Best Fishing Farming Spots in WoW Classic

By RenataKane Updated: 2025/01/05

Coastal and Inland Fishing Locations in WoW Classic

Inland fish and pools are found in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams

Coastal fish and pools are only found along sea coasts

Criteria for Recommended Fishing Zones

All fishing zones in this guide will give you an average catch rate of 50% or more of the target fish unless otherwise specified (fishing in pools will always yield at least 60% catch rate on the target fish). The highest possible catch rate is always selected.

If a lower-level zone and a higher-level zone both give the same catch rate, the lower-level zone is listed. Not only will the mobs be lower level and be less likely to interrupt important fishing, but the fishing level requirements will also be lower, ensuring fewer fish get away.

Information for Each FishPool:Minimum Fishing Level:Avoid Getting Away:Type:Best Zones:Special Requirements:Fishing Tips are my personal tips, tricks, and favorite spots!Best Fishing Spots for Fish (A-Z) in Wow ClassicDarkclaw Lobster
Minimum Fishing Level:Avoid Getting Away:Type:Best Zones:ShandrinaShankysRaw Summer BassWinter SquidLarge Raw MightfishStonescale EelFishing Tips: Unless you're specifically looking for Darkclaw Lobster for some reason, and you're just using it to skill Cooking, consider Raw Whitescale Salmon instead. You won't need to fish in such high-level waters and risk so many getaways.Recipe:

Recipe: Lobster Stew (Cooking 275): sold by Vivianna and Sheendra Tallgrass in Feralas

Deviate Fish
Pool: School of Deviate FishMinimum Fishing Level:Avoid Getting Away:Type:Best Zones:Recipes:

Recipe: Savory Deviate Delight (Cooking 85): zone drop in The Barrens

Recipe: Elixir of Giant Growth (Alchemy 90): zone drop in The Barrens

Firefin Snapper
Pools:Firefin Snapper SchoolOil SpillMinimum Fishing Level:Avoid Getting Away:Type:Best Zones:Fishing Tips: Fire Oil is a widely-used component used in three different professions: Alchemy, Enchanting, and Tailoring. It's used to make ,

Large Raw Mightfish

Minimum Fishing Level: 330
Avoid Getting Away: 425
Type: Coastal
Best Zones: 5% - Azshara (Bay of Storms)

Large Raw Mightfish is one of those fish that makes you question your commitment to Sparkle Motion: even in the very best zone, you're only going to catch an average of 1 out of every 20 fish. There are much better recipes to use for skilling Cooking at 275 with a much higher drop rate (Raw Whitescale Salmon has a 40% and is caught in zones where you only need 205 fishing and 300 for avoiding get-aways). However, if you're here to fish for the other high-level fish and happen to catch a few, it's good tank food, giving +10 to stamina for 10 minutes.

In this case, the best zone really is the only zone where you can catch these.

Map for Large Raw Mightfish Fishing in Azshara

Recipe:

Recipe: Mightfish Steak (Cooking 275): sold by Vivianna and Sheendra Tallgrass in Feralas

Oily Blackmouth

Pool: Oily Blackmouth School
Minimum Fishing Level: 1/150
Avoid Getting Away: 75/225
Type: Coastal (some Inland, as noted)
Best Zones: Darkshore, Silverpine Forest (lake around Fenris Isle as well as Coastal), The Barrens, Westfall, Loch Modan (the Loch)

Oily Blackmouth schools are found in all zones from level 10 onward, but your easiest farming is in these level 10-20 zones.

Oily Blackmouth pools are nearly always found only in Coastal areas, but there are two zones in this range where they are found inland as well. In Silverpine Forest, there are pools around the lake surrounding Fenris Isle, as well as along the coastal shore. In Loch Modan, they're only found in and around the shore of the Loch and around the islands inside it. In the Barrens, there are often pools near the docks in Ratchet; it's worth looking for them while you're visiting the goblin village.

The zone with the longest stretches of uninterrupted coastline for Oily Blackmouth pools are Darkshore and Westfall. Horde players may also choose to wait until Hillsbrad, where they not only get a longer stretch of coastline to check but a slightly higher by-catch rate in out-of-pool fishing (by-catch has its highest rate in the 20-30 zones).

Fishing Tips: Blackmouth Oil is a component in three Alchemy potions and one Enchanting recipe: Fishing, Elixir of Water Breathing, Free Action Potion, and Swim Speed Potion. It's worth fishing up more than you need to sell to other crafters.

