OSRS Fishing Progression Guide: What to Fish from 1 to 99

Fishing is one of the easiest Old School RuneScape skills to train badly without realizing it. A player can spend hundreds of hours catching valuable fish, gaining respectable experience, and still take substantially longer to reach level 99 than someone who changed methods based on what they were doing at the time.

The problem is that Fishing methods serve completely different purposes. Two-tick harpooning is built around maximum experience. Barbarian Fishing trades some convenience for passive Agility and Strength experience. Karambwan fishing is valuable because of its long periods without interaction. Tempoross offers rewards and moderate experience. Leechfin Fishing provides high rates without conventional tick manipulation, but demands constant attention.

This guide is therefore not arranged as a list of every fish in level order. It explains which route makes sense for your account, what equipment is worth obtaining, how each major method works, and when you should stop using it.

Players building a new account can use the MMOWire OSRS hub and our OSRS beginner guide alongside this page.

OSRS P2P Fishing Guide Index

Jump directly to the section you need:

• Pick Your Fishing Route
• Recommended Progression
• Equipment That Matters
• Is the Angler Outfit Worth It?
• Early Fishing Levels
• Tempoross
• Fly Fishing
• Drift Net Fishing
• Barbarian Fishing
• Two-Tick Harpooning
• Leechfin Fishing
• Sailing Fishing Methods
• Best AFK Methods
• Profitable Methods
• Ironman Fishing Advice
• Common Fishing Mistakes
• Routes to Level 99

Fishing Is Really Four Different Grinds

Before selecting a fishing spot, decide what you want the hours spent there to produce. The best method changes completely based on the answer.

Your Main Goal	Methods to Prioritize	What You Give Up
Maximum Fishing XP	Two-tick harpooning, Leechfin Fishing, three-tick Barbarian Fishing	Low attention and most profit
Overall account efficiency	Drift net fishing or Barbarian Fishing	The absolute highest pure Fishing rate
Low-attention progress	Karambwan, monkfish, anglerfish, infernal eels	Fast experience
Rewards and account unlocks	Tempoross, Fishing Trawler, aerial fishing	Consistent peak XP
Profit	Karambwan, minnows, anglerfish, dark crabs, sacred eels	Speed and, in some cases, convenience
Fishing and Sailing together	Deep Sea Trawling and related ocean activities	Efficiency in Fishing as an isolated skill

This distinction matters because Fishing has several methods that look inefficient when judged by Fishing XP alone but become excellent when their secondary experience or rewards are counted.

Drift net fishing is a good example. It is not the fastest pure Fishing method, but it trains Hunter at the same time and can produce more than 200,000 combined Fishing and Hunter experience per hour at higher levels. A player who still needs both skills may save more total time there than by maximizing either one separately.

What Most Players Should Actually Do

For a first account, the most practical path is to use quests for the earliest levels, train at Tempoross long enough to pursue the fish barrel, then choose between Barbarian Fishing, Karambwan, Leechfin Fishing, and faster tick-manipulation methods.

Fishing Level	Recommended Focus	Reason
1-24	Complete Sea Slug	Skips the slowest levels immediately
24-35	Fly fishing or additional quests	Quick transition into the first major methods
35-47	Tempoross or fly fishing	Tempoross offers rewards while fly fishing remains simple
47-58	Drift net fishing if Hunter matters, otherwise Tempoross or fly fishing	Choose between combined efficiency and straightforward Fishing XP
58-65	Barbarian Fishing, Tempoross, or drift nets	Build Fishing while gaining secondary experience or rewards
65-78	Karambwan for AFK profit or Barbarian Fishing for faster XP	The account now has a strong active and low-attention option
78-99	Leechfin, two-tick harpooning, Barbarian Fishing, Karambwan, or a profit method	Select the method based on attention, speed, and account goals

This route deliberately does not force every player into tick manipulation. The fastest theoretical path is only useful when you are willing to maintain the inputs for long sessions. A slightly slower method performed consistently can beat an intensive method that you abandon after twenty minutes.

