Fishing in WoW Classic: Everything you need to know to make the grind easier

Put on your favorite show, because you’re going to be doing this for a long while.

Why bother with Fishing? Fishing in WoW Classic is a slog, but it has some benefits. Both Cooking and Alchemy use fish as reagents, and fishing up clams can get you pearls, which are used for Enchanting, Tailoring, Blacksmithing, and Leatherworking. When Zul’Gurub releases in Phase 4, you’ll want someone with Fishing in order to summon Gahz’ranka. In other words, it’s worth it if you intend to really invest time into WoW Classic.

Though Fishing is a grind, we have all the information you need to make it easier and a little faster.

Fishing basics

To train Fishing, you have to be at least level 5. Start by finding one of the fishing trainers listed in the section below. You also need a Fishing Pole which you can buy from any Fishing Supply vendors — they’re often located near many of the trainers. Apprentice Fishing covers skill levels 1-75 and will cost 1 silver. When you get to level 10 and 50 Fishing skill, you can train Journeyman (75-150) for 5 silver.

To progress into Expert Fishing (150-225), you need to be level 20 with 125 Fishing skill. Find Old Man Heming in Booty Bay — inside the shop on the lower level of the docks — and purchase Expert Fishing – The Bass and You for 1 gold. To cap out your fishing with Artisan level, you need to complete Nat Pagle, Angler Extreme from Nat Pagle in Dustwallow Marsh. This quest becomes available at level 35 and 225 Fishing skill, but is recommended as being done around level 45.

Fishing Trainers will always be near the water — and often you can just level there. You can go hard and grind fishing by zone, or level casually when waiting for a boat or zeppelin (since they’re also usually near water).

Where to train Fishing

Any of these Fishing Trainers will cover you but only from Apprentice to Journeyman Fishing. Make sure you train the next level of Fishing before you max out your current level.

Alliance Fishing Trainers

• Eastern Kingdoms
  • Arnold Leland: on a dock at the canal outside the Trade District in Stormwind
  • Lee Brown: on a dock at the edge of the lake next to Goldshire in Elwynn Forest
  • Matthew Hooper: on the dock in Lakeshire, Redridge Mountains
  • Grimnur Stonebrand: on the second floor inside the building in Forlorn Cavern, Ironforge
  • Paxton Ganter: at the edge of Iceflow Lake next to Brewnall Village in Dun Morogh
  • Warg Deepwater: on the edge of The Loch next to Thelsamar in Loch Modan
  • Donald Rabonne: on a dock south of Southshore in Hillsbrad Foothills
  • Harold Riggs: on the dock in Menethil Harbor, Wetlands
  • Myizz Luckycatch: Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale
• Kalimdor
  • Astaia: on a dock in the Temple Gardens in the center of Darnassus
  • Androl Oakhand: by the shore next to the dock in Rut’theran Village, outside Darnassus
  • Brannock: outside Feathermoon Stronghold in Feralas

Horde Fishing Trainers

• Eastern Kingdoms
  • Armand Cromwell: on a dock above the slime river in the Magic Quarter in Undercity
  • Clyde Kellen: at the edge of Brightwater Lake near Brill in Tirisfal Glades
  • Katoom the Angler: on the dock in Revantusk Village in The Hinterlands
  • Myizz Luckycatch: Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale
• Kalimdor
  • Lumak: on the dock in the Valley of Honor in Orgrimmar
  • Lau’Tiki: on the dock south of Sen’jin Village in Durotar
  • Kah Mistrunner: in the right section of the main tier in Thunder Bluff (next to the lodge leading to Elder Rise)
  • Uthan Stillwater: on the shore of the lake west of Bloodhoof Village in Mulgore
  • Kil’Hiwana: on the shore south of Blackfathom Deeps and The Zoram Strand in Ashenvale
  • Lui’Mala: on the shore south of Shadowprey Village in Desolace

Leveling up Fishing — where to find fishing poles and fishing lures

Fishing is as basic as you can get. You go to a body of water, equip your fishing pole, use the Fishing spell to cast your line, and click on the bobber when it splashes. You only gain skill points when you actually catch a fish, and the higher you go the more catches it requires to gain each point. It takes an average of 900 successful catches to max out Fishing.

• 1-75: ~1 catch per skill point
• 75-145: ~2 catches per skill point
• 145-190: ~3 catches per skill point
• 190-225: ~4 catches per skill point
• 225-265: ~5 catches per skill point
• 265-300: ~6 catches per skill point

Fish can also “get away,” so you want to click on the bobber as soon as it splashes. Better fishing poles, lures, and enchants will reduce the likelihood of fish getting away and will let you successfully fish in higher areas.

