Our WoW Classic Fishing guide, helps you learn all about the secondary profession — Fishing. Fishing is a very slow and meditative profession that requires a significant amount of time to level up. With our leveling guide, you’ll discover the benefits of Fishing, how to level it up quickly and easily, where to find trainers, details about unique fishing items, and the key differences between Classic Fishing and Retail.
4.9WoW Classic Fishing Overview
Fishing in WoW Classic Fresh is not just a relaxing pastime, it’s an incredibly useful profession that can help you cook better food, make gold, and even find some unique items. Unlike Retail WoW, Classic WoW 20th Anniversary places a lot of emphasis on professions, which means Fishing is more rewarding and plays a bigger role in your leveling journey. Fishing is a good useful profession for primary professions and gold professions.
- Fishing pairs perfectly with Cooking since many of the simplest recipes for leveling up Cooking rely on fish. You can focus entirely on fish-based recipes to enhance your cooking skills.
- Fishing is also highly valuable for Alchemy. Oily Blackmouth, Firefin Snapper, Stonescale Eel these fishes are very important for primary professions, such as Alchemy for their oils.
- Raw fish also sells well at the Auction House, making it a great option for earning gold.
- Fishing is also great for Hunters because it provides an easy and inexpensive way to feed pets. Many raw fish can be consumed by pets immediately, which means you can drop a line in almost any zone and feed your pet on the fly or buy the fish in the Auction House. Animals like Bats, Bears, Boars, Carrion Birds, Cats, Crabs, Crocolisks, Turtles, and Wind Serpents can all eat raw fish, making Fishing an essential skill for many Hunters.
- Another fun aspect of Fishing is the potential for unique rewards. You can fish up treasures in pools of wreckage, or even get pearls out of clams, adding an extra layer of excitement to the profession.
We also recommend getting a Mount, as fishing often involves moving around for long stretches, which can be tedious on foot. Our pro players can quickly secure a mount for you, making it much easier to fish across the vast lands of Azeroth!
Classic and Retail Fishing in WoW
Fishing in WoW Classic is very different from fishing in the Retail version of the game, these differences are very noticeable to those who have only played Retail. Here are the ways it stands out:
- You need Fishing Pole in your main hand instead of a weapon slot to fish. Since you won’t have immediate access to your weapons, it’s wise to choose a quiet fishing spot where the risk of being attacked is minimal. Also, you don’t have a fishing button. Later versions of WoW allow you to fish with no pole equipped or equipped in a Fishing Journal.
- It matters where you Fish in Classic. In the retail version, you can fish in any zone, but you may get junk for a long time. In WoW Classic, fishing in areas with a level too high for your Fishing skill may not be possible. You’ll receive an error message indicating that your skill level is too low to cast a line. If your skill is just low for that area, you might be able to cast, but you will often get the dreaded “Your fish got away!” message. In these cases, you won’t catch anything or gain skill points.
- Bait helps reduce fish escapes. In Classic Fresh, bait isn’t just about getting better fish and less junk. If you don’t catch anything, you don’t get a skill point. Lures like Shiny Bauble can help increase your success rate, especially in areas where your skill is low.
- In WoW Classic, you can only train Fishing up to Journeyman level through a trainer. To advance further, you’ll need to buy a special book for Expert Fishing and complete a quest to unlock Artisan Fishing.
WoW Classic Starting Fishing
To get started with WoW Classic 20th Anniversary Fishing, you only need a basic fishing requirements Fishing Pole from a Fishing Supplies vendor, and learn Apprentice Fishing from a trainer in a major city. While bait isn’t strictly required, it can definitely help increase your chances of catching fish, especially as you start going after more elusive catches at higher levels. A Shiny Bauble can make those early levels much smoother.
Fishing Trainer in WoW Classic
In WoW Classic Fresh the following Fishing trainers will teach you both Apprentice (1-75) and Journeyman (75-150) Fishing skills. You can find them in major cities and all across Azeroth. Here is a list of Alliance and Horde trainers.