Fishing Equipment That Actually Matters

Most fishing tools simply unlock the activity. A few items meaningfully change how long you can remain at a spot, how frequently you catch fish, or what else you gain during the session.

Fish Barrel

The fish barrel is one of the most valuable Fishing quality-of-life upgrades. It stores 28 raw fish, effectively doubling the capacity of a normal inventory when banking the catch.

Its value is highest at Karambwan, monkfish, anglerfish, and other methods where the fish are kept. At Karambwan, a barrel can extend uninterrupted fishing to roughly three to five minutes depending on your catch rate.

The barrel can only be emptied at a bank or deposit box. It provides no meaningful benefit when you are dropping fish, cutting them, or using a method where inventory space is not the limiting factor.

Do not bring the fish barrel automatically. Bring it when banking fish. Leave it behind when dropping an inventory at Barbarian Fishing, fly fishing, or Leechfin Fishing.

Dragon and Crystal Harpoons

The dragon harpoon has a special attack that temporarily raises Fishing by three levels. This can slightly improve catch rates and may let the player access a fish a few levels early where boosting is allowed.

A Lightbearer restores special-attack energy more quickly, allowing the harpoon boost to be used more often. This is a small optimization rather than a requirement for ordinary Fishing.

The crystal harpoon provides a higher catch rate than conventional harpoons and is particularly important for high-experience Tempoross and two-tick harpooning setups. It consumes charges, so the additional experience should be weighed against its operating cost.

Infernal Harpoon

The infernal harpoon has a chance to cook fish as they are caught, providing passive Cooking experience and reducing inventory usage.

It is useful for players who value Cooking experience or Tempoross reward points. It is not always the best choice for maximum Fishing XP, especially when the crystal harpoon's faster catch rate is available.

Rada's Blessing

Rada's blessing gives a chance to catch two fish at once. The chance increases from 2% with the easy diary reward to 8% with the elite version.

The additional fish does not award additional Fishing experience. Equip the blessing when profit or food collection matters. Do not expect it to improve your XP rate.

Is the Angler Outfit Worth Getting?

The full Angler outfit increases Fishing experience by 2.5%. It can be obtained through Fishing Trawler, with the exact completion time depending heavily on luck.

Players often assume that any experience-boosting outfit must be collected before serious training begins. That is not always efficient.

If obtaining the full set takes approximately six hours, a 2.5% boost would require roughly 240 or more hours of later Fishing training to recover those six hours through saved time alone. The exact break-even point changes with your luck and training method, but the broader point remains: the outfit is not automatically worth grinding solely for faster level 99.

The outfit has additional value because:

• It is required to access the minnow platform.
• It can be upgraded into the Spirit Angler outfit.
• The Spirit Angler outfit removes the rope requirement at Tempoross.
• Collection-log hunters and completionists will want it regardless.

Get the outfit early when you want minnows, Tempoross convenience, or the collection-log slots. Skip or delay it when your only objective is reaching 99 Fishing as quickly as possible.

Levels 1-35: Use Quests Before Fishing Normally

Low-level Fishing is slow because catch rates are poor and the fish provide little value. Sea Slug awards 7,175 Fishing experience and takes the skill from level 1 to level 24.

Fishing Contest and the Pirate Pete portion of Recipe for Disaster can raise the skill further. Completing all three produces 10,612 total experience, reaching level 27 from level 1.

Tai Bwo Wannai Trio and The Fremennik Trials can push Fishing to approximately level 33, but their wider requirements make them less attractive as pure training shortcuts.

Quest	Fishing XP	Recommendation
Sea Slug	7,175	Complete immediately on most new members accounts
Fishing Contest	2,437	Useful early quest with minimal Fishing requirements
Recipe for Disaster: Pirate Pete	1,000	Complete while progressing Recipe for Disaster
Tai Bwo Wannai Trio	5,000	Useful when the quest fits wider account progression
The Fremennik Trials	2,812.4	Take the reward naturally rather than rushing it only for Fishing

Do not delay your account for every possible Fishing quest. Sea Slug is the major shortcut. The others are bonuses when their requirements and unlocks already matter to you.

