OSRS Fishing training guide 2026: fast routes from 1 to 99, Tempoross and AFK spots

How Fishing XP works

Fishing XP comes per catch, and each fish requires a level, a location and a piece of equipment: shrimp use a net, trout and salmon use fly fishing gear, lobsters a lobster pot, sharks a harpoon, and so on. The skill is naturally relaxed — most spots are bank-adjacent and the action is slow — which makes it a favourite AFK skill.

The trade-off is the same as always: banking fish makes money (sharks, anglerfish and dark crabs sell well), while dropping or power-fishing is faster XP. Fishing is unusual in that the 'AFK' methods are also the profitable ones, because the high-level fish are both slow to catch and valuable.

The 2021 Tempoross minigame added a group dimension, and drift net fishing on Fossil Island is the efficiency record — the route below mixes all three.

Levels 1-58: shrimp to fly fishing

Start with shrimp (1) and sardine (5) with a small fishing net at Draynor Village or Lumbridge, then move to fly fishing: trout (20) and salmon (30) with a fly fishing rod and feathers at Shilo Village — the fastest early XP in the game at roughly 40-50k XP/h, though it requires banking or dropping.

Barbarian rod fishing (35+, requires the Barbarian Training quest) is the alternative: it trains Fishing, Strength and Agility at once with one rod and gives around 45k XP/h with proper technique (using the rod on the water after 'rodding').

The leap from net fishing to fly fishing is the single biggest XP jump in the early game — most players who feel Fishing is slow are still netting shrimp past level 20.

Levels 58-82: lobsters, swordfish and sharks

At 40 you can catch lobsters with a lobster pot at Catherby — the classic AFK mid-game method, with a bank two steps away. At 50 swordfish unlock, caught with a harpoon at the same spots, and the 58 level opens the harpoon-tier sharks? No — sharks require 76. The practical mid-game: lobsters to 58, then swordfish to 76 while banking, or stay on lobsters if you want the easiest rhythm.

The main split at this stage is AFK vs XP: lobsters are the slowest but the most relaxed, while swordfish and (later) sharks give more XP per catch.

Catherby remains the hub through the 70s because the bank is on the spot; the Fishing Guild (68) adds a slightly better location once you qualify.

Levels 82-99: sharks, anglerfish and Tempoross

Sharks (76) are the end-game AFK fish: slow to catch but valuable, caught at the Fishing Guild or Catherby with a harpoon. Anglerfish (82+) in Zeah are the alternative endgame fish — AFK, and the raw fish sell well because they heal 22 when cooked.

The 2021 Tempoross minigame (35 Fishing) is the best all-round method for players who want variety: solo or small teams fight the spirit of the sea, catching fish for the cannon, and each successful run gives large XP plus reward crates. It stays competitive with AFK methods through the 90s.

For the highest rates, drift net fishing on Fossil Island (44 Fishing, 47 Hunter) reaches up to 80-100k XP/h for players with both skills — active, not AFK, but the fastest path to 99 for those who enjoy it.

• 76: sharks — end-game AFK, valuable logs? no, valuable fish.
• 82: anglerfish (Zeah) — AFK, raw sells well (heals 22 cooked).
• 35+: Tempoross — community minigame, big XP + reward crates.
• 44 Fishing + 47 Hunter: drift nets (Fossil Island) — fastest XP, active.

Money and AFK options

The money fish are sharks, anglerfish and dark crabs — all sell well raw, and all are AFK-friendly to catch. If profit is the goal, anglerfish at Zeah is the standard: near-AFK with a decent hourly rate and steady demand.

The AFK ladder: lobsters at Catherby (bank on the spot), sharks at the Fishing Guild (bank on the spot), and anglerfish at Zeah with the fairy ring or house portal nearby. 'AFK' here means clicking every 30-60 seconds.

Cooking pairs naturally — every fish you catch becomes food or money, and the cooking guide covers which catches to bank and which to eat. For ironmen, fishing is the food supply chain: the ironman early game guide covers the full loop from catch to cooked food.