Alliance Fishing Trainers
| Trainer | Location | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|
| Androl Oakhand | Teldrassil | 56, 93.6 |
| Arnold Leland | Stormwind City | 45.8, 58.2 |
| Astaia | Darnassus | 47.6, 56.6 |
| Brannock | Feralas | 32.2, 41.6 |
| Donald Rabonne | Hillsbrad Foothills | 50.6, 61 |
| Grimnur Stonebrand | Ironforge | 48.4, 6.4 |
| Harold Riggs | Wetlands | 8.2, 58.6 |
| Lee Brown | Elwynn Forest | 47.6, 62.2 |
| Matthew Hooper | Redridge Mountains | 26.8, 50.4 |
| Paxton Ganter | Dun Morogh | 35.6, 40.4 |
| Warg Deepwater | Loch Modan | 40.6, 39.6 |
| Myizz Luckycatch | Stranglethorn Vale | 27.6, 77 |
Horde Fishing Trainers
| Trainer | Location | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|
| Armand Cromwell | Undercity | 80.8, 31.2 |
| Clyde Kellen | Tirisfal Glades | 67.2, 51 |
| Kah Mistrunner | Thunder Bluff | 56, 46.8 |
| Katoom the Angler | The Hinterlands | 80.2, 81.4 |
| Kil’Hiwana | Ashenvale | 10.8, 33.6 |
| Lau’Tiki | Durotar | 53.2, 81.6 |
| Lui’Mala | Desolace | 22.6, 72.6 |
| Lumak | Orgrimmar | 69.8, 29.6 |
| Uthan Stillwater | Mulgore | 44.6, 60.6 |
| Myizz Luckycatch | Stranglethorn Vale | 27.6, 77 |
WoW Classic Fishing Leveling
Reaching 1-300 Fishing skill in WoW Classic Fresh requires patience and persistence. Below are some recommended areas for leveling, though you’re free to explore other options as well. If your skill isn’t high enough, you’ll get a message letting you know.
Tip: Level Fishing alongside Cooking to maximize your catch and efficiently progress in both professions.
Leveling up Fishing can be a tedious, monotonous, and time-consuming task. Save your time and let our team help you reach the desired Fishing skill level quickly and efficiently!
Fishing Leveling 1-75
In the beginning, it might be challenging, but you can fish up Raw Brilliant Smallfish in inland waters or Raw Slitherskin Mackerel along the coast in every starting zone. Use Shiny Bauble to improve your chance to catch fish. Raw Brilliant Smallfish tends to sell better than Raw Slitherskin Mackerel, making it a more profitable option if you have extras.
Note: Avoid Tirisfal Glades for leveling Fishing as it yields Sickly Looking Fish, which aren’t useful or sellable.
Fishing Leveling 75-150
Fishing in major faction capital cities like Stormwind is very safe and efficient. In these safe locations, you’ll catch a mix of Raw Brilliant Smallfish, Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper, and Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish. These fish are useful for Cooking, and cities provide a safe, non-hostile environment to focus on skill-ups.
Fishing Leveling 150-225
Head to Dustwallow Marsh to improve your Fishing skills in inland waters. Here, you can catch Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish and Raw Mithril Head Trout, both of which are highly marketable. Alternatively, fish along the coast north of Theramore Isle to catch Raw Rockscale Cod, Raw Spotted Yellowtail, Oily Blackmouth, and Firefin Snapper.
Fishing Leveling 225-300
Steamwheedle Port in Tanaris is a great place to finish 225 to 300 maximum level. You can also fish in Feralas or Winterspring to get rare types of fish.
WoW Classic Learning Expert Fishing
To learn Expert Fishing in WoW Classic Fresh, you need to be at least level 20 with a Fishing skill of 125. Purchase the book Expert Fishing – The Bass and You from Old Man Heming for 1 gold (way 27.4, 77). This book increases your skill cup to 225.
WoW Classic Learning Artisan Fishing
To become an Artisan Fisherman in WoW Classic, you must complete Nat Pagle, Angler Extreme fishing quests from Nat Pagle. When you get to level 35 and Fishing skill 225, you can accept this quest.