Recipe:

Blackmouth Oil (Alchemy 80): Alchemy trainer

Raw Brilliant Smallfish

Minimum Fishing Level: 1
Avoid Getting Away: 25
Type: Inland
Best Zones: All 1-10 zones

Brilliant Smallfish is in the trifecta of 1-100+ cooking leveling: Brilliant Smallfish (1-50), Longjaw Mud Snapper (50-100), and Bristle Whisker Catfish (100+).

You can catch Brilliant Smallfish in the main cities, but you're better off going for an inland waterway or pond in your local 1-10 zones. Your catch rate there will be about 60%, except for Tirisfal Glades, which is hampered by the presence of Sickly Looking Fish which will reduce your catches by about 15%.

Durotar mostly has coastal waterways, as well as some large puddles that are mostly too shallow for fishing. The best place to fish for Brilliant Smallfish here is at a small pond at Jaggedswine Farm, just south and slightly east on the road out of Orgrimmar. If you stand on the western bank near the hut, you won't get bothered by hostile scorpions. You can also fish in the Southfury River along the western side of the zone. Just watch for the crocs.

You can catch Brilliant Smallfish in the main cities, but the catch rate is only about 15%, and you will get a LOT of "Your fish got away" messages until you reach about level 50 Fishing.

Recipe:

Recipe: Brilliant Smallfish (Cooking 1): sold by several vendors; click recipe for full list.

Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish

Minimum Fishing Level: 55
Avoid Getting Away: 150
Type: Inland
Best Zones: All Faction Cities, Ashenvale, Duskwood, Hillsbrad Foothills, Redridge Mountains, Stonetalon Mountains, Wetlands

Like Brilliant Smallfish and Longjaw Mud Snapper, Bristle Whisker Catfish can be caught comfortably in your home city. It's a no-danger zone, but if you want to catch them at a much higher rate (about 60% instead of 25%), you will need to move to the inland waters of 20-30 zones. Undercity is the least productive since you get so many bycatches of Sickly Looking Fish.

Stonetalon's catch rate is divided based on where you're fishing. The little pond in the Horde town Sun Rock Retreat and the pond in the center of the zone are both 60%, and the lower-level Windshear Crag area is only 40%.

Recipe:

Recipe: Bristle Whisker Catfish (Cooking 100): sold by several vendors; click recipe for full list.

Raw Glossy Mightfish

Minimum Fishing Level: 205
Avoid Getting Away: 300
Type: Coastal
Best Zones: 20% - Azshara, Feralas, Stranglethorn Vale (Jaguero Isle), Tanaris, The Hinterlands

The best average catch rate for Glossy Mightfish is 20%. In Stranglethorn Vale, not just any coastal area will do; you can only catch these off the higher-level shores of Jaguero Isle in the southeast part of the zone. You also cannot catch these fish in Azshara's Bay of Storms.

You can fish for this together with Raw Spotted Yellowtail, which like Glossy Mightfish is a reagent for a 225 Cooking recipe.

Map for Raw Glossy Mightfish Fishing in Stranglethorn Vale

Recipe:

Recipe: Cooked Glossy Mightfish (Cooking 225): sold by Kelsey Yance in Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale

Raw Greater Sagefish

Pool: Greater Sagefish School
Minimum Fishing Level: 130
Avoid Getting Away: 225
Type: Inland
Best Zones: Alterac Mountains, Stranglethorn Vale

The most compact area to fish is along the western lake shoreline of Alterac Mountains, and with only neutral Turtles populating (most) of the shoreline, it's a very safe, quiet place to fish and look for a spawn. It's also not a bad place to catch Raw Mithril Head Trout, so you can have something productive to fish for when you're waiting for pools to respawn. Just be careful to stay away from any buildings; one can contain a pair of 33 and 34 elites, Nancy Vishas and Grandpa Vishas, who can be a little testy. They're equally hostile to both Alliance and Horde.

Stranglethorn Vale also has many pools in the rivers, but there are also many more wandering and hostile mobs along the shoreline.

Fishing Tips: This is a popular stat food for casters because of the mana regen buff. As a result, this fish tends to sell well. Even if you're not a caster and don't need it for yourself, it's worth farming for the money.

Map for Greater Sagefish Fishing in Alterac Mountains

Recipe:

Recipe: Sagefish Delight (Cooking 175): sold by several vendors; click recipe for full list.

Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper

Minimum Fishing Level: 1
Avoid Getting Away: 75
Type: Inland
Best Zones: Capitol Cities

Longjaw Mud Snapper is the second of the three-part series of fish you can use to level from 1 to 150 fishing without cooking another thing.

While there are many zones where you can fish Longjaw Mud Snapper, the easiest, safest, and most efficient place to farm them is in the main cities. You will also get Raw Brilliant Smallfish, as well as Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish once you've hit level 55, but you'll get far more Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper than either of those.

You can also get these in the 1-10 and 20-30 zones, but the catch rate is lower than what you'll get in the cities.

Recipe:

Recipe: Longjaw Mud Snapper (Cooking 50): sold by several vendors; click recipe for full list.

Raw Mithril Head Trout

Minimum Fishing Level: 130
Avoid Getting Away: 225
Type: Inland
Best Zones: Alterac Mountains, Arathi Highlands, Desolace, Dustwallow Marsh, Stranglethorn Vale, Thousand Needles

Raw Mithril Head Trout is good to farm alongside Raw Greater Sagefish along the western lake shoreline in Alterac Mountains. It can be farmed in inland waterways in any of the above-mentioned zones.

Dustwallow Marsh is also popular, as its interior waterways provide a wealth of choices for fishing spots. You can also catch Raw Rockscale Cod in this zone, another good leveling fish for that bracket, but you'll need to move to the coastlines for these since cod are coastal fish, not inland.

Recipe:

Recipe: Mithril Head Trout (Cooking 175): sold by several vendors; click recipe for full list.

Minimum Fishing Level: 205
Avoid Getting Away: 300
Type: Inland
Best Zones: 25%: Azshara, Eastern Plaguelands, Felwood, Feralas (Jademir Lake), Moonglade, The Hinterlands, Un'goro Crater, Western Plaguelands, Winterspring
Special Requirements: Best time to catch: between midnight at 6 AM server time. Cannot catch at all between noon and 6 PM server time.

Nightfin is one of the few fish that can only be caught at certain times of the day. The "Nightfin" name is a giveaway; this fish is best fished at night, preferably between midnight and 6 AM server time. During the height of the day, between noon and 6 PM, you will not be able to catch this fish at all. Other times of day are possible, but the yield is reduced.

It has a max best of 25% at the best times. It shares spawn timers with Raw Sunscale Salmon, which has the opposite time cycle as the Raw Nightfin Snapper.

Azshara, Felwood, The Hinterlands, Un'goro Crater, and Western Plaguelands all overlap with fishing for Raw Redgill, which is a great fish for leveling Cooking (225). In Eastern Plaguelands, Feralas (Jademir Lake), and Winterspring, it overlaps with Raw Whitescale Salmon, used in a Cooking (275) recipe.

Recipe:

Recipe: Nightfin Soup (Cooking 250): sold by Gikkix, Steamwheedle Port, Tanaris

Raw Rainbow Fin Albacore

Minimum Fishing Level: 1
Avoid Getting Away: 75
Type: Coastal
Best Zones: Silverpine Forest, The Barrens, Westfall

Rainbow Fin Albacore fits the same cooking leveling niche as Longjaw Mud Snapper, without as many good places to fish it up. If you're already spending a lot of time in the zones listed above, it might be worth getting if you're not planning to go to a city to fish up Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper instead.

However, if you're Alliance, you will want to get this recipe for the opening of the Gates of Ahn'qiraj event -- and you'll likely be doing most of your fishing off Westfall. However, you can also fish off the shore at neutral Ratchet in The Barrens.

Quest:

Recipe:

Recipe: Rainbow Fin Albacore (Cooking 50): sold by several vendors; click recipe for full list.

Fishing Tips: Unless you're Alliance and you want this for the quests, I wouldn't bother with this recipe if you're strapped for cash and you're not a completionist.

Raw Redgill

Minimum Fishing Level: 205
Avoid Getting Away: 300
Type: Inland
Best Zones: 40% - Azshara, Felwood, Feralas, The Hinterlands, Un'goro Crater, Western Plaguelands

Filet of Redgill is a very good recipe to get as it gets over an awkward cooking bridge. It's a relatively easy fish to find, and you can combine it with some other fishing that can be quite profitable. Azshara, Felwood, The Hinterlands, Un'goro Crater, and Western Plaguelands all overlap with fishing for Raw Nightfin Snapper and Raw Sunscale Salmon.