Tempoross: The Best Early Fishing Investment

Tempoross is available from level 35 Fishing and occupies an unusual position in the skill. It is not always the fastest training method, but its rewards can improve nearly every low-attention Fishing method used afterward.

The most important reward is the fish barrel. The reward pool can also provide the tackle box, soaked pages, the Spirit Angler upgrade, and the Tiny Tempor pet.

How to Prioritize Tempoross

There are two basic ways to approach the encounter:

• Do not cook the harpoonfish when Fishing experience is the main priority.
• Cook the harpoonfish when reward permits and loot matter more.

Cooking fish gives more points but reduces Fishing experience because time is spent preparing the catch rather than collecting more fish.

Mass Worlds or Solo Tempoross?

Mass worlds are easier to learn and require less responsibility. Follow the group, fill the correct cannons, avoid fires and waves, and attack Tempoross's spirit pool when it becomes vulnerable.

Solo methods require more planning but provide better control over points and experience. The dedicated Solo Start option also allows skilled players to begin a private encounter without relying on another account.

Near level 99 with a crystal harpoon, a well-executed no-cook Tempoross session can approach or exceed 90,000 Fishing XP per hour, with optimized solo strategies capable of moving beyond 100,000. Lower levels and standard harpoons should expect substantially less.

When to Leave Tempoross

Leave once you have the rewards you care about or when another method better matches your goal. Remaining exclusively because the boss feels efficient can be a mistake if you no longer need permits and would rather gain faster experience elsewhere.

For many accounts, a reasonable plan is to stay until obtaining the fish barrel, then return only for Spirit Angler, collection-log progress, the pet, or a change of pace.

Fly Fishing: Simple, Cheap, and Easy to Outgrow

Fly fishing trout and salmon requires a fly fishing rod and feathers. It is one of the easiest ways to move from the quested early levels into Tempoross, drift nets, or Barbarian Fishing.

Normal Fly Fishing

Without tick manipulation, fly fishing provides approximately 20,000 to 40,000 XP per hour through much of the early and mid-game, rising further at high levels.

Drop the fish rather than banking them when experience is the objective. Banking trout and salmon usually adds more travel than the low-value catch justifies.

Shilo Village is useful when you specifically want to bank. Barbarian Village has a permanent fire for combining Fishing and Cooking. Static or low-movement spots near Prifddinas provide the best experience because less time is lost waiting for the fishing location to move.

Three-Tick Fly Fishing

Three-tick fly fishing uses an action such as combining a clean herb with swamp tar to shorten the normal fishing cycle. The player starts the three-tick action, drops fish between catches, and clicks the fishing spot at the correct time.

This can reach approximately 45,000 XP per hour around level 30 and more than 80,000 at high levels. It is mainly useful before stronger high-level methods become available or for players who prefer its rhythm.

Most players should not learn three-tick fly fishing solely for a brief level range. Tempoross is more relaxed and offers rewards, while Barbarian Fishing eventually provides similar mechanics with useful secondary experience.

Drift Net Fishing: Best When Hunter Also Matters

Drift net fishing requires 47 Fishing, 44 Hunter, Bone Voyage, and access to the Fossil Island underwater area.

The method is built around placing two drift nets and chasing fish shoals into them. Each full net catches ten shoals before it must be replaced.

Recommended Equipment

• Fishbowl helmet or another current breathing option.
• Diving apparatus.
• Flippers.
• A trident or suitable harpoon to improve shoal-chasing success.
• Stamina potions or another form of run-energy restoration.
• A supply of drift nets.

Permanent access to the fishing area can be purchased for 20,000 numulites. Players planning to train there for a meaningful period should pay for permanent access rather than repeatedly purchasing day passes.

How to Train Efficiently

Set a net on each anchor, then prioritize shoals already close to the nets. Clicking distant shoals adds movement without necessarily filling the nets faster.

