowers (any kind). On Trees: Insect found crawling on tree trunk. Pond: Fish found in the large pond connected to the river (where Fishing Tourney is held). River: Fish found in the river that flows through town. Spoiled Turnips: Insect found crawling on spoiled turnips. Under Rocks: Insect found after hitting rock with shovel. Underground: Insect found after digging it out from underground with shovel. Waterfall: Fish found at the bottom of the waterfall.
Year-Round Fish
Barbel Steed Location: River/Pond Time: All Day Peak: Nov-Apr (9PM-4AM)
Bass Location: River/Pond Time: All Day Peak: May-Nov (4PM-9AM)
Spider & Bagworm - These appear in non-fruit trees only. To get one to appear, pick a pair of trees that are close to each other. Shake these two trees. Now, move to an adjacent acre and shake another pair of trees. Keep going back and forth between the acres shaking the trees and eventually a Bagworm or Spider will slide down from the branches. Note that this does not work for Bees. There are a limited amount of Bees nests in town in a given day.
Bees - Once the bees' nest has fallen, run three to four spaces horizontally to the left or right of the tree. Pause and equip your net. Then unpause while making a swift turn around, and swing! (Make sure you're not swinging too early, it should look like the bees almost run into you when you catch one.) Try not to run into another acre, as I find this usually results in a sting. Some people have suggested running diagonally from the tree, but that hasn't worked well for me. If you save and quit and then reload the game your eye will be back to normal.
Giant Beetle - I spent hours looking for the Giant Beetle, then I decided to go looking for him on my island and he was the first insect I found. This may have been coincidence, but it could be that rare insects are more common on the island. Also note that it's always Summer on the island so it remains a haven for bugs and fish that may be out of season.
Banded Dragonfly - These insects fly straight across the acre at a speed slightly slower than you can run. Once they reach the end of an acre they will fly away. If you're chasing right behind a Banded Dragonfly get extra close before you swing; it will be flying away form you as you stop and swing so it will often escape your net unless you anticipate this. Some people have recommended walking with your net up to the Train Station, turning around, and then rounding the Message Board and going back into the Train Station acre. The idea is to get the Banded Dragonfly to appear in the Train Station acre, an open space where you'll be able to catch it. I recommend just walking around town with your net out, and if you see something moving as you enter the acre, pause right away and try to figure out what it was. Pausing also gives you time to develop a plan of attack, you usually have one chance at snagging the Banded Dragonfly during any given encounter.
Fishing: Fish never bite more than five times, so if the fish you're after has already nibbled on your lure 4 times, then get ready to reel him in! Check this guide for more fishing tips.
Other AC Events
Camping Season (Summer): From the first weekend in June through the last weekend in August animals will visit your town to camp out for a while. If you talk to them they may give you some camping gear. Check out the AC:GC Summer Camper Guide written by markwars from this page.
Igloos (Winter): If there is snow on the ground one of the villagers may decide to live in an igloo for the day. Visit them to chat or play special winter games. If you spend enough time in the igloo, you may receive one of several special snowy gifts. (Check this or this guide for Igloo FAQs.)
Lighthouse Watching (Winter): The mayor may ask you to light the lighthouse for him for a week during one of the first two months of the year while he is on vacation. If you do it regularly you will receive chocolates and a lighthouse model when he returns.
Bridge Building (Random): The mayor may seek your input on a new bridge once your town contains fifteen villagers. There will be two locations to choose from.
Your Birthday: On your birthday you will receive presents in the mail from the other villagers. The quality of the presents will improve the better the quality of the relationships you have with your villagers. Your mom will also send you a special item: a birthday cake. (Note: You must have told one of the villagers your birthday in order to receive presents. To do this just engage them in conversation multiple times when Tom Nook sends you interact with the neighbors at the beginning of the game.)
AC Weather Report
Thanks to Arias360, the newest version of this guide incorporates notes on weather and environment changes throughout the year! The following is a short summary of the major weather events that you'll see in your AC town.
Sunny - The sky is clear, you can get a tan if it's tanning season and music is normal (changing every hour).
Rain - Light rain falls from sky, bugs are less common, and music is the same all day.
Thunder Storm - Heavy rain falls from the sky, bugs are less common, and music is the same all day. A rainbow will appear the next day at the waterfall around 9AM.
Snow - Snow falls from sky and the hourly music is altered.
Note: Weather stays the same all day. For example, if the days starts off rainy it will rain for the rest of the day, unlike AC:WW where the weather changes hourly.
