rsgoldfast 🎣 OSRS Fishing Guide: The Lazy Man‘s Path to 99 (No Sweat Required)

Want to hit 99 Fishing while watching Netflix? Or maybe you need a steady food supply for your Ironman but hate wasting time on slow methods?
This guide breaks down the fastest, laziest, and most profitable routes from level 1 to 99. You‘ll learn which two quests skip the worst early grind, why the Angler outfit is non-negotiable, and exactly when to switch from fly fishing to AFK Barbarian mode. No fluff—just the straight path to your cape on OSRS gold.

🦐 Early Levels (1 to 20): Skip the Pain with Two Quests
The slowest part of Fishing is the beginning. Do not suffer through it to buy OSRS gold.

The No-Quest Way (slow but simple):
Levels 1 to 5 → Catch Shrimp with a small net south of Lumbridge

Levels 5 to 20 → Switch to a fishing rod and bait. Catch Sardines and Herring at the same spot

The Smart Way (do this instead):
Quest 1: Sea Slug → Requires level 30 Firemaking. Gets you straight to level 24

Quest 2: Fishing Contest → Requires level 10 Fishing. Gets you to level 26

💡 Two quests. That‘s it. They skip the entire worst part of early training.

🏞️ Mid Levels (20 to 58): Fly Fishing Is Your Best Friend
This is where you‘ll spend most of your early grind. It‘s simple and effective.

What you need:
Fly fishing rod

Feathers

Where to go:
North of Ralio in Varlamore, OR

Shilo Village

What you catch:
Level 20 → Trout

Level 30 → Salmon (you‘ll catch both)

Experience per hour:
Starts around 10,000 to 12,000

Reaches 30,000 to 32,000 at level 50

When to leave:
Stay here until level 50 or 58. Your choice. Level 58 unlocks Barbarian Fishing, which is the real AFK starter.

💡 Fly fishing is your bridge from early game to the good stuff. Don‘t rush it, but don‘t linger too long either.

🎮 Two Minigames You Should Not Ignore
Fishing Trawler (Level 15+)
A short five-minute fishing trip

Your main reward: Angler outfit

What it does: 2.5% more Fishing experience forever

When to get it: Early. This helps you from level 15 all the way to 99

Tempoross (Level 35+)
A fishing boss minigame

What you need: Harpoon, rope, hammer, and buckets of water

The gameplay loop: Fish → either cook for more rewards or keep raw for more experience → shoot fish at the boss using crates

Best reward: Fishing Barrel → holds an extra 28 fish (doubles your AFK time)

Experience per hour: 35,000 to 85,000 depending on your level and gear

💡 Get the Angler outfit first. Then grind Tempoross for the Fishing Barrel. These two items make every other method better.

😴 AFK Methods (Low Attention = Watch Shows While You Fish)
These are for when you want to progress without actually playing.

Barbarian Fishing (Level 58+)
What you need: Barbarian rod + feathers

What to do: Drop your fish when inventory is full

Profit: Zero. You‘re here for XP, not gold

Experience per hour: 50,000 to 65,000

Best for: Pure AFK XP grinding

Karambwans (Level 65+)
Requirement: Complete Tai Bwo Wannai Trio quest

How AFK is it? Very. One of the most AFK methods in the game

Pro tip: Use the Fishing Barrel from Tempoross to double your inventory

Experience per hour: ~30,000

Profit per hour: 200,000 to 300,000 gold

Best for: Ironmen who need food + AFK time

Monkfish (Level 62+)
Requirement: Complete Swan Song quest

Experience per hour: ~40,000

Profit: Low

Best for: Easy, brain-off fishing (but Karambwans are usually better)

💡 For pure AFK XP: Barbarian Fishing. For AFK with profit: Karambwans. Monkfish is the third wheel.

