Fishing success depends on level, catch, and equipment. Spots can move, so camera position and nearby alternatives affect real rates.
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GATHERING • F2P + MEMBERS
Fishing
Quest the opening, then rotate between Tempoross, fly fishing, Karambwans, and low-attention catches.
QUICK WIN
Barbarian Fishing can add small amounts of Strength and Agility XP alongside Fishing.
UNDERSTANDING FISHING
Learn the system before you optimise the loop.
Fishing is a gathering skill with several viable routes. The best method is not automatically the one with the largest experience-rate number: startup time, travel, real input prices, useful outputs, and the amount of attention you can sustain all belong in the decision.
This guide treats levels as unlocks rather than a single uninterrupted race to 99. Use the route below as a strong default, then switch when a quest, diary, equipment upgrade, or account goal makes another method more valuable to you.
Some locations offer multiple catches on one spot. The selected action and tool determine which fish enter the roll.
Bank distance often matters more than raw catch value. Fish barrels and nearby deposit options can change a method substantially.
Barbarian Fishing awards small Strength and Agility experience in addition to Fishing, making its total account value higher than the headline rate.
LEVEL-BY-LEVEL METHOD FINDER
Set your level. Get the methods that apply now.
This is the working core of the guide: source-backed training sections filtered by current level and account type, with full rates, quantities, requirements, setup notes, and method tables kept beside their revision.
ACCOUNT
2 Fishing sections shown for Members at level 1.
Open a section for its full setup, evidence, and tables.LEVEL 1–33 • MembersLevels 1–24/33: Questing
4 detailed notes
Levels 1–24/33: Questing
Early levels can be skipped by completing quests that give Fishing experience. Completing Sea Slug, Fishing Contest, and the Freeing Pirate Pete quest of Recipe for Disaster will grant a total of 10,612 experience, which will get the player up to level 27. All of these quests have few requirements and can be done at a low level, and completing them is a much better route for early Fishing levels than catching fish. Notably, the experience reward from Sea Slug is enough to get the player from level 1 to 24, and it is faster to complete the quest than catch low-level fish.
Completing Tai Bwo Wannai Trio and The Fremennik Trials will grant an additional 7,812 experience, which will get the player up to level 33, but they have higher requirements.
- Early levels can be skipped by completing quests that give Fishing experience. Completing Sea Slug, Fishing Contest, and the Freeing Pirate Pete quest of Recipe for Disaster will grant a total of 10,612 experience, which will get the player up to level 27. All of these quests have few requirements and can be done at a low level, and completing them is a much better route for early Fishing levels than catching fish. Notably, the experience reward from Sea Slug is enough to get the player from level 1 to 24, and it is faster to complete the quest than catch low-level fish.
- Completing Tai Bwo Wannai Trio and The Fremennik Trials will grant an additional 7,812 experience, which will get the player up to level 33, but they have higher requirements.
Verify against Pay-to-play Fishing training, revision 15268041. Community reference material is attributed to the OSRS Wiki; this fan guide adds its own planning tools and route framing.
Members • MembersQuests for Fishing experience
11 data rows
Quests for Fishing experience
| Quest | Experience reward | Fishing requirement | Other requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recipe for Disaster - Freeing Pirate Pete | 1,000 | 31 | — |
| Fishing Contest | 2,437 | 10 | — |
| Heroes' Quest | 2,725 | 53 | 55 , 53 , 25 , 50 |
| The Fremennik Trials | 2,812.4 | — | — |
| Perilous Moons | 5,000 | 20 | 10 , 20 , 20 , 48 |
| Tai Bwo Wannai Trio | 5,000 | 5 | 15 , 30 |
| Rum Deal | 7,000 | 50 | 42 , 40 , 47 , 42 |
| Sea Slug | 7,175 | 30 | — |
| Land of the Goblins | 8,000 | 40 | 38 , 45 , 48 |
| Swan Song | 50,000 | 62 | 100 , 66 , 62 , 45 , 42 , 40 |
| Total | 91,149.4 | — | — |
Verify against Pay-to-play Fishing training, revision 15268041. Community reference material is attributed to the OSRS Wiki; this fan guide adds its own planning tools and route framing.
