World of Warcraft: Forever launches on November 4 with Classic’s fishing rules, so this WoW Forever fishing guide is a route you can use on day one: your starting zone to 75, a capital, the Barrens or Loch Modan to 150, Stranglethorn Vale or Dustwallow Marsh to 225 and Feralas or Tanaris to 300. Expert Fishing still comes from a book in Booty Bay and Artisan Fishing from Nat Pagle’s quest in Dustwallow Marsh. Four maps show where the water is at each step.
The zone you fish in decides what you catch and whether fish get away. It doesn’t change how fast you gain skill, and that one rule saves most of the travel other routes ask for. Forever adds a camp Fish Bowl worth 8% of your stats, fish dishes that raise your Fishing skill, trophy fish that sell for a silver per pound and new feasts that eat lobsters by the dozen. The other profession guides are linked from our WoW Forever hub.
How solid this is: the beta runs until October 21 and stops at level 30, so nobody has fished Forever’s level 40 to 60 zones yet. Zone requirements and catches are Classic data, and Zockify’s and WoW-Professions’ Forever guides use the same zones. Items, lures, recipes and camp objects come from the beta client’s game data (build 1.60.1.70374, October 13). Blizzard’s beta development notes up to October 8 contain no fishing changes.
WoW Forever Fishing Route at a Glance
The fastest WoW Forever fishing route is to fish wherever fish can’t get away at your skill and to move only for the next rank or for fish you want. Bright Baubles (+75 Fishing for 10 minutes) let you fish one zone tier higher at every step without getaways.
| Skill | Alliance | Horde | Lure | Then |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-75 | Elwynn Forest, Dun Morogh, Teldrassil, Zephras Isle | Durotar, Mulgore, Tirisfal Glades, Zephras Isle | None | Journeyman at 50 (level 10) |
| 75-150 | Any Alliance capital, Loch Modan, Westfall, Darkshore | Any Horde capital, the Barrens, Silverpine Forest | None | Expert book at 125 (level 20) |
| 150-225 | Wetlands, Hillsbrad, Redridge, Duskwood; or Stranglethorn and Dustwallow with a lure | Hillsbrad, Ashenvale, Stonetalon; or Stranglethorn and Dustwallow with a lure | Bright Baubles for Stranglethorn and Dustwallow | Artisan quest at 225 (level 35) |
| 225-300 | Stranglethorn, Arathi, Dustwallow; or Feralas, Tanaris, Azshara with a lure | Stranglethorn, Desolace, Thousand Needles; or Feralas, Tanaris, Azshara with a lure | Bright Baubles or Aquadynamic Fish Attractor for the 300 zones | Done |
How Fishing Skill Works in WoW Forever
WoW Forever fishing follows Classic’s zone rule as far as the beta shows: every zone has a skill below which you catch nothing and a higher skill from which no fish gets away. In between, part of your bites get away, and a getaway gives no skill point. Warcraft Wiki documents this as the system before patch 3.1, and the Fishing spell in Forever’s beta client still reads “Higher skill increases your chance of fishing successfully in higher level areas.”
The zone has no effect on how fast you gain skill. Zockify’s Forever guide says so outright, and in Classic the catches needed per point depend only on your skill: about one per point to 75, two to 145, three to 190, four to 225, five to 265 and six to 300, roughly 900 catches in all (Classic numbers compiled by Blizzard Watch). Lures, poles and the new fishing food add to the skill the zone checks, so a 150 fisher with Bright Baubles counts as 225.