(Credit for this ACGC guide goes to Catlover341, creator of the original AC:GC Monthly Info thread. )
Fun Note: The colors used in each month's headings were found in AC:GC screenshots taken during that month. You can find the hexcodes for these in spoiler text after the month heading.
Signature-------------- If you play AC:GC then set up a trade with me! Come visit animalcrossing.us!
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
January 1st, New Year's Day (6AM-11AM) Head down to the Wishing Well and make a wish for the new year. Make sure to look for Mayor Tortimer and talk to him, he'll give you a new diary as a present. Katrina will have a table set up near the Wishing Well where you can play her "sunshine lottery" activity. This is the only time of the year you can receive Fortune Paper.
What's in? ...>What new bugs & fish are in store for us this month?
Fish: ...>No new fish this month.
Bugs: ...>No new bugs this month.
What's out? ...>Which bugs & fish do I need to catch before they disappear?
Fish: ...>All fish carry over to next month.
Bugs: ...>All bugs carry over to next month.
What's swarming about? ...>Which bugs and fish are at their peak times?
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
February 2nd, Groundhog's Day (7AM-8AM) It's time to meet down at the Wishing Well and find out how long winter is going to last. Everyone shows up at 7AM, but the special guest doesn't show up until 8AM, and it ain't Punxsutawney Phil. After the show is over make sure to see the Mayor, he'll give you one of many flower models in honor of the occasion. You will have to attend this event more than once to receive all the flower models in the game.
February 4th, Seasonal Changes Trees get a tint of blue today.
February 14th, Valentine's Day A week or two before the holiday, your villagers will start hinting that they intend to send out chocolates to a special someone. Pete, the pelican who delivers the mail, also posts to the bulletin board advising you to clear out your mailbox to assure that all your Valentines arrive in a timely manner. This is good advice--mail in excess of what your box can hold will disappear. So clean out that junk mail! On Valentine's Day, you will receive letters from all of the animals in your town of the opposite gender. Each of the three male or female personality types can write two different kinds of letters. Thus, each sex can receive up to twelve different Valentines from their villagers. Each villager will attach a gift to their letter. What you receive in the mail depends on your relationship with that villager. It pays to be nice and run lots of errands in the early part of February; shirts are given for so-so to poor relationships, but furniture is given if you and the animal are good friends.
February 18th, Seasonal Changes Trees and bushes turn light green but keep snow on them.
February 25th, Seasonal Changes The grass is now green, the trees shake off the snow and rain replaces snow when it's time for precipitation.
What's in? ...>What new bugs & fish are in store for us this month?
Fish: ...>No new fish this month.
Bugs: ...>No new bugs this month.
What's out? ...>Which bugs & fish do I need to catch before they disappear?
Fish: ...Bitterling ...Location: River/Pond ...Time: All Day
...Pond Smelt ...Location: River/Pond ...Time: All Day
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
March 20th or 21st, Spring Sports Fair (9AM-3PM) The Spring Sports Fair has a number of different events that you can watch. Cheer on your favorite villager as he or she engages in races, tug-of-war, or ball. If you show up early enough, you can participate in the day's first event, gymnastics. Utilizing the C stick (the yellow joystick) will allow you to perform a variety of different tricks. If you track down the mayor during the sports fair he will give you the Spring Medal to commemorate the occasion. You don't even need to win anything! A schedule of events is listed below.
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
April 1st, Seasonal Changes The trees turn pink in celebration of spring as the cherry blossom trees typically bloom in Tokyo around this time.
April 1st, April Fool's Day April Fool's is as treacherous in Animal Crossing as it is in real life. When you chat with the animals on this day, they will do their best to try and fool you with tall tales and a variety of pranks and tricks. Tortimer the Mayor is the worst of them all; when you head to the Wishing Well he gives you an item called "Super Tortimer" which he claims is a playable NES game. However, when you take it to your house to try it out it won't work. Way to get our hopes up, Tortimer!
April 5th, Seasonal Changes Pink leaves start falling from the sky in preparation of the Cherry Blossom Festival.
April 5th-7th, Cherry Blossom Festival Your town undergoes an incredible change during the Cherry Blossom Festival. Regardless of whether or not you have planted cherry trees in your town, all deciduous trees will burst into pink bloom. All your villagers become very excited about this sudden transformation and if you visit the mayor he will explain more about the festival and its meaning to the town. At the end of his explanation, Tortimer will give you the pink tree model.
April 9th, Seasonal Changes Pink leaves stop falling from the sky and the trees turn green again.