FOUR EDITORIAL STARTING POINTS
Shortlisted routes with executable instructions.
Use the finder above for the complete method library. These four routes are the fan-guide shortlist: each includes its setup, repeatable sequence, realistic rate band, and most important failure point.
0113k–55k XP/hr
20–58 • MEDIUM ATTENTION
Fly fishing
BEST FOR
Fast early levels
ECONOMY
Negligible cost
LOCATION
Barbarian Village, Shilo Village, or static Prifddinas spots
REQUIREMENTS
Fly-fishing rod and feathers
INVENTORY / LOADOUT
Rod, feathers, optional knife for cut-eat route
EXECUTION
- Choose the nearest two fishing spots and keep the camera fixed.
- Drop trout and salmon in batches rather than interrupting every catch.
- Move to Barbarian Fishing when its shared experience and unlocks become more valuable.
0245k–105k Fishing XP/hr
58–99 • MEDIUM ATTENTION
Barbarian Fishing
BEST FOR
Fishing plus Strength and Agility
ECONOMY
Negligible cost
LOCATION
Otto's Grotto or suitable barbarian spots
REQUIREMENTS
Barbarian Training and a heavy rod
INVENTORY / LOADOUT
Barbarian rod, feathers/bait, optional cut-eat tool
EXECUTION
- Complete the relevant Barbarian Training steps.
- Fish at dense spots and drop or cut catches in organised batches.
- Value the passive Strength and Agility XP when comparing another method.
0345k–102k XP/hr
35–99 • MEDIUM ATTENTION
Tempoross
BEST FOR
Varied training and uniques
ECONOMY
Reward permits and supplies
LOCATION
Ruins of Unkah boat
REQUIREMENTS
35 Fishing; basic game mechanics
INVENTORY / LOADOUT
Harpoon or barehand option, rope/buckets as strategy needs, empty inventory
EXECUTION
- Choose solo or mass strategy and learn storm, fire, and wave timing.
- Cook only when the strategy's reward or energy plan calls for it.
- Bank reward permits until the desired Fishing level if scaling rewards matters.
0430k–46k XP/hr
65–99 • LOW ATTENTION
Karambwans
BEST FOR
Low-attention banked supply
ECONOMY
Useful food and profit
LOCATION
Karambwan fishing spot north of the shipyard
REQUIREMENTS
Tai Bwo Wannai Trio and karambwanji bait
INVENTORY / LOADOUT
Karambwan vessel, bait, fish barrel, fast fairy-ring banking
EXECUTION
- Stock karambwanji and configure a fast fairy-ring route.
- Use a fish barrel to double the effective inventory before banking.
- Bank every catch for Cooking or combat supplies.
FISHING CALCULATOR
Turn a level goal into hours and materials.
Select a method for its realistic experience-rate band. Add XP and GP per action when you want an exact resource estimate for your chosen item.
The level formula is exact. Time and budget are planning estimates: your equipment, banking, failures, attention, and live Grand Exchange prices determine the real result.
SETUP PROGRESSION
Upgrade the part that actually controls the rate.
| Stage | Setup | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Early | Fly rod and feathers | Dense spots and drop rhythm matter more than outfit bonuses. |
| Mid | Barbarian rod or Tempoross setup | Choose shared XP or reward progression. |
| Banked fish | Fish barrel and fastest banking transport | The barrel is a major real-rate upgrade. |
| High level | Infernal/crystal tools only when charge and output value justify them | Tool effects differ by catch. |
THE ROUTE
From level 1 to cape
1
1–35
Quest and basic net/bait fishing
Sea Slug is a useful early boost for members; otherwise progress through nearby spots.The opening objective is access, not perfect efficiency. Use quests and inexpensive equipment to compress levels where possible, and avoid over-investing in a method you will outgrow quickly.2
35–58
Fly fish or visit Tempoross
Fly fishing is quick; Tempoross offers rewards and variety.This is where the skill settles into a repeatable loop. Upgrade the parts of the setup that affect every action, measure a representative session, and keep travel or banking from becoming the hidden bottleneck.3
58–82
Barbarian Fishing or Karambwans
Choose faster multi-skill XP or a useful, profitable food.At the mid-game checkpoint, compare the fastest route with account progress, useful outputs, and attention. A slightly slower method can be more efficient overall when it also supplies quests, diaries, or another skill.4
82–99
Minnows, anglers, or barb fishing
Profit and attention vary widely, so match the method to the day.Late-game training is a sustainability problem. Recheck prices and unlocks, alternate high-focus sessions with calmer ones, and choose a route you can repeat without turning the cape into a chore.LOWER-INTENSITY ALTERNATIVE
Sacred or infernal eels provide low-attention processing and stackable outputs.