| No getaways from | Catch anything from | Zones (Classic data) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1 | Dun Morogh, Durotar, Elwynn Forest, Mulgore, Teldrassil, Tirisfal Glades |
| 75 | 1 | The Barrens, Darkshore, Loch Modan, Silverpine Forest, Westfall, the six capitals, Deadmines, Wailing Caverns, Blackfathom Deeps |
| 150 | 55 | Ashenvale, Duskwood, Hillsbrad Foothills, Redridge Mountains, Stonetalon Mountains, Wetlands |
| 225 | 130 | Alterac Mountains, Arathi Highlands, Desolace, Dustwallow Marsh, Stranglethorn Vale, Swamp of Sorrows, Thousand Needles, Scarlet Monastery |
| 300 | 205 | Azshara, Felwood, Feralas, the Hinterlands, Moonglade, Tanaris, Un’Goro Crater, Western Plaguelands, Jaguero Isle, Maraudon, Sunken Temple |
| Unknown | Unknown | Forever’s new zones: Zephras Isle (Zockify and WoW-Professions treat it as a starting zone), Riverglades, Shen’dralas, Mount Hyjal |
The table is Blizzard Watch’s Classic list, based on the El’s Anglin’ fishing site. What it means in practice: you could fish from 75 to 300 in Orgrimmar or Stormwind without a single getaway. You move for the Expert book, for Nat Pagle and for fish that Cooking and Alchemy actually use.
WoW Forever Fishing Trainers
WoW Forever fishing trainers teach Apprentice and Journeyman only. In the beta, Apprentice has no level requirement and Journeyman needs Fishing 50 and character level 10 (WoW-Professions). Trainers per Zockify’s Forever data:
| Where | Alliance | Horde |
|---|---|---|
| Starting areas | Lee Brown (Crystal Lake, Elwynn), Paxton Ganter (Iceflow Lake, Dun Morogh), Androl Oakhand (Rut’theran Village) | Lau’Tiki (Sen’jin Village, Durotar), Uthan Stillwater (Stonebull Lake, Mulgore), Clyde Kellen (Brightwater Lake, Tirisfal) |
| Capitals | Arnold Leland (Stormwind), Grimnur Stonebrand (Ironforge), Astaia (Darnassus) | Lumak (Orgrimmar), Armand Cromwell (Undercity), Kah Mistrunner (Thunder Bluff) |
| Leveling zones | Warg Deepwater (Loch Modan), Matthew Hooper (Lakeshire), Harold Riggs (Menethil Harbor), Donald Rabonne (Southshore) | Kil’Hiwana (Ashenvale), Lui’Mala (Desolace), Katoom the Angler (Revantusk Village, Hinterlands) |
| Both factions | Myizz Luckycatch (Booty Bay); on Zephras Isle, Fenn Fairweather (Shen’dar Village) and Baelann Swiftcurrent (Valanaar) | Same |
Fishing 1-150: Starting Zones, Capitals and the Barrens
Fishing 1 to 75 works in any starting zone, where fish can’t get away from skill 25. Buy a Fishing Pole (23 copper in the beta client’s data) and a few Shiny Baubles (+25 for 10 minutes, 50 copper) from the vendor next to your trainer, and train Journeyman at 50.
From 75 to 150, every capital plus the Barrens, Silverpine Forest, Loch Modan, Westfall and Darkshore are free of getaways. Horde players get the most from the Barrens: Zockify lists its oasis ponds for Deviate Fish, which Alchemy and Cooking both use. Alliance players can fish the Loch next to Warg Deepwater, or the Westfall and Darkshore coasts, where Zockify lists Oily Blackmouth schools; Darkshore has Firefin Snapper schools too.
How to Get Expert Fishing in WoW Forever
Expert Fishing in WoW Forever still comes from the book Expert Fishing – The Bass and You. Old Man Heming sells it in his shop on the lowest dock level of Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale (27.4, 77.2 per Zockify). It needs character level 20 and Fishing 125, costs 1 gold in the beta client’s data and isn’t bound, so the auction house works too. Myizz Luckycatch, the fishing trainer for both factions, stands next to him.
WoW-Professions buys its Bright Baubles from Heming as well. If you travel to Booty Bay at 125 anyway, fishing 150 to 225 in Stranglethorn with a lure costs no extra trip.
Fishing 150-225: Stranglethorn Vale and Dustwallow Marsh
Fishing 150 to 225 has two good options. Without a lure, the Wetlands, Hillsbrad Foothills, Ashenvale, Duskwood, Redridge and Stonetalon are free of getaways from 150. With Bright Baubles (+75 for 10 minutes, Fishing 100, 2 silver 50 copper) your skill counts as 225 or more, so Stranglethorn Vale and Dustwallow Marsh work from 150, and they hold the Expert book, a quest fish and Nat Pagle.
