The best way to level Fishing in RuneScape 3 is to start on crayfish, move to fly fishing trout and salmon from level 20, and then pick between fast active methods like Fishing Frenzy at 94 and relaxed AFK spots like the Menaphos port or the Prifddinas waterfall. Fishing is one of the friendliest skills in the game because most methods cost nothing and many can be done half-watching. This rs3 fishing guide walks through each level band with experience rates and requirements checked as of November 2026.
We checked levels, locations, rates and boosts against the RuneScape Wiki's pay-to-play Fishing training guide, its Treasure Trails, Double XP Live and Fort Forinthry pages, and Jagex's November 2026 Double XP news, in November 2026.
Fishing Basics Before You Start
Fishing spots appear as bubbling patches of water, and each spot supports a specific tool and catch: small nets, bait rods, fly rods with feathers, harpoons and so on. Higher-level catches give more experience per fish but often have lower success rates at first, so moving up the moment you hit a new level is not always faster than staying one step behind for a few levels.
The experience rates in this article come from the wiki's training guide, which quotes figures without experience boosts, bonus experience or time spent banking fish. Your real rate depends on your gear, how attentive you are and whether you are dropping or banking. Treat the numbers as a way to compare methods, not as a promise.
Fishing also pays you in other ways. The wiki lists a 1 in 3,000 chance to receive a clue scroll from fishing, so long AFK sessions build up a steady supply of clues, and our clue scroll guide explains how to solve them quickly once you have a stack. Fishing urns, which fill automatically as you fish, add 20 percent experience when you teleport them, or 25 percent for exquisite urns.
Levels 1 to 70: Crayfish, Fly Fishing and Barbarian Rods
The early route is short and needs almost no money.
- Levels 1 to 20, crayfish: east of Lumbridge Church or on the northern lake shore in Taverley near Nicholas Angle. No bait is needed, and the wiki puts the rate at about 11,500 experience per hour.
- Levels 20 to 70, fly fishing: trout and salmon with feathers using the lure option, east of Gunnarsgrunn, on the River Lum near Lumbridge or at Shilo Village after its quest. Rates rise from about 17,000 per hour at level 20 to about 57,000 at 69.
- Levels 58 to 70, barbarian fishing: leaping trout and salmon, which needs 30 Strength and 30 Agility. The wiki says the rate is roughly equal to fly fishing, with small Strength and Agility experience on the side.
- Levels 70 to 72, leaping sturgeon: at the lake near Otto Godblessed's hut on top of Baxtorian Falls, needing 45 Strength and 45 Agility, for about 63,000 per hour at level 70.
Havenhythe added a strong mid-level option. The wiki lists the Wendlewick fish farm from roughly level 45, with rates of about 60,000 per hour at 40, about 90,000 at 55, and up to 250,000 at level 84. If you have reached Havenhythe, it is worth trying, because those numbers beat traditional methods by a wide margin at the same levels.
Mid and High Levels: Where to Fish From 70
From the 70s onward, the choice is mostly about how much attention you want to give. The wiki's guide lists these main options.
- Ghostly sole, from 66: in the City of Um at the Reflection Pool, which requires the quest Necromancy!. It reaches up to 100,000 experience per hour with a bank nearby.
- Menaphos Port District, from 72: desert sole, catfish and beltfish, which needs partial completion of The Jack of Spades. The wiki gives about 85,000 per hour without reputation perks and about 120,000 with the full Fury shark outfit and tier 8 Port reputation, and the VIP area opens at tier 7 overall reputation.
- Croesus Front, from 88: with 92 recommended for all nodes, at about 120,000 to 200,000 per hour with boosts. The shark outfit and Pontifex shadow ring are suggested.
- Prifddinas waterfall, from 93: crystal urchins after Plague's End, with the low area at 93, the middle at 95 and the high area at 97. It runs about 130,000 per hour at base and up to 200,000 with buffs. The grapple shortcut needs 90 Ranged, Agility and Strength.
- Raw wobbegongs, from 96: on the Uncharted Isles, needing Impressing the Locals and Flag Fall, at about 137,000 per hour, with roughly 100 fish per spot per day.
For most players, the Menaphos port is the comfortable all-rounder from 72 to 99, the Prifddinas waterfall is the AFK pick at 93 and up, and Croesus Front suits players who want high rates and already have the boosts.