Note: The recommended level is around 45, so be careful if you are lower level. These fish are in dangerous areas!
Find Nat Pagle on his island southwest of Theramore Isle in Dustwallow Marsh, /way 59.6, 60. Here’s his location on a map:
Once there, Nat Pagle will ask you to catch 4 rare fish types. You can only catch these fish if you have the quest and you’re not in a raid group. Here are the required fish and where to find them:
- Feralas Ahi: located in Feralas around /way 62, 51, by the Verdantis River southeast of Dire Maul.
- Misty Reed Mahi Mahi: Located in Swamp of Sorrows around /way 90, 72, on the southeastern shore called Misty Reed Strand.
- Sar’theris Striker: Located in Desolace around /way 25, 77, at Sar’theris Strand south of Shadowprey Village.
- Savage Coast Blue Sailfin: Located in Stranglethorn Vale around /way 33, 32, on the Savage Coast south of Grom’gol Base Camp.
WoW Classic Special Fishing Items
There are also several unique items in the WoW Classic Fresh that can improve your Fishing skill. We’ve compiled them into a table for your convenience, making it easier to find these items and use them to enhance your fishing experience.
| Item | Skill Up | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Fishing Pole | 0 | Purchase from Fishing & Trade Supply merchants. |
| Blump Family Fishing Pole | +3 | The Family and the Fishing Pole from Gubber Blump |
| Strong Fishing Pole | +5 | Fishing & Trade Supply merchants |
| Big Iron Fishing Pole | +20 | Drop 5% chance from Shellfish Trap |
| Nat Pagle’s Extreme Angler FC-5000 | +25 | Snapjaws, Mon! from Katoom the Angler (Horde only) |
| Arcanite Fishing Pole | +35 | Rewarded from winning the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza |
| Shiny Bauble | +25 | Fishing & Trade Supply merchants |
| Nightcrawlers | +50 | Fishing & Trade Supply merchants |
| Aquadynamic Fish Lens | +50 | Electropellers from Wizbang Cranktoggle |
| Bright Baubles | +75 | Fishing & Trade Supply merchants |
| Flesh Eating Worm | +75 | Rare drop from Rotted One in Duskwood |
| Aquadynamic Fish Attractor | +100 | Fishing & Trade Supply merchants or Engineers |
| Lucky Fishing Hat | +5 when equipped | Rare Fish – Keefer’s Angelfish |
| Nat Pagle’s Extreme Anglin’ Boots | +5 when equipped | Rare Fish – Brownell’s Blue Striped Racer |
| Enchant Gloves – Fishing | Enchant gloves to give +2 Fishing skill when worn. | from Enchanters |
| High Test Eternium Fishing Line | Click to enchant your Fishing Pole permanently. Cannot be moved to a different pole. | Rare Fish – Dezian Queenfish |
Special Pools and Fishing Conditions
Fishing schools and wreckages are unique spots in WoW Classic 20th Anniversary that offer players the chance to catch specific types of fish, valuable materials, or even unexpected treasures. Schools appear as distinct whirlpool-like areas in the water, often with visible fish or debris floating on the surface. When you cast your line into one of these schools, you’re more likely to catch a specific kind of fish, such as Oily Blackmouth, Firefin Snapper, or Stonescale Eel, all of which are in demand for Alchemy or Cooking.
These pools aren’t just about fish — Floating Wreckage and Debris can yield locked trunks that may contain potions, trade goods, or even valuable gems and bags. Each cast into a school will deplete it over time, and when fully depleted, the school will disappear until it respawns somewhere nearby.
4.9WoW Classic Fishing guide provided you with a comprehensive overview of the Fishing profession. You discovered its benefits, and explored unique fishing items. Leveling Classic WoW Fresh Fishing is a slow and meditative process, but that’s part of its charm — you get to relax and enjoy the serene landscapes of Azeroth. We hope this guide made your fishing journey more enjoyable and helped you master this relaxing yet rewarding profession.