Stranglethorn’s coast has Stonescale Eel swarms plus Firefin Snapper and Oily Blackmouth schools (Zockify). Jaguero Isle, the island south-east of Booty Bay, counts as a 300 zone in Classic data, so save it for 225 and Bright Baubles. Dustwallow is WoW-Professions’ pick for the bracket because you hit 225 right next to Nat Pagle.
How to Get Artisan Fishing in WoW Forever
Artisan Fishing in WoW Forever comes from the quest Nat Pagle, Angler Extreme, which needs character level 35 and Fishing 225. Nat Pagle stands on the shore south-west of Theramore Isle in Dustwallow Marsh (58.6, 60.1 per Zockify) and wants four fish:
- Feralas Ahi in Feralas, around 62, 51
- Misty Reed Mahi Mahi in the Swamp of Sorrows, around 90, 72
- Sar’theris Striker in Desolace, around 25, 77
- Savage Coast Blue Sailfin in Stranglethorn Vale, around 33, 32
The spots are Zockify’s approximate quest locations. Feralas is a 300 zone, so use Bright Baubles there (WoW-Professions’ advice); the other three are 225 zones with no getaways at your skill. The beta client has all four quest fish and the Artisan Fishing spell. Classic’s Artisan book, Artisan Fishing – The Way of the Lure, is in the Classic Era client but missing from Forever’s item data, so the quest is the only way in the data. Blizzard Watch’s Classic guide suggests doing it around level 45.
Fishing 225-300: Feralas, Tanaris and the High-Level Coasts
From 225 to 300, the 225 zones (Stranglethorn, Arathi, Dustwallow, Desolace, the Swamp of Sorrows, Thousand Needles, Alterac) need no lure. The 300 zones (Feralas, Tanaris, Azshara, the Hinterlands, Un’Goro, Felwood, Western Plaguelands, Moonglade) need Bright Baubles or the Aquadynamic Fish Attractor (+100 for 5 minutes) until 300, and they hold the valuable catches: Stonescale Eel swarms along the Feralas, Tanaris and Azshara coasts, Big-mouth Clams with pearls, and Patches of Elemental Water in Azshara (Zockify).
Some fish depend on the clock in Classic data (Blizzard Watch): Raw Nightfin Snapper bites best from midnight to 6 a.m., Stonescale Eel from midnight to noon and Raw Sunscale Salmon from noon to 6 p.m. Raw Winter Squid peaks in winter (about December 21 to March 18) and Raw Summer Bass in summer; in autumn, when Forever launches, both come at a lower rate.
Lures, Fishing Poles and Fishing Food
| Item | Fishing bonus | Needs | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shiny Bauble | +25 for 10 min | Nothing | Vendor, 50 copper |
| Nightcrawlers | +50 for 10 min | Fishing 50 | Vendor, 1 silver |
| Bright Baubles | +75 for 10 min | Fishing 100 | Vendor, 2 silver 50 copper |
| Aquadynamic Fish Attractor | +100 for 5 min | Fishing 100 | Vendor or Engineering, 2 silver 50 copper |
| Strong Fishing Pole | +5 | Level 5, Fishing 10 | Vendor, 9 silver |
| Big Iron Fishing Pole | +20 | Level 25, Fishing 100 | Shellfish Traps in Desolace |
| Nat Pagle’s Extreme Angler FC-5000 | +25 | Fishing 100 | Quest Snapjaws, Mon! (Hinterlands, Horde) |
| Arcanite Fishing Pole | +35 | Fishing 300 | Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza winner |
| Enchant Gloves – Fishing | +2 | Enchanting | 1 Soul Dust, 1 Blackmouth Oil |
Lure values, requirements and prices are from the beta client; pole bonuses and sources from Zockify, matching Classic. The Darkwood Fishing Pole (+15 in Classic) isn’t in Forever’s item data.
New in Forever, five fish dishes add Fishing skill while Well Fed, on top of the 5% kill experience crafted food gives: Loch Frenzy Delight +3, Fillet of Frenzy +5, Bristle Whisker Catfish +8, Rockscale Cod +12, Filet of Redgill and Spinefin Halibut +18 (beta client; 15 minutes per Zockify). Our math: a Filet of Redgill, Bright Baubles and the glove enchant put a 205 fisher at 300, enough for Feralas without getaways.