Once both nets are full, collect them and replace them immediately. Annette can store up to 2,000 noted drift nets, reducing the amount of inventory management required between sessions.

Should You Bank the Fish?

Ceto can bank the contents of a full net for five numulites. This slightly lowers experience but offsets some of the cost of buying drift nets.

Bank when the fish or supplies matter to your account. Skip banking when maximum combined experience is the goal.

Why Drift Nets Are an Account-Efficiency Method

At higher levels, drift nets can provide approximately 80,000 to 90,000 Fishing XP and more than 110,000 Hunter XP per hour under strong execution.

Once Hunter reaches your target, the argument for continuing becomes weaker. Leechfin Fishing, Barbarian Fishing, Tempoross, or two-tick harpooning can provide faster pure Fishing progress.

Drift net decision: Use it because you need Fishing and Hunter, not because a table labels it efficient. Leave when one of those skills stops being valuable to you.

Barbarian Fishing: The Best Total-Level Route

Barbarian Fishing becomes available after completing the relevant portion of Barbarian Training. A barbarian rod and suitable bait are required.

Leaping trout become available at 48 Fishing, leaping salmon at 58, and leaping sturgeon at 70. The method also requires Agility and Strength levels for the higher-tier fish.

Players training on free worlds can use our OSRS F2P Fishing Guide for trout and salmon training, Cooking options, Camdozaal, and the fastest route to level 99.

Why Level 58 Is the Real Starting Point

Although the activity begins at level 48, the method improves substantially at 58 when leaping salmon become available. Before that point, drift nets, Tempoross, or three-tick fly fishing may provide more value.

Normal Barbarian Fishing

Normal Barbarian Fishing at Otto's Grotto is straightforward: click the fishing spot, allow the inventory to fill, and drop the fish.

At level 58, normal rates can sit around 35,000 to 40,000 Fishing XP per hour. This rises toward the mid-50,000s at very high levels.

The experience is not exceptional by itself. Its value comes from the passive Strength and Agility XP gained with every catch.

Three-Tick Barbarian Fishing

Three-tick Barbarian Fishing uses an action such as herb and swamp tar or a knife with teak or mahogany logs to maintain a shorter fishing cycle.

At level 58, experienced players can reach approximately 65,000 to 70,000 Fishing XP per hour. This can rise above 100,000 near level 99.

The passive Agility and Strength experience adds thousands of additional XP per hour. This makes Barbarian Fishing especially useful before those skills are already maxed.

Cut-Eat Fishing

The cut-eat method cuts leaping fish into roe, caviar, and offcuts, then eats the roe or caviar as part of the tick-manipulation cycle.

This provides passive Cooking experience, reduces the number of fish that must be manually dropped, and produces offcuts that can replace feathers as bait.

The method is more timing-sensitive than ordinary three-tick fishing. Cutting and eating too late can offset the cycle and reduce the rate.

When Barbarian Fishing Is Better Than Faster Fishing

A player with low Agility and Strength may gain more total account value from Barbarian Fishing than from a method providing 5,000 or 10,000 additional Fishing XP per hour.

A player with 99 Agility and Strength receives no meaningful benefit from those secondary rewards. At that point, Leechfin Fishing or two-tick harpooning becomes more attractive.

Two-Tick Harpooning: The Fastest Traditional Method

Two-tick harpooning tuna and swordfish is one of the fastest ways to train Fishing. The standard setup uses two rats near Port Piscarilius to attack the player every two ticks.

Port Piscarilius Setup

1. Lure two rats into the required position west of the bank.
2. Equip a shortbow without ammunition.
3. Enable Auto Retaliate.
4. Stand at the harpoon fishing spot.
5. Click the spot on the same tick that an incoming attack creates a hitsplat.
6. Drop fish between catches without breaking the cycle.

When correctly aligned, the rat attacks interrupt and restart the fishing action, giving the player a catch attempt every two ticks instead of five.

Fishing Guild PvP-World Setup

Another account can attack the player with darts on a PvP world inside the Fishing Guild. This can be slightly faster when uninterrupted because of the location and setup.

