Fishing

Fishing is a Gathering Trade Skill built around its own gathering minigame rather than conventional resource nodes. Players equip a Fishing Pole, cast into bodies of water, manage the line while reeling, and use bait and Fishing Hotspots to improve the types of catches available.

Quick Facts

Fishing Hotspots

Fishing Hotspots are special locations that improve the quality and value of catches while active. Hotspots traditionally appear in three rarity bands—Broad, Rare, and Secret—and Fishing progression helps players discover and track additional hotspot locations.

Because hotspot activity is limited by available catches before the location refreshes, efficient fishing routes often move between several known hotspots rather than remaining permanently at one location.

Fish and Salvage

Fish can serve as direct Cooking ingredients or be salvaged into useful materials depending on the species. Rarer fish can support specialized recipes, while Legendary Fish became especially important after the Season 5 Cooking rework, which positioned their associated meals at the top end of attribute-food progression.

At Fishing level 205, certain Fishing Hotspots can also provide Prismatic Barb, an expansion-era high-level resource.

Progression and Equipment

Fishing XP is earned through successful catches. Fishing Poles can provide profession-specific bonuses, while bait, equipment, trophies, and other effects can influence the activity. Fishing also has its own Luck behavior and should not always be treated identically to Mining, Logging, Harvesting, or Skinning.

Connected Trade Skills

Fishing is strongly connected to Cooking through fish-based meals and specialized ingredients. It also supplies materials used in other recipes, making valuable catches useful even for players who do not personally level Cooking.