Fishing poles

• Blump Family Fishing Pole (+3): reward from The Family and the Fishing Pole in Darkshore (Alliance)
• Strong Fishing Pole (+5): sold by vendors for ~9 silver (limited item, sold one at a time)
• Darkwood Fishing Pole (+15): rare drop from fishing in level 10-20 zones
• Big Iron Fishing Pole (+20): rare drop from Shellfish Trap in Desolace
• Nat Pagle’s Extreme Angler FC-5000 (+25): reward from Snapjaws, Mon! in The Hinterlands (Horde)

Fishing lures (5-10 minute skill increases)

• Shiny Bauble (+25): sold by vendors for ~50 copper
• Nightcrawlers (+50): sold by vendors for ~1 silver, also dropped by Undead mobs
• Aquadynamic Fish Lens (+50): reward from Electropellers in Darkshore (Alliance)
• Bright Baubles (+75): sold by vendors for ~2 silver 50 copper
• Flesh Eating Worm (+75): drop from Rotted One in Duskwood
• Aquadynamic Fish Attractor (+100): crafted by Engineers and also a limited item sold by vendors for ~2 silver 50 copper

Fishing items (permanent skill increases)

• Enchant Gloves – Fishing (+2): glove enchant from Enchanting

The Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza rewards special Fishing gear but isn’t yet in Classic. It was originally added in patch 1.7 with Zul’Gurub, which indicates that it could come in phase 4.

• Lucky Fishing Hat (+5): reward from Rare Fish – Keefer’s Angelfish
• Nat Pagle’s Extreme Anglin’ Boots (+5): reward from Rare Fish – Brownell’s Blue Striped Racer
• High Test Eternium Fishing Line (+5): reward from Rare Fish – Dezian Queenfish
• Arcanite Fishing Pole (+35): reward from winning the event (Master Angler)

Fishing in the right area

The key to maximizing your skill points and making leveling more efficient is fishing in an appropriate zone so you don’t have to deal with wasted casts. Some addons will tell you this information, but we also have a handy list of areas by level, courtesy of El’s Anglin’ who figured this out many years ago. Each zone has a minimum fishing level required to successfully catch something, and a higher one where fish stop getting away.

• Minimum skill 1, no “get aways” skill 25
  • Dun Morogh, Durotar, Elwynn Forest, Mulgore, Teldrassil, Tirisfal Glades
• Minimum skill 1, no “get aways” skill 75
  • The Barrens, Blackfathom Deeps, Darkshore, Darnassus, The Deadmines, Ironforge, Loch Modan, Orgrimmar, Silverpine Forest, Stormwind City, Thunder Bluff, Undercity, The Wailing Caverns, Westfall
• Minimum skill 55, no “get aways” skill 150
  • Ashenvale, Duskwood, Hillsbrad Foothills, Redridge Mountains, Stonetalon Mountains, Wetlands
• Minimum skill 130, no “get aways” skill 225
  • Alterac Mountains, Arathi Highlands, Desolace, Dustwallow Marsh, Scarlet Monastery, Stranglethorn Vale, Swamp of Sorrows, Thousand Needles
• Minimum skill 205, no “get aways” skill 300
  • Azshara, Felwood, Feralas, The Hinterlands, Maraudon, Moonglade, Jaguero Isle (Stranglethorn Vale), Tanaris, The Temple of Atal’Hakkar, Un’Goro Crater, Western Plaguelands

Time-sensitive and seasonal fish

In addition to all the regular fish, there are special fish you can catch only at certain times of the day or even certain seasons. If you’re going after these, you don’t want to waste your time when they aren’t available.

• Raw Nightfin Snapper: highest drop rate between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., lower drop rate from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.
• Stonescale Eel: highest drop rate between 12 a.m. and 12 p.m., lower drop rate from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.
• Raw Sunscale Salmon: highest drop rate between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., lower drop rate from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Seasonal fish have the highest chance of being fished up during their respective seasons — Summer and Winter — where only one is available. However, both can be caught during the Spring and Fall, but at a lower drop rate. In-game seasons are based on the Northern Hemisphere’s astronomical season dates.

• Winter Squid: highest drop rate during the Winter between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox (roughly December 21 to March 18)
• Raw Summer Bass: highest drop rate during the Summer between the Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox (roughly June 20 to September 21)

Useful Fishing addons for WoW Classic Fishing

• Fishing Buddy
• Fishbringer

You can level without an addon, but using one (or both) of these will make it much easier. They can display your skill level and the time you have spent fishing, as well as how many fish you need for the next skill point. They also include features to automatically equip all your fishing paraphernalia, attach lures, and track fish locations and time cycles.

Hopefully this guide helps make Fishing a little more bearable. Good luck casting!