LEVEL REFERENCE
Milestones worth planning around
These are decision points, not instructions to stop. Boostable requirements and quest gates can change when an unlock becomes usable.
| Level | Unlock | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Trout | Fast fly-fishing experience begins. |
| 30 | Salmon | Joins trout at fly-fishing spots. |
| 40 | Lobster | A classic banked-food method. |
| 58 | Barbarian leaping salmon | Efficient multi-skill training after setup. |
| 65 | Karambwan | Useful food and strong low-attention value. |
| 82 | Minnows and anglerfish | High-level profit and food routes. |
QUEST ROUTING
Let account progress do part of the grind.
Quest experience is most valuable when it skips slow early methods or opens a training system you will keep using.
Sea Slug
A very large reward relative to the early Fishing experience curve.
Tai Bwo Wannai Trio
Unlocks karambwan fishing and cooking progression.
Barbarian Training
Required for heavy-rod fishing and its shared experience.
CHOOSE YOUR ACCOUNT
The route changes with the rules you play by.
Spend for the time you value
A main should decide whether the session is for XP, food, profit, or attention. Tempoross mixes rewards with active play; barbarian fishing is efficient; anglers, karambwans, and eels provide calmer value.
Optimise the whole supply chain
Fish are future combat supplies. Tempoross rewards, karambwans, anglers, and minnows can be more valuable than the fastest route because they reduce later food gathering.
Know the edge of the map
Free-to-play players rely on fly fishing for speed and lobsters or swordfish for banked food and value. Members add quest skips, Tempoross, barbarian methods, and specialised catches.
REVISION-PINNED REFERENCE
The detailed tables behind the recommendations.
Pulled in one batch from the Old School RuneScape Wiki on August 2, 2026. Every table keeps its source page and revision so you can verify requirements or spot a later game update.
Levels 20–47/58: Fly fishing9 reference rows
| level | XP/h (AFK) | XP/h (3-tick) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 13,000 | 23,000 |
| 30 | 25,000 | 45,000 |
| 40 | 30,000 | 53,000 |
| 50 | 34,000 | 61,000 |
| 60 | 37,000 | 68,000 |
| 70 | 41,000 | 75,000 |
| 80 | 44,000 | 81,000 |
| 90 | 47,000 | 87,000 |
| 99 | 50,000 | 93,000 |
Levels 47–99: Drift net fishing7 reference rows
| Level | XP/shoal | XP/h | GP/XP | Total | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Total | — | — | — | — |
| 44 | 47 | 52.3 | 46.2 | 60,145 | 53,130 |
| 50 | 50 | 62.5 | 50.0 | 71,875 | 57,500 |
| 55 | 55 | 71.5 | 56.3 | 82,225 | 64,745 |
| 60 | 60 | 81.0 | 63.0 | 93,150 | 72,450 |
| 65 | 65 | 91.0 | 69.8 | 104,650 | 80,270 |
| 70 | 70 | 101.5 | 77.0 | 116,725 | 88,550 |
Levels 58–71/99: Barbarian Fishing7 reference rows
| Level | XP/h (AFK) | XP/h (3-tick) | / | Total | / | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| / | Total | / | Total | — | — | — |
| 48 | 23,000 | 2,300 | 27,600 | 41,000 | 4,100 | 5,400 |
| 58 | 37,000 | 3,400 | 43,800 | 68,000 | 6,300 | 9,300 |
| 70 | 48,000 | 4,400 | 56,800 | 90,000 | 8,200 | 13,800 |
| 80 | 52,000 | 4,700 | 61,400 | 97,000 | 8,800 | 14,800 |
