Fishing in Old School Runescape is the fast track to level 99 skill, if there ever was one. While the road to your skill cape isn't perhaps glamorous, it is indeed one of the simplest skills to train, and it's fun for making conversation with other players. But what's the best way to go? Lobs and swords, or trout and salmon? Without further ado, let’s break down all of the best tips and tricks for getting 99 Fishing.
- What Do I Need to Get Started with This 1-99 Fishing Guide in OSRS?
- Quests You Can Do For Fishing XP
What Do I Need to Get Started with This 1-99 Fishing Training Guide in OSRS?
Small Net
- Fishing Rod, bait, and feathers
- Lobster Pot, Harpoon, Large Net (optional)
- Completion of the Pirate's Treasure Quest
- Angler's Outfit (optional)
The Angler's Outfit is an optional equipment set to obtain for members. You can get it from the Fishing Trawler Minigame. Like other skilling sets, it will increase the Fishing XP you earn by 2.5% if you wear all the pieces. However, it can take some time to fish up the whole set, so it's your prerogative where your time is better spent.
The Process
For F2P and P2P, lower-level training is the same for free and paid players. The paying ones just get a few more options later.
Level 1 -20: Shrimp and Anchovies
There aren't any difficult decisions for the first twenty levels: you're just catching shrimp with a small net. At 15, you'll start netting anchovies, slightly increasing your exp/hour and significantly increasing your GP/hour if you choose to bank your catch. This is up to you. If you're trying to make some gold, anchovies are a great way to go. High-level Cooking skill players can use these to make anchovy pizzas and pay a pretty penny for the ingredients.
Level 20 to 40 (Possibly 99): Trout, Salmon, and Difficult Decisions
After 20, go pick up a fishing rod, bait, and feathers at the Grand Exchange, then walk immediately west until you reach Barbarian Village over the bridge. You'll see the most common trout fishing location just north of the bridge on the west side.
In theory, you would hit level 99 fastest if you stayed and fished here forever. Unfortunately, and in practice, this doesn't usually work because it's boring. It also requires you to buy a lot of feathers and bait, which can be too costly an investment for many low-level or new players.
Members can go Barbarian Fishing, which offers training in other skills alongside Fishing. That's Cooking or Strength, depending on which method you choose. To unlock this method, you'll have to find and talk to Otto Godblessed in the Baxtorian Falls.
Whether or not you stay here, we don't recommend banking your trout and salmon unless you're trying to pinch pennies and want to use them for Cooking experience. Otherwise, you'll make more money by powerfishing and dropping your raw fish until you reach level 40.
Level 40 to 50: Lobsters
At level 40, most players grab a lobster pot and head over to Karamja. If you haven't completed the Pirate's Treasure quest, you'll need to do so to use the pay-fare for traveling. It isn't particularly tough and provides a break from the monotony of fishing day-in and day-out.
You'll want to keep a stash of gold on you to pay the fares if you plan to bank this substantially more valuable catch. After all, you'll be traveling to and from Karamja via the pay-fare to get to a bank. You're technically going to Musa Point, the dock area down the path from the general store.
Follow the hordes of bots who are undoubtedly also fishing here (to the northwest of the docks). Your exp/hour will be substantially lower than power-fishing the trout and salmon, but you'll be making much more money. Soon, you'll be level 50, and you can move on to bigger and better fish – tuna.
Members have significant advantages in fishing lobsters. If you're a member, you should use the lobster fishing spot in Catherby. Here, you're much closer to a bank than Karamja, which makes this a viable option for fishing until level 63 – when you should head to the Fishing Guild. Until then, though, you will enjoy a profit of approximately 1 million in OSRS Gold. After 63, head to the Fishing Guild, which we elaborate on below.
Level 50 to 99: Tuna and Swordfish
Buy yourself a harpoon, and then you're doing very much the same as you were doing with lobsters until now! We recommend banking your swordfish, which you can immediately start catching and dropping your tuna. If you're dual training your cooking skill, you could hang on to both and powercook them all, or bring your favorite Firemaking equipment to cook them on the spot and drop the burnt fish.
Whatever you decide to do, for F2P players, you won't find a much better method. However, you can always switch back to powerfishing trout if this really starts to bore you. Personally, I would rotate back and forth every day of playing, as this kept things fresh, and I got tired of seeing all the bots in Karamja. The choice is yours!
Level 63 (Members Only): OSRS Fishing Guild and Monkfish
Members have two significant advantages after level 63: the Fishing Guild and Monkfish.
OSRS Fishing Guild
The Fishing Guild allows several new spots for harpoon-fishing swordfish and tuna, lobster fishing, and large net fishing (for, among other things, sharks). The additional benefit of the Fishing Guild is that, like all OSRS Skill Guilds, you can access your bank directly from here.
Wearing an Angler Outfit and fishing here allows you higher experience per hour than any other method except for Barbarian Fishing. It also offers the best GP/hour you can get for the fish you have access to here. It's the best of both worlds! The only better GP per hour you'll find in the Fishing World is the other benefit we mentioned: Monkfish.
Monkfish
Monkfish provide the best profit per hour of any Fishing skill method, at approximately 600,000 GP per hour (though this number might change as Grand Exchange prices fluctuate.) Complete the Swan Song Quest to access the Piscatoris Fishing Colony. Bank your treasured catch in the bank just south of the area.
Low-level players may have trouble completing this quest. Fortunately, many high-level players who hang out fishing in the area have been known to assist with high-level combat enemies that you'll encounter. Just another way OSRS continues to have the friendliest community around!
Sharks and swordfish at the Fishing Guild are a comparable option if you're having trouble with the quest. However, your profit and experience per hour will suffer significantly with these options.
Quests You Can Do For Fishing XP
- Fishing Content
- Sea Slug
- The Fremennik Trials
- Tai Bwo Wannai Trio
- Recipe for Disaster - Pirate Pete portion
- Rum Deal
- Heroes Quest
- Swan Song
These quests can boost Fishing XP and provide a well-needed break in the monotonous task of training the skill.
Wrap-Up
That's all for this OSRS Fishing Guide for 1-99, folks. Keep in mind that there are plenty of OSRS Guides available. Select what works best, then make something happen with your gameplay.