The drawback is obvious: other players can attack you. Any death, interruption, or defensive preparation reduces the long-term advantage over the safer Piscarilius method.

Harpoon Choice

The crystal harpoon is strongly recommended because its improved catch rate has a major effect when the method is already creating frequent catch attempts.

A dragon harpoon is a workable alternative. The ordinary harpoon is significantly worse and makes the method less compelling at lower levels.

Expected Rates

With a crystal harpoon and good execution, players can exceed 100,000 XP per hour from level 71 onward and approach approximately 130,000 near level 99.

Those rates assume the rhythm is maintained consistently. Learning sessions will be slower, and a player frequently missing cycles may gain more experience through Leechfin or three-tick Barbarian Fishing.

Leechfin Fishing: High XP Without Tick Manipulation

Leechfin Fishing requires level 78 Fishing and completion of The Blood Moon Rises. It takes place in Vampyrium and uses a big fishing net.

The activity is highly active but does not rely on the traditional tick-manipulation techniques used at Barbarian Fishing or two-tick harpooning.

How Leechfin Fishing Works

Leechfin swim down the river in waves. The player angles the net toward the left, center, or right lane to intercept each incoming fish.

Each wave contains groups of fish entering from one of the three directions. Click the corresponding tile to reposition the net before they pass.

Marking the three interactable tiles through RuneLite's Object Markers can make the activity easier to read and reduce misclicks.

Managing the Inventory

Leechfin cannot be stored in the fish barrel. Drop them between waves when Fishing experience is the priority.

A useful rhythm is to position the net for an incoming group, drop several fish while the net catches them, and return attention to the river before the next direction change.

Dropping fish does not stop the fishing action, so inventory management can be completed without sacrificing every catch attempt.

Blood Sac Route

Leechfin can be cut with a knife or fletching knife to produce Blood sacs. The sacs can be converted into Blood vials, but cutting reduces Fishing experience.

This creates two distinct versions of the activity:

• Catch and drop Leechfin for stronger Fishing XP.
• Cut Leechfin for Blood sacs, Cooking XP, and Blood vials at a lower Fishing rate.

Expected Experience

Strong execution can produce approximately 105,000 to 110,000 XP per hour from level 78, rising toward 125,000 to 130,000 at very high Fishing levels.

These figures represent focused play. Leechfin requires repeated one-tick reactions and inventory management. Missing waves or stepping away can reduce the rate considerably or end the activity.

Who Should Use Leechfin?

Leechfin is best for players who want near-meta experience without learning conventional tick manipulation. It is not an AFK alternative and should not be described as one.

Two-tick harpooning can still edge ahead at maximum efficiency. Leechfin is more approachable because its gameplay is visually readable and does not require manipulating combat or skilling cycles.

Jagex's live description of the activity is available in the Blood Moon Rises release update.

Fishing Through Sailing in 2026

Sailing introduced additional Fishing activities that do not fit neatly into the traditional route to level 99. These methods are more relevant when the player wants Sailing experience, ocean resources, or the new fish rather than maximum standalone Fishing XP.

Lantern Fishing

Lantern Fishing provides access to swordtip squid at level 52 Fishing and jumbo squid at level 69. The activity resembles conventional harpooning but produces squid used in Sailing-era Cooking, Herblore, and Fletching systems.

Use Lantern Fishing when the squid products have value to your account or the current market. It is not the default method for players chasing the fastest Fishing levels.

Deep Sea Trawling

Deep Sea Trawling combines Fishing with Sailing and requires a ship equipped with an appropriate trawling-net facility. Higher-level nets operate at greater depths and provide access to more valuable catches.

Fish	Fishing Level	Notable Use
Giant krill	69	Entry-level deep-sea catch and food
Haddock	73	Food that can overheal
Yellowfin	79	Restores run energy when cooked
Halibut	83	Can be used as combo food
Bluefin	86	Restores some Prayer when cooked
Marlin	91	High-healing food

Deep Sea Trawling received improvements during 2026, including faster relaxed gathering and increased Sailing experience from the different trawling nets.