| 90 | 54,000 | 4,900 | 63,800 | 103,000 | 9,300 | 15,800 |
| 99 | 57,000 | 5,200 | 67,400 | 108,000 | 9,800 | 16,800 |
Levels 71–99: 2-tick harpooning swordfish/tuna7 reference rows
| level | XP/h | Normal | Dragon | Crystal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Dragon | Crystal | — | — |
| 35 | 25,400 | N/A | N/A | — |
| 50 | 60,700 | N/A | N/A | — |
| 61 | 69,600 | 79,900 | N/A | — |
| 71 | 78,400 | 91,000 | 101,800 | — |
| 85 | 90,200 | 104,900 | 116,900 | — |
| 99 | 103,400 | 120,000 | 132,800 | — |
Levels 20–40/99 – Raw trout and raw salmon9 reference rows
| level | XP/h (AFK) | XP/h (3-tick) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 13,000 | 23,000 |
| 30 | 25,000 | 45,000 |
| 40 | 30,000 | 53,000 |
| 50 | 34,000 | 61,000 |
| 60 | 37,000 | 68,000 |
| 70 | 41,000 | 75,000 |
| 80 | 44,000 | 81,000 |
| 90 | 47,000 | 87,000 |
| 99 | 50,000 | 93,000 |
Levels 7/20/33–99 – Ruins of Camdozaal4 reference rows
| Fish | Fishing | Cooking | Prayer | Level | Exp | Level | Exp | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Exp | Level | Exp | Level | Exp | — | — | — |
| Guppy | 7 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 4 | — | — |
| Cavefish | 20 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 1 | 7 | — | — |
| Tetra | 33 | 24 | 33 | 31 | 1 | 10 | — | — |
Tradeable fish11 reference rows
| Fish | Fishing | Cooking | Caught with | Heals | GE Price | Level | Exp | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Exp | Level | Exp | Raw | Cooked | — | — | — |
| Shrimp (cooked) | 1 | 10 | 1 | 30 | Net | 3 | 24 | 22 |
| Sardine (cooked) | 5 | 20 | 1 | 40 | Bait | 4 | 26 | 13 |
| Herring (cooked) | 10 | 30 | 5 | 50 | Bait | 5 | 69 | 26 |
| Anchovies (cooked) | 15 | 40 | 1 | 30 | Net | 1 | 24 | 37 |
| Trout (cooked) | 20 | 50 | 15 | 70 | Fly | 7 | 31 | 16 |
| Pike (cooked) | 25 | 60 | 20 | 80 | Bait | 8 | 81 | 46 |
| Salmon (cooked) | 30 | 70 | 25 | 90 | Fly | 9 | 30 | 29 |
| Tuna (cooked) | 35 | 80 | 30 | 100 | Harpoon | 10 | 51 | 47 |
| Lobster (cooked) | 40 | 90 | 40 | 120 | Lobster pot | 12 | 107 | 95 |
| Swordfish (cooked) | 50 | 100 | 45 | 140 | Harpoon | 14 | 192 | 204 |
SOURCE PAGES
- Pay-to-play Fishing training ↗revision 15268041
- Free-to-play Fishing training ↗revision 15179373
- Ironman Guide/Fishing ↗revision 15246847
- Fishing ↗revision 15274676
- Fishing/Level up table ↗revision 15255279
Reference tables are adapted with attribution from the community-maintained OSRS Wiki. Editorial recommendations, method walkthroughs, warnings, and calculators are original fan-guide material.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Fishing FAQ
What should I do with caught fish?
Bank fish you will cook or use; drop low-value catches only when the training speed matters more than future supplies.
Is Tempoross good for levelling?
It offers solid experience, uniques, and supply rewards with more engagement than ordinary spots. Peak methods can be faster, but they do not provide the same reward track.
KEEP RESEARCHING
Read the OSRS Wiki training reference ↗Game updates can change rates, requirements, and best methods. Check the community reference before a large purchase.
Ready to price the route?