What’s New for Fishing in WoW Forever
WoW Forever keeps Classic fishing and adds camp objects, a Legacy perk, fishing food, new gear and new recipes for your catch. Everything below is from the beta client unless noted.
| Change | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fish Bowl (Fishing 20) | Camp object from 1 Raw Brilliant Smallfish and 1 Empty Vial: everyone sitting at the campfire gets 8% more stats, mutually exclusive with Blessing of Kings (10%) | Beta client; Warcraft Tavern also reports 8% |
| Fishing Rack (Fishing 140) | Blueprint; 2 Simple Wood, 1 Crystal Vial, 2 Raw Mithril Head Trout. Lets you catch uncommon fish for an hour, provides Fishing Skill lures and includes the Fish Bowl buff | Beta client; one hour per Zockify; Blueprint source unknown |
| Fishing Hut (Fishing 300) | Blueprint; 5 Simple Wood, 2 Bolts of Runecloth, 1 Seasonal Fish Steaks (new, source unknown). Rare fish for an hour, lures and the Fish Bowl buff | Beta client; Blueprint source unknown |
| Luremaster | Legacy perk, Professions tree, 2 ranks: 25% per rank to catch an extra fish while a lure is active | Beta client, Zockify |
| Trophy fish worth 1 silver per pound | 10 Pound Mud Snapper sells for 10 silver (8 copper in Classic), 103 Pound Mightfish for 1 gold 3 silver (2 silver); the Grouper are now Yellowtail | Beta client against the Classic Era client |
| Feasts | Grand Lobster Banquet (12 Darkclaw Lobster) and Specklefin Feast (12 Raw Spotted Yellowtail, 3 Raw Rockscale Cod) feed up to 40 players: +20 attack power, +23 spell damage, +44 healing, +10 Stamina. Both are Season of Discovery recipes that also sit in the Classic Era client with Season of Discovery reagents, so whether they can be made at launch is unknown | Beta client |
| New fish recipes | Plated Armorfish (+150 armor), Spinefin Halibut, Clam Linguine (3 Zesty Clam Meat) | Beta client |
| New fishing gear | Wide-Brimmed Fishing Hat (uncommon, Stamina and Spirit, use: +25 lure), Primitive Fishing Pole (rare, level 40, Stamina, Strength, Agility), Master Angler’s Fishing Hat, Empty Fish Bucket, Bitter Baitling pet. Sources unknown | Beta client |
| Fishing Extravaganza prizes | Winners of the Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza get a coin to “exchange for a prize of your choosing from Jang” and a Master Angler title while a buff lasts | Beta client |
| Find Fish | The Burning Crusade ability that shows fishing pools on the minimap is in Forever’s fishing ability list; how you learn it is unknown | Beta client |
| No Legacy Points | Fishing milestones earn no Legacy Points | Zockify, our Legacy guide |
The Fish Bowl is the camp object worth making early: one smallfish and a 20 copper vial for a percentage buff that grows with your stats, unlike the flat values of most tier 1 objects. Our WoW Forever professions guide lists every profession’s camp buff, and Blizzard’s systems panel recap explains Camping. Luremaster sits behind the 5-point gate in the Professions tree of the WoW Forever Legacy System; Zockify recommends that tree’s open perk, Working Overtime (20% higher skill-up chance), for leveling Fishing.
The trophy fish change matters for gold. In Classic they were vendor junk; at 1 silver per pound, a 68 Pound Yellowtail is 68 silver to any vendor. How often they bite in Forever is unknown. Our Classic fishing gold guide covers the old markets for comparison.