It is best treated as a hybrid Sailing and Fishing activity. Players who only want Fishing XP can use faster land-based methods. Players actively training Sailing may find that the combined experience and useful catches justify the lower pure-Fishing efficiency.

Best Low-Attention Fishing Methods

No Fishing method is literally unattended forever. Spots can move, inventories fill, and banking is eventually required. Some methods nevertheless provide several minutes between meaningful inputs.

Method	Fishing Level	Approximate XP Range	Why Use It?
Monkfish	62	Approximately 35,000-42,000 per hour	Simple fishing with no bait requirement
Karambwan	65	Approximately 29,000-46,000 per hour	Static spot, long AFK periods, useful food and profit
Infernal eels	80	Approximately 30,000-34,000 per hour	No banking because the eels are smashed into stackable resources
Anglerfish	82	Approximately 15,000-39,000 per hour	Slow catches, long AFK intervals, valuable food
Dark crabs	85	Approximately 40,000 per hour	Static Wilderness spot and good food value
Sacred eels	87	Approximately 20,000-23,000 per hour	No banking and passive Cooking XP

Karambwan

Karambwan are the strongest general low-attention recommendation. Their fishing spot never moves, and a fish barrel allows the player to catch 56 fish before banking.

They require Tai Bwo Wannai Trio, a karambwan vessel, and raw karambwanji as bait. Catch karambwanji near fairy ring CKR and fish the karambwan near DKP.

Efficient banking uses a fast bank teleport followed by quick fairy-ring access. The Crafting cape, Karamja gloves, ring of dueling, quest-point cape, or player-owned-house fairy ring can all support the route depending on account progression.

Monkfish

Monkfish require Swan Song and a small fishing net. They offer reasonable experience, require no bait, and can be banked at the Piscatoris Fishing Colony.

Karambwan generally provide longer uninterrupted periods and better practical value once unlocked. Monkfish remain useful when the player has Swan Song completed but does not want to collect karambwanji.

Infernal Eels

Infernal eels require access to Mor Ul Rek, which means showing a fire cape to the guard. They are caught with an oily fishing rod and bait while wearing ice gloves.

Use a hammer to smash the eels into Tokkul, onyx bolt tips, and lava scale shards. Because the rewards are stackable, the player can remain at the spot without banking.

Anglerfish

Anglerfish are caught at Port Piscarilius with a fishing rod and sandworms. Their slow catch rate creates long gaps between inputs but also produces poor experience.

They are worthwhile when the value of the catch matters more than reaching level 99 quickly. Diabolic worms significantly improve catch rates where available but raise the cost of each session.

Dark Crabs

Dark crabs are caught in the Wilderness Resource Area and become significantly stronger after completing the elite Wilderness Diary.

The fishing spots do not move, and Piles can note the catch for 50 coins per fish. The method carries unavoidable player-killer risk.

Bring inexpensive defensive equipment, a few escape supplies, and only the amount of bait you are comfortable losing. Bank periodically rather than allowing the entire session's profit to accumulate in one inventory.

Sacred Eels

Sacred eels require 87 Fishing, partial completion of Regicide, and at least 72 Cooking to dissect effectively.

Cut the eels with a knife to receive Zulrah's scales and passive Cooking experience. The scales are stackable, removing the need to bank.

This is a strong background method for players who want modest profit and two skills progressing slowly at the same time.

Fishing for Profit Without Wasting the Entire Grind

Fishing profit is highly dependent on current Grand Exchange prices. A method that looks strong one month can become mediocre after food demand or supply changes.

Rather than chasing one permanent best method, compare three factors:

• How much Fishing experience you are giving up.
• How much attention and banking the method requires.
• Whether the fish or resources are useful to your account directly.

Minnows

Minnows require 82 Fishing, Fishing Contest, and the full Angler outfit. They are caught at the Fishing Guild platform and exchanged for noted raw sharks.

The fishing spots move clockwise every 15 seconds, so minnows are not genuinely AFK. Flying fish can also consume minnows if the player remains on a dangerous spot.