April 22nd, Nature Day Today is a time to walk, around smell the flowers, and look at the trees. Talk to Tortimer and he'll dole out a little wisdom about the true meaning of Animal Crossing, accompanied by a tree model.
What's in? ...>What new bugs & fish are in store for us this month?
Fish: ...Crawfish ...Location: Holding Pond ...Time: All Day
...Guppy ...Location: River/Pond ...Time: 9AM-4PM
...Killifish ...Location: Holding Pond/River/Pond ...Time: All Day
Bugs: ...Snail ...Location: On Flowers ...Time: All Day
...Spider ...Location: In Trees ...Time: All Day
...Tiger Butterfly ...Location: Air ...Time: 8AM-5PM
What's out? ...>Which bugs & fish do I need to catch before they disappear?
Fish: ...>All fish carry over to next month.
Bugs: ...>All bugs carry over to next month.
What's swarming about? ...>Which bugs and fish are at their peak times?
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
May 1st, Seasonal Changes Chinese windsocks replace sign posts.
May 1st, Spring Cleaning When May rolls around thoughts turn to clean houses. Today is the day to give your house a thorough cleaning. If you talk to Tortimer today, he will give you a model of the dump (an apt reward in light of the holiday).
May, 2nd Sunday, Mother's Day As in real life, today is the day to appreciate your mother (who, in Animal Crossing, makes cameos by sending you letters from home every now and then). To remind you to call your mother frequently, Tortimer hands out the Lovely Phone. The Lovely Phone is an interesting item and the only phone in the game; pick up the receiver to hear messages from it.
May 7th, Seasonal Changes Chinese windsocks disappear.
What's in? ...>What new bugs & fish are in store for us this month?
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
June 1st, Seasonal Changes Thunder storms will start popping up starting today with a rainbow appearing near the waterfall around 9AM.
June, every Sunday, Summer Fishing Tourney Every Sunday in June Chip the beaver will host a fishing tournament where you can win furniture for record breaking fish. Chip will give you a prize for every fish you turn in to him that beats the previous record for the day. Start with your smallest fish first in order to maximize the loot. If you plan to fish on the day of the tourney, wake up early in the morning when the big fish are biting. However, fish caught before the tourney can also be turned over to Chip for prizes. It's a good idea to store fish in advance of the Tourney. If you have the record at the end of the day you will receive an additional gift in the mail. Talk to the mayor at any time during the Tourney to receive the angler trophy.
June, 2nd Friday, Graduation Day Today is the day where your villagers commemorate all the hard work and progress you have made so far in the game. If you talk to the Mayor, he will present you with a model of the Ables' Tailor Shop for all your hard work.
June 16th, Seasonal Changes The rainy season begins. Get out there and catch that Coelacanth!
June, 3rd Sunday, Father's Day Although Dad is not quite as avid as a writer as Mom, we still remember to appreciate him in game. If you talk to Tortimer he will give you a locomotive model. Choo choo!
What's in? ...>What new bugs & fish are in store for us this month?
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
July 1st, Seasonal Changes The rainy season ends.
July, random day, Your Hometown Day Your Hometown Day is a fictional Animal Crossing holiday meant to celebrate your town and all its unique aspects. On this day, Tortimer will give you a train station model. There are fifteen train station models in the game to match the fifteen different stations you could possibly get when you first initialize your town. (You can check your diary for the date of this event.)
July 4th, Fireworks Show (7PM-9PM) Coinciding with American Independence day, your Animal Crossing town will hold a fireworks show in the evening of July 4th. Head down to the lake to see a spectacular fireworks display. Crazy Redd will set up a stand at the event where he will sell a variety of pinwheels and balloons. If you find the mayor among the festivities he will give you a bottle rocket for your trouble.
July 16th, Seasonal Changes Dry season/tanning season begins. Spend time outside to get a killer tan!
July 23rd, Seasonal Changes Grass and trees get darker; looks like the trees are doing some tanning of their own.
July 25th - August 31st, Morning Aerobics (6AM-7AM) Speak to Tortimer the Mayor to receive a special event card. Every morning during this time Copper will conduct Morning Aerobics. Be sure to have your event card stamped every time you attend an event. If you get your card stamped at 14 morning aerobics sessions Tortimer will reward you with a special aerobics radio that will enable you to perform the exercises in your house.
What's in? ...>What new bugs & fish are in store for us this month?
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
August, all month, Morning Aerobics (6AM-7AM) This event started in July and continues through the end of the month. Speak to Tortimer the Mayor to receive a special event card. Every morning during this time Copper will conduct Morning Aerobics. Be sure to have your event card stamped every time you attend an event. If you get your card stamped at 14 morning aerobics sessions Tortimer will reward you with a special aerobics radio that will enable you to perform the exercises in your house.
