Free-to-play Fishing training

This article is about the free-to-play guide. For the members' guide, see Pay-to-play Fishing training.

There are several ways to train Fishing in free-to-play. Depending on the desired goals of the player, they can choose between methods favouring experience rates or profit. If you choose to go with making a profit, be sure to sell your catch at the Grand Exchange and not a General store in order to maximize your profits. Keep in mind, since the Grand Exchange acts as an in-game stock market, that means the prices are always changing. You can find the latest prices on the Grand Exchange here.

Methods with the highest experience rates

Levels 1–20 – Raw shrimps and raw anchovies

Fishing raw shrimps and raw anchovies with a small fishing net at a net fishing location is the fastest way to train fishing until level 20 with experience rates of 1,500–3,000 experience per hour. The small net fishing spot is the only possible fishing location at level 1. Players must reach level 15 Fishing before there is a chance for them to receive a raw anchovy while fishing, which will increase their experience rates to around 7,500 experience per hour. To achieve the most optimal experience rates, players would want to drop the caught fish, instead of banking. Alternatively, the raw fish can be cooked for small amounts of Cooking experience. If planning on banking the fish, players should fish at Al Kharid, due to its proximity to a bank, however there is an aggressive level 14 scorpion that occasionally wanders near the southern fishing spots. Another spot to bank the fish is south of the bank in Draynor Village, next to the willow trees, though beware of aggressive level 7 Dark Wizards. For players that don't want to have to deal with combat, and want to sell the fish, the fishing spot South-West of Port Sarim is ideal as it is a somewhat short run away from Gerrant's Fishy Business.

Levels 20–40/99 – Raw trout and raw salmon

Fishing raw trout and raw salmon with a fly fishing rod at a fly fishing location and dropping it offers the fastest way to train Fishing to 99 as a free-to-play. At level 20, players can expect to achieve around 15,000 experience per hour. Players must reach level 30 Fishing before there is a chance for them to receive a raw salmon while fishing, which will increase their experience rates to around 50,000 experience per hour at higher levels. Fly fishing can be done in Lumbridge or in the Barbarian Village, and consumes a feather per every fish caught. Around 600 feathers would be consumed from levels 20-40, and 225,000 feathers from 20-99.

At the expense of experience per hour, players can cook their raw fish on the permanent fire in Barbarian Village next to the fishing spot, providing them with Cooking experience and a food source if players choose to bank the cooked fish.

Alternatively, players can bring an axe and tinderbox to Lumbridge, chop some logs near the fishing spot and make a fire at the fishing spot. They can use the fire to cook the fish directly after catching them (and then click the spot to continue fishing). The cooked fish could be used for tick manipulation by eating them, resulting in significantly higher experience rates (around 80,000 experience per hour) at the cost of increased intensity.

Profitable methods

Levels 15–39 – Raw shrimps/anchovies

Raw shrimps are sold for 110. Raw anchovies are sold for 54. Drop the cheaper fish you catch, banking only the other. Expect to catch between 150 and 280 fish an hour between levels 15 and 39.

• Catching 150-280 shrimp an hour has a profit range of 16,500 to 30,800.
• Catching 150-280 anchovies an hour has a profit range of 8,100 to 15,120.

The best place to catch them is Draynor Village, but if under combat level 15 one of the Dark wizards may attack.

Levels 40–49 – Raw lobster

For the full guide on catching lobsters, see here.

Fish raw lobsters at Musa Point. Players can expect to make 10,360 and 12,600 Fishing experience per hour. To bank the caught raw lobsters, use the boat to travel to Port Sarim, costing 30 coins one way. In Port Sarim, walk to the docks with the monks and use the bank deposit to deposit the raw lobsters. If you have completed both The Corsair Curse and Dragon Slayer I, you can also use the Corsair Cove Resource Area to avoid paying the fare back and forth to use the deposit box.

Levels 50–99 – Raw tuna/swordfish

For the full guide on catching tuna/swordfish, see here.

Fish at the harpoon spot at Musa Point. Players can expect to make 14,547 and 17,160 Fishing experience per hour.

Alternatives:

• More clicks: Drop the raw tuna (59 each), since they are worth a lot less than raw swordfish (98 each).
• Less walking and coins, more experience per hour: Sell fish at the Karamja General Store.
• More total experience and clicks, less walking and coins: Cook the fish after caught.
  • An axe can be wielded to save an inventory slot.
  • Logs can be obtained from trees near the charter ship.
  • A tinderbox can be brought or purchased at the Karamja General Store for 1 coin.
  • Depending on the amount, trading burnt fish at the Karamja General Store (0 coins) can be quicker than dropping them one at a time.

Other methods

Levels 7/20/33–99 – Ruins of Camdozaal

After the completion of Below Ice Mountain, players can fish in the Ruins of Camdozaal. This is generally slower to train Fishing than fishing for trout and salmon (even when dropping Camdozaal fish) but this method will also help train both Cooking and Prayer. In other words, this training method is only recommended if you plan on training Prayer.

It requires 7 Fishing and 7 Cooking to fish and prepare guppy but 33 Fishing and 33 Cooking are recommended to fish and prepare Tetra. Purchasing the Fishing buff from Ramarno's shard exchange slightly increases the experience rates for lower Fishing levels.

1. Use a small fishing net to catch fish in the fishing spot nearby. A small fishing net is provided in the space north of the preparation table and altar.
2. Prepare these fish at the preparation table using a knife. You'll gain Cooking experience. A knife lies on the floor nearby the table.
3. Offer the prepared fish at the altar for Prayer experience.

Fish		Fishing		Cooking		Prayer
		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

Equipment

Depending on the method, Fishing uses one or two types of items; divided into tools and consumables. Consumables are used up at the rate of one item for each fish caught and are stackable, while the tools are non-stackable and reusable.

Method	Tools		Bait
Net fishing		Small fishing net	N/A
Bait fishing		Fishing rod		Fishing bait
Fly fishing		Fly fishing rod		Feather
Lobster pots		Lobster pot	N/A
Harpooning		Harpoon	N/A

Tradeable fish

Fish			Fishing		Cooking		Caught with	Heals	GE Price
			Level	Exp	Level	Exp			Raw	Cooked
		Shrimp (cooked)	1	10	1	30	Net	3	110	22
		Sardine (cooked)	5	20	1	40	Bait	4	72	31
		Herring (cooked)	10	30	5	50	Bait	5	144	46
		Anchovies (cooked)	15	40	1	30	Net	1	54	54
		Trout (cooked)	20	50	15	70	Fly	7	92	43
		Pike (cooked)	25	60	20	80	Bait	8	194	42
		Salmon (cooked)	30	70	25	90	Fly	9	74	78
		Tuna (cooked)	35	80	30	100	Harpoon	10	59	118
		Lobster (cooked)	40	90	40	120	Lobster pot	12	74	158
		Swordfish (cooked)	50	100	45	140	Harpoon	14	98	162