Minnows are best for players who want a steady supply of sharks and do not mind regular repositioning. Rada's blessing increases the number of minnows obtained but does not improve Fishing XP.

Anglerfish

Anglerfish typically provide better profit but much slower experience. Their value comes from demand as high-level food and their long catch intervals.

Do not choose anglerfish solely because a level-to-99 profit calculator shows an impressive final number. That number represents a very long grind at low experience rates.

Karambwan

Karambwan offer a better balance of experience, profit, and convenience than most banked fish. They are also useful food for PvM because cooked karambwan can be consumed in combination with other foods.

Dark Crabs

Dark crabs can provide respectable experience and valuable food, but the Wilderness risk makes the actual hourly result inconsistent. Deaths, interruptions, and frequent banking should be included when evaluating the method.

Fishing Advice for Ironman Accounts

Ironmen should evaluate Fishing methods based on the supplies produced, not Grand Exchange value.

Prioritize Tempoross Earlier

The fish barrel is exceptionally valuable because Ironmen are more likely to bank fish for Cooking and future combat. Tempoross rewards also provide food, planks, jewellery, and other useful supplies.

Karambwan Are Worth Stockpiling

Karambwan remain useful through much of PvM and can be collected with minimal attention. Catching a large supply while training Fishing reduces the need to return later when combat progression demands food.

Do Not Automatically Drop Barbarian Fish

Barbarian fish can be cut into offcuts, roe, and caviar. These materials have niche uses and can provide Cooking experience.

However, keeping or processing every fish lowers the Fishing rate. Only do so when the secondary items are actually needed.

Use Profit Methods for Their Products

Infernal eels supply lava scale shards and Tokkul. Sacred eels provide Zulrah's scales. Minnows can be converted into noted sharks. Deep Sea Trawling provides specialized food and ocean resources.

These methods may be stronger for an Ironman than for a main account because the resources bypass another gathering or combat grind.

Common OSRS Fishing Training Mistakes

Getting the Angler Outfit Only for the XP Boost

The 2.5% bonus takes a very long time to repay if the outfit requires several hours at Fishing Trawler. Obtain it for minnows, Spirit Angler, collection-log progress, or long-term use rather than assuming it is mandatory.

Banking Trout and Salmon for No Clear Reason

The fish are low-value and banking adds substantial downtime. Drop them unless you specifically need early Cooking supplies.

Using the Fish Barrel While Dropping Fish

The barrel cannot be emptied at the fishing spot. It only helps when the catch is being banked.

Assuming Rada's Blessing Increases XP

The blessing can produce an extra fish but awards no experience for the duplicate catch. It is a profit and supply upgrade.

Using the Fastest Method for Twenty Minutes

High-intensity Fishing only wins when the pace can be maintained. A sustainable 70,000 XP method can outperform a theoretical 130,000 XP method that causes you to stop training.

Staying at Tempoross After the Rewards Stop Mattering

Tempoross is valuable because of its reward pool and moderate XP. Once those rewards are no longer important, compare its rate honestly against your available alternatives.

Continuing Drift Nets After Finishing Hunter

The method's efficiency comes from training two skills. Once Hunter reaches your target, switch unless you still enjoy the activity or want its fish.

Ignoring Secondary Experience at Barbarian Fishing

Agility and Strength XP may be worth more to your account than a modest increase in Fishing XP elsewhere.

Calling Minnows or Leechfin AFK

Minnow spots move every 15 seconds. Leechfin requires frequent directional inputs. Neither belongs in an AFK route.

Following Outdated Profit Tables

Fish prices change. Check current prices before committing dozens of hours to a profit method.