Fishing Tips: My favorite spot for fishing these is The Hinterlands. The pond west of Skulk Rock has several spots without any wandering mobs, so it can be a nice, quiet place to fish. The little island in the lake where you find Homing Robot OOX-09/HL is nearly ideal, as there is nothing nearby to disturb you -- except for some other players who will find the chicken to start the quest. Even if they do, the action doesn't start right away, so you won't get unexpected aggro.

Map for Raw Redgill Fishing in The Hinterlands

Recipe:

Recipe: Filet of Redgill (Cooking 225): sold by Kelsey Yance in Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale

Raw Rockscale Cod

Minimum Fishing Level: 130
Avoid Getting Away: 225
Type: Coastal
Best Zones: Arathi Highlands, Desolace, Dustwallow Marsh, Stranglethorn Vale, Swamp of Sorrows

Rockscale Cod doesn't make for exciting cooking, but it's plentiful and easy to fish up in many places, so it's very popular as a skilling recipe.

One of the easiest spots to farm for Rockscale Cod as Horde is on the small islands just south of Grom'gol in Stranglethorn Vale. This puts you just inside of The Savage Coast, and for Alliance players, it's well away from Grom'gol to avoid attracting the guards. It's about /way 31.8 32. You will also get Raw Spotted Yellowtail, Oily Blackmouth, and Firefin Snapper as well. (Tip: Don't fish in the area flagged as "Grom'gol Base Camp", or you'll get mostly Bristle Whisker Catfish).

It's also a fish that often drops off mobs, which makes Dustwallow Marsh such an attractive place to fish for them. It's super easy to reach as Alliance, less so for Horde. Since these are coastal fish, you can take a little break from fishing and kill some Threshers, Turtles, or Makrura. If you're also a skinner, you can do double duty by killing turtles along the coastlines north of Theramore and dropping a line when you've had enough.

There are two places to fish safely for Raw Rockscale Cod in Dustwallow Marsh. If you're Alliance, just fish off the docks of Theramore for ultra-safe fishing. If you're Horde, the eastern coastline just north of Theramore has lots of neutral Turtles (see above note about the skinning) and you can easily find a spot where there are no Murlocs nearby for annoying aggro.

Map for Raw Rockscale Cod Fishing in Dustwallow Marsh

Recipe:

Recipe: Rockscale Cod (Cooking 175): sold by several vendors; click recipe for full list.

Raw Sagefish

Pool: Lesser Sagefish School
Minimum Fishing Level: 1/55
Avoid Getting Away: 75/150
Type: Inland
Best Zones: 1+ fishing: Loch Modan, Silverpine; 75+ fishing: Ashenvale, Hillsbrad Foothills, Stonetalon Mountains

Sagefish is the earliest caster stat food recipe, so it's popular and the raw fish sells relatively well. It's found in pools in inland spots, starting in 10-20 zones Loch Modan and Silverpine, and moving on to some 20-30 zones. These pools aren't found in The Barrens, as the inland waterways with pools will have School of Deviate Fish instead.

For Alliance, the easiest place to fish is right around Astranaar in Ashenvale. For Horde, my favorite spot is the pond in the center of Stonetalon Mountains. There are spiders, thunder lizards, and wyvern nearby, but if you stick close to the shoreline, you can run laps around it and have very little problem with wanderers. You can always swim across parts of it to avoid the occasional thunder lizard.

Map for Raw Sagefish Fishing in Ashenvale

Map for Raw Sagefish Fishing in Stonetalon Mountains

Recipe:

Recipe: Smoked Sagefish (Cooking 80): sold by several vendors; click recipe for full list.

Raw Slitherskin Mackerel

Minimum Fishing Level: 1
Avoid Getting Away: 25
Type: Coastal
Best Zones: Durotar, Teldrassil

I only recommend those starting in Durotar even bother with Slitherskin Mackerel. The coastline near the fishing trainer outside Sen'jin Village is safe, early fishing with a low bar to get over for get-aways. The recipe is even sold by a vendor right in Sen'jin Village. It's a great way to get early free food and get fishing skill. Everyone else should take the Raw Brilliant Smallfish - Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper - Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish route.