August 12th, Meteor Shower (6PM-9PM) If you go to the lake you will be able to watch a meteor shower in the skies overhead. Make sure you talk to the mayor on your way home to receive a telescope.
August 21st, Founder's Day Founder's Day is held today in honor of the founder of your Animal Crossing town. As usual, Mayor Tortimer will have wise thoughts to bestow upon you regarding the founding of your village and a strange gift to give you: a weed model.
What's in? ...>What new bugs & fish are in store for us this month?
Fish: ...Jellyfish ...Location: Ocean ...Time: All Day (the second half of Aug only)
Bugs: ...Grasshopper ...Location: In Grass ...Time: 8AM-5PM
...Long Locust ...Location: In Grass ...Time: 8AM-5PM
...Mantis ...Location: On Flowers ...Time: 8AM-5PM
What's out? ...>Which bugs & fish do I need to catch before they disappear?
Fish: ...Frog ...Location: Holding Pond ...Time: All Day
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
September 1st, Seasonal Changes Thunder storms & dry season/tanning season ends. No summer storms means rainbows are gone too!
September, date of full moon nearest to autumnal equinox, Harvest Moon (6PM-9PM) You'll have to check your diary or the bulletin board to find the exact date of this event because it changes every year. This event can occur in September or October. If you go down to the lake on the day of the Harvest Moon Festival you can see the full moon reflected in the water. The mayor will kindly give you an enormous model of the moon for your very own in honor of the occasion.
September, 1st Monday, Labor Day The mayor has been keeping an eye on your "labor" (progress in game) and would like to offer you the shop model as a gift. So make sure you go see him sometime during the day in celebration of all the hard work you've been doing to pay off your loan.
September 19th, Seasonal Changes Trees and grass start to cool down, turning a more yellowish green.
September 23rd or 24th, Fall Sports Fair Just like the Spring Sports Fair you can't participate in the events except gymnastics, but you can watch the other villagers. Make sure you talk to the mayor to receive you autumn medal. A schedule of events is listed below.
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
October 1st, Seasonal Changes The grass turns yellow as fall approaches.
October, date of full moon nearest to autumnal equinox, Harvest Moon (6PM-9PM) You'll have to check your diary or the bulletin board to find the exact date of this event because it changes every year. This event can occur in September or October. If you go down to the lake on the day of the Harvest Moon Festival you can see the full moon reflected in the water. The mayor will kindly give you an enormous model of the moon in honor of the occasion.
October, 2nd Monday, Explorer's Day A take on the American holiday, Columbus Day, Explorer's Day celebrates exploration of new lands and exploration of a more personal nature. The mayor will be at the well today to give you a gift appropriate for the occasion, a bottled ship. Make sure you talk to him before 6:00PM or you'll miss out.
October 15th - 25th, Mushrooming Season (8:00AM) Every day during Mushrooming Season, five mushrooms will appear at 8:00AM. Every fifteen minutes after 8:00AM a mushroom will disappear (as it has been found by a villager). You'll have to get up early and look hard if you want to beat the crowd. You can sell mushrooms to Nook for 5,000 bells each.
October 16th, Seasonal Changes Fall is in full swing; the grass turns orange and the trees are now more yellow-orange in coloration.
October 30th, Seasonal Changes The grass and trees blush red just before the Pumpkin King's arrival...
October 31st - November 1st, Halloween (6:00PM-1:00AM) Jack, the King of Halloween and pumpkinhead extraordinaire makes a cameo visit in your village every October 31st. If you find Jack during the Halloween celebrations and feed him candy, he will reward you with a piece of the Spooky Theme. However, on Halloween all your villagers look like Jack-look-alikes. Here's the catch: only Jack and Tortimer will refrain from running you down and stealing your sweets. Normal villagers will chase you and try to steal your candy. You want to save all your candy for Jack. Once you get a piece of furniture from him leave the acre and search for him again. Continue to do this until you have the complete Spooky Theme. If you correctly identify the mayor he will give you a model of Katrina's Tent (he's usually by the well).
What's in? ...>What new bugs & fish are in store for us this month?
Fish: ...>No new fish this month.
Bugs: ...Bagworm ...Location: In Trees ...Time: All Day
...Ladybug ...Location: On Flowers ...Time: 8AM-5PM
...Spotted Ladybug ...Location: On Flowers ...Time: 8AM-5PM
What's out? ...>Which bugs & fish do I need to catch before they disappear?