Fishing Frenzy and Other Fast Methods
Fishing Frenzy is the fastest standard method in the wiki's guide. It opens at level 94, takes place at the Deep Sea Fishing hub, and starts with a conversation with Goomah at the Fishing Guild. Maintaining a streak gives up to 20 percent bonus experience, and the wiki puts the rate at 285,000 or more per hour. It is click intensive, so it suits short focused sessions rather than all-day AFK.
The Deep Sea Fishing hub has a gentler option too. Minnow shoals open at level 68, need no quest, and run at about 48,000 per hour. They are a useful step for players who want to explore the hub before reaching 94.
A few other activities sit beside the main route:
- Fishing contracts: from 90 Fishing in The Arc, time limited, up to three per day.
- Giant Oyster: a monthly activity after Beneath Cursed Tides worth up to 208,980 experience per run at level 99.
- Stealing Creation: with 80 Woodcutting, Hunter, Fishing and Mining, about 140,832 bonus experience per hour from harpoons.
Gear and Boosts That Add Up
Fishing has more small boosts than most skills, and stacking them makes a noticeable difference.
- Fishing outfit: 1 percent experience per piece, 5 percent for the full set.
- Shark outfits: 5 percent extra success. The Fury shark outfit gives 7 percent success, a 10 percent chance of a double catch and a 60 to 70 percent chance to save bait.
- Rods and harpoons: the rod-o-matic (22 Invention) gives 3 percent success and the enhanced version (93 Invention) 4 percent. The crystal fishing rod gives 8 percent, Tavia's fishing rod 14 percent and the dragon harpoon 9 percent at harpoon spots.
- Potions: a perfect juju fishing potion adds 10 percent success, while fishing and super fishing potions add 3 and 5 levels.
- Crystallise: a 20 percent experience boost, raised to 40 percent with Light Form, which makes crystallised fly fishing a strong option from 70 to 93 at up to 118,000 per hour.
- Brawling gloves: 50 percent extra experience, rising to 75 percent with the Infernal Puzzle Box tier 4.
- Fishing cape: at 99, a 5 percent chance of an extra catch.
Three smaller extras are easy to overlook. The fishing accumulator stores charge on failed catches and pays out 2,500 experience when full, which softens the slow start at a new spot. The whopper-baiting scrimshaw gives a 15 percent chance, or 20 percent for the superior version, of a big fish worth bonus experience. Skillchompas add 10 percent experience to each successful action. None of them is essential, but on a long grind toward 99 they add up to many hours saved.
Planning Around Double XP and Your Other Skills
Fishing benefits from Double XP like most skills, but one item works differently. The RuneScape Wiki notes that brawling gloves do not work during Double XP, so save their charges for normal weeks. The November 2026 event runs from 6 to 16 November with 48 hours of doubled time, and our Double XP planning guide covers how to split those hours. Short, focused methods like Fishing Frenzy make the most of a running timer.
Fishing also fits neatly into a routine with other timed activities. Many players fish between farm runs, since both reward checking in regularly, and our Farming guide explains how to set up tree and herb runs. If you cook what you catch, the Kitchen at Fort Forinthry has a range and bank chest close together, and our Fort Forinthry guide explains how to build it.
If You Would Rather Not Grind It Out
Fishing to 99 is relaxing but long, and the fastest high-level spots sit behind quests like Plague's End and The Jack of Spades. Players who want those unlocks from day one sometimes browse the account listings on our RuneScape 3 page, which third-party sellers post and which change daily. Be aware that Jagex's Terms and Conditions do not allow accounts to be bought, sold or shared, prohibit real-world trading, and keep all rights to every account with Jagex.
On your own account, crayfish to 20, fly fishing to 70 and a high-level spot that matches how much attention you want to give will carry you all the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest Fishing experience in RS3?
Fishing Frenzy at level 94, which the wiki puts at 285,000 or more experience per hour before boosts.
What is the best AFK Fishing method?
The Menaphos Port District from 72 and the Prifddinas waterfall from 93 are the usual low-attention picks, both with a bank nearby.
Where do I fish from level 1 to 20?
Crayfish east of Lumbridge Church or on the Taverley lake shore. No bait is needed.
How do you start Fishing Frenzy?
Reach level 94 and speak to Goomah at the Fishing Guild. The activity itself runs at the Deep Sea Fishing hub.
Do brawling gloves work during Double XP?
No. The wiki notes that brawling gloves and dwarven tools do not work while Double XP is active.
Is the Wendlewick fish farm good experience?
Yes for players who have reached Havenhythe. The wiki lists about 90,000 experience per hour at 55, rising to around 250,000 at 84.