Recipe:

Recipe: Slitherskin Mackerel (Cooking 1): click to see several vendors, but most likely purchased from Nessa Shadowsong in Rut'theran Village, Teldrassil or Zansoa near Sen'jin Village, Durotar

Raw Spotted Yellowtail

Minimum Fishing Level: 205
Avoid Getting Away: 300
Type: Coastal
Best Zones: 40%: Azshara, Feralas, Stranglethorn Vale (Jaguero Isle), Tanaris, The Hinterlands

Spotted Yellowtail is one of the two coastal fish for recipes starting at Cooking 225; the other is Raw Glossy Mightfish. These spawn in the same area, so make sure you have both recipes to take advantage of this synchronicity. You can also fish here for Raw Summer Bass and Winter Squid at the correct times of the year.

The area near Steamwheedle Port in Tanaris is a great place for Raw Spotted Yellowtail, with many other great fish to catch along with it.

This fish will become important for the Gates of Ahn'qiraj opening events, Horde-side.

Map for Raw Spotted Yellowtail Fishing in Tanaris

Quest:

Recipe:

Recipe: Spotted Yellowtail (Cooking 225): sold by Gikkix, Steamwheedle Port, Tanaris

Fishing Tips: My favorite spot for fishing these coastal fish, and others in its range, is Steamwheedle Port in Tanaris. It's a neutral town so it's a safe place. Be careful moving too far south, as there are hostile Wastewanders in the area.

Raw Summer Bass

Minimum Fishing Level: 205/330
Avoid Getting Away: 300/425
Type: Coastal
Best Zones: 25%: Azshara (Bay of Storms; fishing 330/425); 10%: Azshara, Feralas, Stranglethorn Vale (Jaguero Isle), Tanaris, Hinterlands
Special Requirements: Only catchable between the Spring Equinox and Fall Equinox; never between midnight and 6 AM server time, except in Bay of Storms, Azshara. Switches places with Winter Squid.

Raw Summer Bass runs on the opposite cycle of Winter Squid; it returns to the coastal shores on the Spring Equinox (March 19 or 20) and migrates away on the Vernal (Fall) Equinox (Sept 22 or 23). It also has time limitations as noted above. It has about a 10% catch rate except in the Bay of Storms area.

It shares an area where you can also catch large numbers of Raw Spotted Yellowtail and Raw Glossy Mightfish, which are valuable leveling fish.

Recipe:

Recipe: Hot Smoked Bass (Cooking 240): sold by Kelsey Yance in Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale

Raw Sunscale Salmon

Minimum Fishing Level: 205
Avoid Getting Away: 300
Type: Inland
Best Zones: 25%: Azshara, Eastern Plaguelands, Felwood, Feralas (Jademir Lake), Moonglade, The Hinterlands, Un'goro Crater, Western Plaguelands, Winterspring
Special Requirements: Not catchable between midnight and 6 AM server time.

Sunscale Salmon is one of the few fish that can only be caught at certain times of the day. This fish is a sun lover and is best fished during the day, preferably between noon and 6 PM server time. Between midnight and 6 AM server time, you will not be able to catch this fish at all. Other times of day are possible, but the yield is reduced.

It has a max best of 25% at the best times. It shares spawn timers with Raw Nightfin Snapper, which has the opposite time cycle as the Raw Sunscale Salmon.

Azshara, Felwood, The Hinterlands, Un'goro Crater, and Western Plaguelands also overlap with fishing for Raw Redgill, which is a great fish for leveling Cooking (225). In Eastern Plaguelands, Feralas (Jademir Lake), and Winterspring, it overlaps with Raw Whitescale Salmon, used in a Cooking (275) recipe.

Recipe:

Recipe: Poached Sunscale Salmon (Cooking 250): sold by Gikkix, Steamwheedle Port, Tanaris

Raw Whitescale Salmon

Minimum Fishing Level: 330
Avoid Getting Away: 425
Type: Inland
Best Zones: 40%: Eastern Plaguelands, Feralas (Jademir Lake), Winterspring

Raw Whitescale Salmon is one of three fish used to make Cooking (275) recipes and the only one of the three that does not require a trip to Azshara's Bay of Storms and its high-level fishing requirements. This makes it the best choice if skilling is your primary concern. It's found in high-level zones, but there are some nice safe places to fish for these if you look.

Since it's also going to be involved in the opening events for the Gates of Ahn'qiraj (for the Horde, at least), it's another good reason to favor this over the other high-level fish.