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
November 1st, Seasonal Changes Look out for snowfall starting today, it will be a mix of both rain and snow until later in the month when winter takes over.
November, 1st Tuesday, Mayor's Day We're pretty sure this is a knock-off of election day. Instead of voting, the Mayor does his duty and rewards everyone who speaks to him with a well model.
November, every Sunday, Fall Fishing Tourney Every Sunday in November Chip the beaver will host a fishing tournament where you can win furniture for record breaking fish. Chip will give you a prize for every fish you turn in to him that beats the previous record for the day. Start with your smallest fish first in order to maximize the loot. If you plan to fish on the day of the tourney, wake up early in the morning when the big fish are biting. However, fish caught before the tourney can also be turned over to Chip for prizes. It's a good idea to store fish in advance of the Tourney. If you have the record at the end of the day you will receive an additional gift in the mail. Talk to the mayor at any time during the Tourney to receive the fishing trophy.
November 11th, Officer's Day November is the month for appreciating the town's public servants. Today celebrates Cooper and Booker's various deeds and contributions to the town. Talk to the mayor to receive a police station model.
November 27th, Seasonal Changes No more rain after today. The grass and trees turn brown as winter sets in.
November, 4th Thursday, Harvest Festival (3:00PM-9:00PM) Today is the Animal Crossing equivalent of American Thanksgiving. If you show up at the Wishing Well between 3PM and 9PM you can watch a "tasty" story unfold. Franklin the turkey realizes he's in trouble when the mayor invites him for dinner; or rather to be dinner. Franklin will hide behind things and wait for you to bring him pieces of silverware from the banquet by the well. Removing the silverware removes the threat of him becoming dinner. For each piece you bring you will receive one piece of harvest furniture. Make sure to talk to the mayor to receive a cornucopia item.
November, 4th Friday, Sale Day Tom Nook will sell grab bags at his store instead of the normal goods he carries. Each grab bag will have three items in them. The grab bags may contain pinwheels, items that can only be obtained today or during the Fireworks Show. Redd will also set up shop selling many different items. If you remember to talk to the mayor he will give you the market model.
What's in? ...>What new bugs & fish are in store for us this month?
Fish: ...>No new fish this month.
Bugs: ...Mole Cricket ...Location: Underground ...Time: All Day
What's out? ...>Which bugs & fish do I need to catch before they disappear?
Town Happenings ...>What's going on in Animal Crossing this month?
December 1st, Snow Day You may have observed snow in November if you were lucky enough, but December 1st celebrates the coming storms of December. Usually, December 1st will be the first day of the year you will see snow in Animal Crossing. If you speak to the mayor today he will give you a model snowman.
December 10th, Seasonal Changes The snow will start sticking to the ground, trees and buildings and animals put up Christmas lights on the trees for the holiday season.
December 23rd, Toy Day Today is a day where everyone receives lots of toys. Talk to the mayor at the well to receive a miniature car if you are a boy, and a doll if you are a girl. Make sure you catch him before 6PM.
December 24th-25th, Visit from Jingle (8PM-1AM) Jingle the reindeer wanders around town and if you track him down he will give you a piece of Jingle furniture. If you want more furniture you will have to change into a different outfit and talk to him again. You can only get a maximum of ten pieces per town unless you time travel regardless of how many characters you have. Once you have talked to Jingle five times he will give you something. Head out of sight, but not out of acre and change into a different shirt. Make it as different a pattern as you can and talk to him again. He will ask you questions and depending on how you reply you will get different furniture. Generally a response of "Printed" or "Woven" will get you wallpaper, carpet, or a shirt. You can get doubles so you can easily wind up with less than ten unique pieces.
December 25th, Seasonal Changes Christmas lights disappear as the holiday season winds down.
December 31st - January 1st, New Year's Eve (11PM-1AM) Head down to the lake to see the big countdown clock count the minutes until the end of the year. Between 11:00PM and 1:00AM there will be a fireworks display at the lake as well. Chat with the mayor to receive your very own noisemaker.
What's in? ...>What new bugs & fish are in store for us this month?
Fish: ...Bitterling ...Location: River/Pond ...Time: All Day
...Pond Smelt ...Location: River/Pond ...Time: All Day
Passé
Posted: 11/20/2010 10:36pm Edited: 4 Staff Edited
You'll find fish and insect guides as well as info on AC events all organized by month. 
All info in this guide was compiled from the following sources: AXA's 
Before we get started with the monthly guides, I have a few year long lists you might find helpful.
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