Recommended Fishing Routes to Level 99

Route	Progression	Best For
Fastest Practical XP	Questing, Tempoross or fly fishing, three-tick Barbarian Fishing, then Leechfin or two-tick harpooning	Players willing to maintain high attention
No Tick Manipulation	Questing, Tempoross, normal Barbarian Fishing, then Leechfin	Players wanting high XP without traditional tick methods
Low-Attention Route	Questing, Tempoross for fish barrel, monkfish, then Karambwan or other AFK fish	Players training while doing something else
Total-Level Efficiency	Questing, drift net fishing, then Barbarian Fishing	Players who also need Hunter, Agility, and Strength
Profit Route	Questing, Tempoross, Karambwan, minnows or anglerfish, then high-level resource fish	Players accepting slower XP for useful catches
Ironman Route	Questing, Tempoross, Barbarian Fishing, Karambwan stockpile, then resource methods as needed	Accounts that value food and supplies over GP

Fastest Practical XP Route

1. Complete Sea Slug and other convenient early Fishing quests.
2. Use fly fishing or Tempoross to reach the upper 40s.
3. Use drift nets only if Hunter also matters.
4. Begin Barbarian Fishing once leaping salmon become available at level 58.
5. Learn three-tick Barbarian Fishing if comfortable with tick manipulation.
6. At level 71, move to two-tick harpooning with a crystal harpoon for maximum traditional rates.
7. At level 78, consider Leechfin when you want comparable intensity without combat-based tick manipulation.

No Tick-Manipulation Route

1. Quest to level 24 or higher.
2. Fly fish until level 35.
3. Train at Tempoross for experience and rewards.
4. Use normal Barbarian Fishing once leaping salmon are available.
5. Switch to Leechfin at level 78 when ready for active training.
6. Return to Tempoross or Karambwan whenever a lower-effort session is needed.

Low-Attention Route

1. Complete Sea Slug.
2. Use fly fishing or Tempoross to level 62.
3. Catch monkfish after Swan Song when convenient.
4. Move to Karambwan at level 65.
5. Obtain the fish barrel to double the catch held before banking.
6. Continue Karambwan or switch to anglerfish, infernal eels, or sacred eels based on the desired resources.

Total-Level Efficiency Route

1. Use quests for the earliest levels.
2. Begin drift net fishing at 47 Fishing and 44 Hunter.
3. Continue until Hunter reaches the desired target.
4. Move to Barbarian Fishing for passive Agility and Strength.
5. Switch to pure Fishing methods once those secondary skills no longer add value.

Ironman Route

1. Complete Sea Slug and other useful quest rewards.
2. Train at Tempoross and pursue the fish barrel.
3. Use Barbarian Fishing when Agility and Strength experience are valuable.
4. Catch and bank a substantial supply of karambwan.
5. Use minnows for sharks when the Angler outfit and Fishing Guild requirements are complete.
6. Use infernal eels, sacred eels, or Sailing methods when their specific resources are required.

The Best Fishing Method Changes With the Rest of Your Account

Fishing has no single route that is best for every account. Two-tick harpooning provides exceptional pure experience but demands constant execution. Leechfin offers high rates through reactive gameplay rather than traditional tick manipulation. Barbarian Fishing becomes more valuable when Agility and Strength are low. Drift nets are excellent while Hunter still needs levels. Karambwan are difficult to beat when you want several minutes of uninterrupted progress and useful food.

Use Tempoross for rewards rather than treating it as an obligation from level 35 to 99. Obtain the Angler outfit when its unlocks matter, not simply because it displays an experience bonus. Equip Rada's blessing for additional fish, not additional XP. Bring the fish barrel only when banking.

Most importantly, change methods when the reason you selected the current one no longer applies. If Hunter reaches your target, leave drift nets. If your food stockpile is complete, reconsider Karambwan. If active methods become exhausting, accept a lower theoretical rate and keep progressing.

Players deciding whether members content offers enough additional value can read is OSRS membership worth it?. Our guide to whether OSRS is worth playing in 2026 also covers the wider state of the game.

Written by: Drew B.
Last verified: July 2026
Game version: Current live Old School RuneScape
Testing note: This guide combines current game mechanics, official Jagex updates, and researched training comparisons. MMOWire has not benchmarked every method under identical conditions. Experience rates vary with Fishing level, equipment, attention, banking, location, world conditions, and player execution.