Fishing Tips: My favorite spot for this is small but friendly -- it's the tiny pond in Winterspring near Donova Snowden, the quest giver in a small camp just as you enter Winterspring from Felwood. It might get overcrowded there and there isn't a lot of room for too many to fish comfortably, but it's free from wanderers. Jademir Lake in northern Feralas is roomier, although it can be tricky to find the exact spot that doesn't have any wandering mobs. I've had decent luck finding such a spot near the northern shore, wedged up near the mountains.

Map for Raw Whitescale Salmon Fishing in Winterspring

Map for Raw Whitescale Salmon Fishing in Feralas

Quest:

Recipe:

Recipe: Baked Salmon (Cooking 275): sold by Vivianna and Sheendra Tallgrass in Feralas

Stonescale Eel

Pool: Stonescale Eel Swarm
Minimum Fishing Level: 205
Avoid Getting Away: 300
Type: Coastal
Best Zones: Azshara, Feralas, Tanaris

These can also be by-catches in Stranglethorn Vale (Jaguero Isle) and The Hinterlands, but the bulk of the swarms will be found in the three zones above. These will yield the highest rate of eels. The area around Steamwheedle Port in Tanaris is mostly occupied by neutral Turtles, so it's a relatively safe place to fish.

Fishing Tips: Stonescale Oil is used in four Alchemy recipes, including one very popular raid flask: Flask of the Titans. It's also used in Elixir of Superior Defense, Potion of Petrification, and Greater Stoneshield Potion. Like the other alchemical fish, it's worth fishing up extras for sale.

Recipe:

Stonescale Oil (Alchemy 250): Alchemy trainer

Winter Squid

Minimum Fishing Level: 205
Avoid Getting Away: 300
Type: Coastal
Best Zones: 25%: Azshara (Bay of Storms; fishing 330/425); 10%: Azshara, Feralas, Stranglethorn Vale (Jaguero Isle), Tanaris, Hinterlands
Special Requirements: Only catchable between the Fall Equinox (Sept 22 or 23) and Spring Equinox (March 19 or 20); never between midnight and 6 AM server time, except in Bay of Storms, Azshara. Switches places with Raw Summer Bass.

Winter Squid runs on the opposite cycle of Raw Summer Bass; it returns to the coastal shores on the Vernal (Fall) Equinox (Sept 22 or 23) and migrates away on the Spring Equinox (March 19 or 20). It also has time limitations as noted above. It has about a 10% catch rate, except in the Bay of Storms area.

It shares an area where you can also catch large numbers of Raw Spotted Yellowtail and Raw Glossy Mightfish, which are valuable leveling fish.

Fishing Tips: Although Raw Summer Bass produces a decent stat food, Grilled Squid is an Agility stat food coveted by agility classes -- rogues, hunters, and feral druids. Many of them will stash large quantities of Grilled Squid to see them through the months when Winter Squid is not available. Even if you're not an agility class yourself, this is a valuable farming fish that typically sells well in the Auction House. If you really want to bank some coin, cook it up and offer it on the market around July.

Recipe:

Recipe: Grilled Squid (Cooking 240): sold by Gikkix, Steamwheedle Port, Tanaris

Four Best Fishing Locations Overall

While there are many places to fish, and where you go will depend on what fish you want to target, you can get from 1-300 fishing in just three zones, and have a wide variety of fish for leveling up your cooking.

The Cities (1-150), except Undercity

All six capital cities all have fishing ponds containing three fish: Raw Brilliant Smallfish, Raw Longjaw Mud Snapper, and Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish. It's best to go to one of the ponds in the starter areas to get your fishing up to 25 or so before trying the cities, or you'll struggle a lot with "your fish got away". However, once you're catching fish regularly, you can keep fishing there until you've maxed out your second level of fishing, though it does slow down a lot after 125. It's a safe place to fish.

Undercity has a lower drop rate of all the good fish, as it has an annoying population of Sickly Looking Fish taking up the spawn table. It's best to move to Orgrimmar for city fishing.

Dustwallow Marsh, Coast (130-225)

Dustwallow Marsh has great fishing, both inland and coastal. If you don't care whether you're catching Raw Mithril Head Trout (inland] or Raw Rockscale Cod (coastal), go coastal, as this gives you greater variety. Both of these recipes produce level 25, non-stat food, so it shouldn't matter which you go after.

