Fishing is one of the oldest and most iconic skills in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), offering a relaxing yet profitable way to train and gather resources. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced player, fishing provides a steady source of income, healing items, and is integral to several other skills like Cooking, Crafting, and Slayer. It is also one of the few skills in OSRS gold that can be trained entirely afk (away from keyboard), making it ideal for players who want to multi-task or casually level up their character.

In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about fishing in OSRS in 2025. From basic training methods to advanced strategies, we'll show you how to level up your fishing skill, maximize your profits, and ensure you're fishing efficiently in the current meta.

1. Why Fishing is an Important Skill in OSRS

Fishing in OSRS has several benefits, making it one of the most sought-after skills for many players:

Profit: Fishing offers a steady stream of income, especially when catching high-value fish like sharks, anglerfish, and karambwan. Players can sell fish at the Grand Exchange for substantial profits.

Experience: Fishing provides a reliable source of experience for your character. Plus, it's relatively easy to train, making it accessible to both beginners and more advanced players.

Food for Combat: Many of the fish you catch can be cooked into high-healing food, which is essential for high-level PvM, bossing, and PvP activities. Fish like Sharks and Anglerfish are popular for their healing properties.

Passive Training: Certain fishing methods are highly afk, allowing you to train your skill while doing other activities, like watching a movie or chatting with friends.

Crafting and Slayer: Fishing is essential for getting resources needed in other skills. For example, slayer tasks often require fish for healing, while Crafting benefits from fish-related items like raw karambwanji and fishbowls.

2. Fishing Training Basics

Before we dive into the more advanced methods, let's cover some key aspects of fishing in OSRS that every player should know:

Fishing Gear

While fishing doesn't require extensive gear, certain items can increase efficiency or make your time fishing more profitable.

Fishing Rod: The basic tool used for fishing, which works with a variety of baits depending on what you're fishing for. The Barbarian Rod and Trident of the Seas are better alternatives if you want to optimize your experience rates.

Fishing Poles: Some fishing spots, like Fly fishing spots, require Fly Fishing Rods that can be purchased at Shilo Village or obtained through specific quests.

Bait: Different types of fish require different bait. For example, worms are used to catch perch, pike, and trout at fishing spots like Barbarian Village, while feathers are used for Fly fishing.

Angler's Outfit: This special outfit boosts your fishing experience by 2.5%. It's one of the best ways to speed up your fishing grind and is often recommended for players looking to max the skill.

Fishing Locations

Certain locations are ideal for different levels of fishing. Here are a few important spots for each stage of your fishing journey:

Lumbridge Swamp: Great for shrimp and anchovies fishing in the early levels.

Barbarian Village: Excellent for fly fishing and catching trout and salmon. It's also great for afk training since the fishing spot is near a bank.

Shilo Village: The go-to location for buy RS gold tropical fish and karambwan. It's also where you'll find the Shilo Village bank which makes for a fantastic fishing hub.

Catherby: Offers access to Sharks and Sea turtles, especially for higher-level players.

Fishing Experience and Profitability

Each fish caught gives you a certain amount of experience (XP). Higher-level fish yield more experience and can be sold for greater profit. You'll want to balance fishing for XP and profit based on your goals.

Low-level fish (shrimp, anchovies, and trout) generally have lower XP rates but are quick to catch and can be sold for small profits.

Mid-level fish like Lobsters and Swordfish offer a good balance of XP and profit.

High-level fish, such as Sharks, Anglerfish, and Karambwan, are generally slower to catch but offer high XP and are sought after for their healing properties in combat.