💰 Profitable Methods (Good Money, If You Care About GP)
Fishing is not the best moneymaker in OSRS anymore. But if you insist on profiting:

Infernal Eels (Level 80+)
Requirement: Fire Cape

How AFK? Very. Use a hammer on the eels when inventory is full

Experience per hour: ~30,000

Profit per hour: ~220,000 gold

Best for: AFK players who want some passive GP

Dark Crabs (Level 85+) — Best Money
Location: The Wilderness (risky)

Why it‘s good: Use the nearby NPC to note your fish (stay longer)

Experience per hour: ~40,000

Profit per hour: ~400,000 gold

Best for: Players who can stay focused and avoid PKers

Sacred Eels (Level 87+)
What you get: Zulrah scales instead of raw fish

Profit depends on your Cooking level (higher = better)

Experience per hour: ~25,000

Profit per hour: ~300,000 gold

Best for: Players who want scales instead of cash

💡 Dark Crabs = best money, but you‘re in the Wilderness. Sacred Eels = consistent scales. Infernal Eels = chill AFK.

⚡ Fast Methods (High Attention = Speedrun to 99)
Only use these if your goal is the cape, not your sanity.

Drift Net Fishing (Level 47 Fishing + 44 Hunter)
Trains both skills at once

The catch: Expensive. You will lose money.

Experience per hour: ~90,000 Fishing + ~100,000 Hunter

Best for: Players with gold to burn who want efficiency

Two-Tick Harpooning — Fastest Method in the Game
Requires: Practice and good clicking

Best with: Dragon or Crystal Harpoon

Experience per hour: Up to 125,000

Best for: Sweaty players who want 99 as fast as humanly possible

💡 Two-tick harpooning is the king of XP. But you will work for it.

🛤️ Simple Paths to 99 (Pick Your Style)
For a Main Account (Easiest Path)
Do the two early quests → Fly fish to level 58 → AFK Barbarian Fishing all the way to 99. No banking. No profit. Just pure, lazy XP.

For an Ironman (Balanced Path)
Do the two early quests → Fly fish to level 60, but bank all your fish for cooking later → At level 60, do Tempoross when actively playing and Karambwans when AFK → At level 90, fish Anglerfish for endgame PvM food.

For Speed (Fastest Path)
Early quests → Fly fish (dropping everything) to level 47 → Drift net fishing from 47 to 71 → Two-tick harpooning from 71 to 99. Your wrists will hurt. Your cape will come fast.

For Profit
Fish Dark Crabs in the Wilderness. Stay focused. Avoid PKers. This is the best money Fishing offers.

For AFK
Stick to Barbarian Fishing and Karambwans. These require the least attention. Perfect for second-monitor gaming.

💡 Pick your path based on your goal: XP, gold, supplies, or chill. Don‘t try to do everything at once.

💡 Final Tips
👕 Get the Angler outfit from Fishing Trawler early. It gives you more XP forever. There is no reason to skip this.

🛢️ Get the Fishing Barrel from Tempoross. It doubles your AFK time at Karambwans and other bank-fishing methods.

📉 Fishing is not a great way to make OSRS gold anymore compared to other skills. Do it for food, quest requirements, or the skillcape—not for GP.

💰 If you do need extra gold, you can always buy it safely and quickly from MMOEXP instead of grinding Dark Crabs for hours.

🧘 Pick one path and stick to it. The fastest way to burn out is switching methods every hour.

🚀 Core Benefits at a Glance
For new players:
A dead-simple route from level 1 to 99. Two quests skip the worst early grind. No confusing jargon—just go here, do this, get XP.

For Ironmen:
A balanced path that banks every fish for cooking exp and endgame food. Karambwans + Tempoross + Anglerfish = your complete food solution.

For AFK players:
Barbarian Fishing and Karambwans with the Fishing Barrel. You can watch entire TV shows while your character fishes. Zero stress.

For speedrunners:
Drift net fishing into two-tick harpooning. Over 125,000 XP per hour. The cape comes fast, but so does carpal tunnel.

For profit seekers:
Dark Crabs in the Wilderness. Risk vs. reward. Over 400k GP per hour if you can survive the PKers.