Going inland gives you possible by-catches of Raw Bristle Whisker Catfish, which you'll probably be leveled beyond. They do sell reasonably well for skilling but aren't as valuable.

Going coastal means that you'll also get Raw Spotted Yellowtail as well as Oily Blackmouth and Firefin Snapper, both in and out of pools. Alliance can fish right safely right out of Theramore; Horde can fish along the shore just north of Theramore, where there are stretches of beach with only neutral Turtles around.

Ren Says: To give you an idea of how safe this area is on the beach north of Theramore, I was fishing here as a level 20 rogue -- huge aggro radius at this level! I had to death my way across Dustwallow Marsh to get here, but once here I was undisturbed. These are the lengths I go through to test a theory!

Map for Best Fishing in Dustwallow Marsh

Tanaris, Steamwheedle Port (205-300)

Tanaris' major fishing catch will be Raw Spotted Yellowtail, which will be good for both Alliance and Horde when the Gates of Ahn'qiraj event opens. In addition to Yellowtail, you can also catch Raw Glossy Mightfish, Firefin Snapper, Raw Rockscale Cod, and Raw Summer Bass or Winter Squid, depending on the season. Plus, Steamwheedle Port is neutral and it's relatively easy to find an area nearby with nothing worse than non-hostile Turtles for company. There are Wastewander humanoids not far south from Steamwheedle, so be careful how far you go.

Stonescale Eel Swarm is also found along the coastal shores of Tanaris.

If you find it's slowing down after 275 or so, you can move to Feralas or Winterspring for Raw Whitescale Salmon, but you can go all the way in these waters.

Map for Best Fishing in Tanaris

Azshara, Bay of Storms (High Level Fish)

While I have steered people off the Bay of Storms in this guide, there really is no beating it for variety and spawn rates of high-level fish -- if you can get your fishing level high enough to avoid too many escapes. You can't even fish here without 330 skill, which means you'll need -- at a minimum -- a decent pole and plenty of low-level lures. However, if you're 300 Fishing, have a good pole, a good supply of Aquadynamic Fish Attractor and perhaps some other fishing gear or enchants, you can do very well here: Darkclaw Lobster, Raw Summer Bass or Winter Squid (seasonal), Stonescale Eel, Raw Spotted Yellowtail, and Large Raw Mightfish.

While this area has a lot of wanderers, it's possible to find small rocks and islands on which to stand where you won't be bothered.

Map for Best Fishing in Azshara, Bay of Storms

Buying All Fish Cooking Recipes in the Fewest Stops

While many vendors have fishing recipes, you can limit your trips to just 4-5 stops and buy all the recipes at once, if you have the cash to do so. Even if you don't, knowing where your one-stop-shopping vendors are will save you a lot of running around.

There is only one cooking recipe, Recipe: Savory Deviate Delight, that is not sold by a vendor. It's a world drop in The Barrens.

Step 1: Inland Starters: Brilliant Smallfish, Longjaw Mud Snapper, Sagefish, and Bristle Whisker Catfish (Cooking 1-100)

While no single vendor has all three recipes, you can make two stops in the same general locations and pick up all three:

Stormwind:

Recipe: Brilliant Smallfish and Recipe: Bristle Whisker Catfish: Catherine Leland, Stormwind City; also Recipe: Rainbow Fin Albacore
Recipe: Smoked Sagefish: Erika Tate, Stormwind City
Recipe: Longjaw Mud Snapper: Tharynn Bouden, Goldshire

Thunder Bluff:

Recipe: Brilliant Smallfish and Recipe: Bristle Whisker Catfish: Sewa Mistrunner, Thunder Bluff
Recipe: Longjaw Mud Snapper: Naal Mistrunner, Thunder Bluff; also Recipe: Smoked Sagefish and Recipe: Sagefish Delight if you want

Undercity:

Recipe: Brilliant Smallfish and Recipe: Longjaw Mud Snapper: Lizbeth Cromwell, Undercity.
Recipe: Bristle Whisker Catfish, Ronald Burch, Undercity; also Recipe: Rainbow Fin Albacore, Recipe: Smoked Sagefish and Recipe: Sagefish Delight

Step 2: Coastal Starters: Slitherskin Mackerel and Rainbow Trout (Cooking 1-50)

I'd only worry about picking these up if you're a completionist; Brilliant Smallfish and Longjaw Mud Snapper fill the same roles with more places to fish. To purchase Recipe: Slitherskin Mackerel and Recipe: Rainbow Fin Albacore:

Nessa Shadowsong, Rut'theran Village, Teldrassil
Zansoa, along coast west of Sen'jin Village, Durotar

Step 3: Midlevel Fish (Cooking 175-240)

Go to Booty Bay to visit Kelsey Yance, who sells all available 175-240 fish recipes Recipe: Cooked Glossy Mightfish, Recipe: Filet of Redgill, Recipe: Hot Smoked Bass, Recipe: Mithril Head Trout, Recipe: Rockscale Cod, Recipe: Sagefish Delight, and Recipe: Smoked Sagefish (the lone 80 recipe).