Which Fish Matter for Cooking and Alchemy
The fish worth keeping in WoW Forever are the ones crafters burn in bulk: oils for Alchemy and the new feasts for Cooking. Recipes are from the beta client, locations are Classic data from Zockify.
| Fish | Used for | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Stonescale Eel | Stonescale Oil, 2 per eel in Forever: Elixir of Greater Defense (2 oils), Greater Stoneshield Potion (3), Flask of the Titans (10), Flask of Petrification (30), Tooled Leather Armor (6) | Eel swarms on the Feralas, Tanaris, Azshara and Stranglethorn coasts |
| Firefin Snapper | Fire Oil, 2 oils from 2 snappers in Forever: Elixir of Fire Power, Fire Protection Potion, Elixir of Holy Power, Crimson Silk and the new Flame tailoring pieces (1 to 8 oils each) | Schools on the Darkshore, Wetlands, Stranglethorn, Tanaris and Azshara coasts |
| Oily Blackmouth | Blackmouth Oil, still 1 oil from 2 fish: Free Action Potion, Swim Speed Potion, Water Breathing and Water Walking draughts, the glove enchant | Schools on the Darkshore, Westfall, Wetlands and Silverpine coasts |
| Deviate Fish | Savory Deviate Delight, Elixir of Giant Growth | Barrens oases, Wailing Caverns |
| Darkclaw Lobster, Raw Spotted Yellowtail, Raw Rockscale Cod | The two 40-player feasts (12 lobsters, or 12 yellowtail and 3 cod each) | Sea coasts (zones not checked) |
| Big-mouth Clam | Zesty Clam Meat for Clam Linguine and Undermine Clam Chowder, plus pearls for crafting | Azshara, Tanaris, Feralas, the Hinterlands, Stranglethorn, Eastern Plaguelands |
| Raw Brilliant Smallfish, Raw Mithril Head Trout | The Fish Bowl and Fishing Rack | Smallfish in starting zone fresh water |
Our WoW Forever alchemy leveling guide finishes 265 to 300 with Elixir of Greater Defense for 43 Stonescale Eels, and a raid Alchemist burns far more on Flasks of the Titans. Our WoW Forever cooking leveling guide turns the rest of your catch into skill points.
Fish also feed Forever’s supply crates. The beta client has Waylaid Supplies for Brilliant Smallfish, Smoked Sagefish, Goblin Deviled Clams, Rockscale Cod, Nightfin Soup and Undermine Clam Chowder, plus Fire Oil, Elixir of Firepower and Elixirs of Greater Defense, all turned in for Merchant’s Favor. None of the 150 new Craftsman’s Writs asks for fish or a fish dish; only the four Classic level 55 writs for Stonescale Eel, Plated Armorfish, Lightning Eel and Baked Salmon are still in the item data.
FAQ
Where is the fishing trainer in WoW Forever?
Every capital and every starting zone has a WoW Forever fishing trainer, for example Lumak in Orgrimmar’s Valley of Honor and Arnold Leland in Stormwind. They teach Apprentice and Journeyman only.
How do you get Expert Fishing in WoW Forever?
Buy Expert Fishing – The Bass and You from Old Man Heming in Booty Bay for 1 gold and read it. It needs level 20 and Fishing 125.
How do you get Artisan Fishing in WoW Forever?
Complete Nat Pagle, Angler Extreme from Nat Pagle in Dustwallow Marsh at level 35 and Fishing 225. He wants a Feralas Ahi, a Misty Reed Mahi Mahi, a Sar’theris Striker and a Savage Coast Blue Sailfin.
What is the WoW Forever fishing buff?
The Fish Bowl camp object gives everyone at the campfire 8% more stats, like a weaker Blessing of Kings, and doesn’t stack with it. It needs Fishing 20 and is made from a Raw Brilliant Smallfish and an Empty Vial.
Does the zone affect fishing skill-ups in WoW Forever?
No. The zone only decides whether fish get away, and a getaway gives no point. Fish where your skill, lure included, is at or above the zone’s no-getaway level.
Sources: Blizzard’s beta development notes (September 24, October 1 and 8) and Blizzard’s BlizzCon systems panel recap. Beta data from Zockify (Forever fishing overview, leveling and trainer pages) and the beta client’s game data (build 1.60.1.70374, read via wago.tools, compared with the Classic Era client); WoW-Professions’ beta-tested Forever route; Classic zone requirements and catch rates from Blizzard Watch, Classic rules from Warcraft Wiki. Maps: Blizzard Entertainment, from Warcraft Wiki’s map files.