Step 4: Mid-200s Fish (Cooking 240-250)

Gikkix in Steamwheedle Port, Tanaris sells all available level 240-250 fish recipes: Recipe: Grilled Squid, Recipe: Nightfin Soup, and Recipe: Poached Sunscale Salmon.

Step 5: Highest Level FIsh (Cooking 275)

In Feralas, Vivianna in Feathermoon Stronghold and Sheendra Tallgrass in Camp Mojache sell Recipe: Baked Salmon, Recipe: Lobster Stew, and Recipe: Mightfish Steak.

Comments

Comment by blissfire

Great guide! Will certainly use once I've done enough levelling that I'm looking for other things to do. ;)

Comment by ZekkDistor

Gear for +fishing skill (might be handy to know how to get to that 475 skill to avoid getaways:

Poles
Nat Pagle's Extreme Angler FC-5000 (Horde only, from Snapjaws, Mon! in Revantusk Village, Hinterlands, gives +25 skill
Best pole for Alliance would be Big Iron Fishing Pole from looting Shellfish Trap next to Shadowprey Village in Desolace, gives +20 skill

If you're feeling lucky you can always try to get Arcanite Fishing Pole from the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza, gives +35 skill

Lure
Aquadynamic Fish Attractor from Engineering. Gives +100 skill for 5 minutes
Flesh Eating Worm is a drop, or Bright Baubles from vendors, gives +75 skill for 10 minutes

Other Gear
Nat Pagle's Extreme Anglin' Boots from the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza, hand in a Brownell's Blue Striped Racer, gives +5 skill
Lucky Fishing Hat from the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza, hand in a Keefer's Angelfish, gives +5 skill
High Test Eternium Fishing Line from the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza, hand in a Dezian Queenfish, gives +5 skill

Enchant Gloves - Fishing, gives +2 skill

Mind you that the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza isn't live yet, with no information about when it goes live. It's expected in Phase 2 or 3 according to Reddit, but no official word yet.
So as of yet, the highest you can get is 427 as Horde, or 422 as Alliance

Comment by trovalds

Very good guide! Well explained, easy to understand and follow. And aside with cooking and alchemy recipes makes it a must have. Thanks to author for the great guide! 5 stars with no doubt.

Comment by Killovolt1

How is this gold making guide ?

Comment by Killovolt1

How is this gold making guide ?

Comment by NorthStarChiver

Great guide, thanks for taking the time to put it together!

MC Shammer

STOP! SHAMMER TIME!

Comment by Beok

There is a small formatting error with the Raw Whitescale Salmon.
Its Minimum Fishing Level and Avoid getting Away values should be in red but they are in white.

Comment by Ortuus

I'd strongly recommend anyone who follows this guide to Theramore (since you're levelling) if you plan to stick there while grinding, go ahead and fish on the island where Nat is, instead of on the beaches. - If you're level appropriate.

Comment by shorty701s

Just a heads up, it's absolutely possible to catch Raw Glossy Mightfish in Bay of Storms in Azshara.

Comment by CampfireBandit

I know it's a little late, but in 2023 I think these are the most well written and helpful expansion guides on this site, the classic wow team knocked it out of the park!

Comment by warlocktank

The donnie darko reference is my favorite part of this guide.

Comment by alxndr

For Raw Redgill, I prefer fishing on the southern bank of Darrowmere Lake in Western Plaguelands. For both Alliance and Horde, it's easy for lower levels to reach by running up the river from Tarren Mill or Southshore, and aside from a few lvl 20-30 mobs on the way there, there's nothing to stop you from fishing there aside from required fishing level.

Comment by Malbolgia

Guide is missing Lightning Eel but other then thats its good =)

Best Fishing Farming Spots in WoW Classic

Contribute