Fishing in WoW Forever is straightforward once you know where to find the ability, but the game handles it a little differently from older versions of World of Warcraft. New players can easily miss the correct menu, while returning players might wonder why their catches keep escaping. Thankfully, you can begin fishing almost immediately, and a few small adjustments make the process much easier.
How to Catch Your First Fish
Where to Find the Fishing Ability
Fishing Trainers and Poles
Best Places to Start Fishing
Fishing Lures and Skill Bonuses
Fishing Problems and Fixes
How to Fish in WoW Forever
To fish in WoW Forever, learn the Fishing profession, equip a Fishing Pole, and place the Fishing ability from your Professions window onto your action bar. Cast into a nearby body of water, then right-click the bobber when it splashes to catch your fish.
Here's everything you need to do:
- Speak to a Fishing trainer and learn Apprentice Fishing.
- Open the Professions window using the hammer and pickaxe icon near the bottom of your screen.
- Find the Fishing ability and drag it onto your action bar.
- Buy and equip a Fishing Pole from a Fishing Supply or Trade Supply vendor.
- Find a pond, lake, or river in a starting zone.
- Use Fishing on your action bar to cast your line into the water.
- Watch the bobber and wait for it to make a splash.
- Right-click the bobber when the splash happens to attempt your catch.
That's the complete process. You don't need to reach a particular character level before learning Apprentice Fishing, so even a fresh character can get started.
I recommend buying a Shiny Bauble alongside your Fishing Pole. It provides a useful skill bonus that prevents fish from getting away in starting zones, even when you're beginning at Fishing skill 1.
Where Is the Fishing Ability in WoW Forever?
One of the biggest differences in WoW Forever is that Fishing is found in the Professions window, not your regular spellbook.
The Professions button uses a hammer and pickaxe symbol and is the second button in the menu along the bottom of your screen.
Once you've learned Fishing:
- Open the Professions window.
- Locate the Fishing ability in its profession section.
- Drag the ability to an available action bar slot.
- Optionally assign that slot a convenient keybind.
After setting it up, you can cast directly from your action bar instead of opening the Professions window every time.
If you're familiar with Classic WoW and can't find Fishing in your spellbook, this interface change is likely the reason.
WoW Forever Fishing Trainer Locations and Where to Buy a Pole
Fishing trainers are available in every starting zone and major capital city. Since the starting-zone trainers are positioned near water, they're particularly convenient for learning the profession and immediately practicing.
Fishing Trainers by Starting Zone
| Starting Zone | Trainer and Location |
|---|---|
| Elwynn Forest | Lee Brown, Crystal Lake east of Goldshire |
| Dun Morogh | Paxton Ganter, Iceflow Lake near the route to Gnomeregan |
| Teldrassil | Androl Oakhand, Rut'theran Village near the dock |
| Durotar | Lau'Tiki, Sen'jin Village coastline |
| Mulgore | Uthan Stillwater, Stonebull Lake beside Bloodhoof Village |
| Tirisfal Glades | Clyde Kellen, Brightwater Lake east of Brill |
| Zephras Isle | Baelann Swiftcurrent in Valanaar or Fenn Fairweather in Shen'dar Village |
Capital City Fishing Trainers
If you've already traveled beyond your starting area, the following trainers are available in the major cities:
- Stormwind: Arnold Leland
- Ironforge: Grimnur Stonebrand
- Darnassus: Astaia
- Orgrimmar: Lumak
- Undercity: Armand Cromwell
- Thunder Bluff: Kah Mistrunner
Ask a city guard for the Fishing trainer's location if you can't find them. The guard can mark the destination on your map with a red flag.
Where to Buy a Fishing Pole
A basic Fishing Pole costs only a few copper and is sold by Fishing Supply vendors and many Trade Supply vendors.
These vendors also provide useful fishing supplies, including Shiny Baubles.
Buy your pole, equip it, and apply a lure if you have one. You don't need an expensive setup to begin catching fish in a starting zone.
Where Should You Fish First in WoW Forever?
The best place to start fishing is a lake, pond, or river in your character's starting zone.
These areas have low Fishing skill requirements, making them much more forgiving than capital cities or higher-level zones.
The critical distinction is that capital cities don't count as starting-zone fishing areas, even if they're close to where your character begins.
Fishing Skill Requirements Explained
| Water Location | Skill Needed to Avoid Escapes | Beginner Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Starting zones | 25 | Start here with a Shiny Bauble. |
| Capital cities | 75 | Better after gaining some Fishing skill. |
| Redridge Mountains | 150 | Requires at least 55 effective skill to catch anything. |
If your skill is below the recommended amount, fish can escape even after you've correctly clicked the bobber.
In Redridge Mountains, for example, Fishing below 55 isn't sufficient to catch anything. Between 55 and 149, catches can still escape unless you increase your effective skill.
An Easy Beginner Fishing Progression
Rather than rushing into harder zones, use these three milestones:
- Fishing 1: Start in a starting zone with a Shiny Bauble. The +25 bonus is enough to eliminate skill-related escapes there.
- Fishing 25: You can fish in starting-zone waters without needing the Shiny Bauble bonus.
- Fishing 75: Capital-city waters become reliable without needing a lure to prevent escapes.
These are useful milestones because they tell you when a lure is actually providing a benefit and when you can save it for somewhere more difficult.
How Fishing Lures Work in WoW Forever
Fishing lures temporarily increase your effective Fishing skill. They're most useful when you're fishing somewhere that requires more skill than you currently have.
To use one, equip your Fishing Pole first and apply the lure to it.
| Lure | Skill Bonus | Required Fishing Skill |
|---|---|---|
| Shiny Bauble | +25 | None |
| Nightcrawlers | +50 | 50 |
| Bright Baubles | +75 | 100 |
| Aquadynamic Fish Attractor | +100 | 100 |
Most lures remain active for 10 minutes, while the Aquadynamic Fish Attractor lasts only five minutes.
How to Know Which Lure You Need
You can make the choice by comparing your base Fishing skill plus the lure bonus against the skill required for your chosen water.
For example, a character with Fishing 100 using Bright Baubles receives an effective skill of 175. That's above the 150 needed to prevent escapes in Redridge Mountains.
By contrast, a character with Fishing 50 using Nightcrawlers reaches 100 effective skill. That allows fishing in Redridge, but isn't enough to eliminate all escapes there.
This makes stronger lures worthwhile in challenging zones, while weaker ones are perfectly adequate for easier locations.
WoW Forever Fishing Not Working? Common Fixes
I Learned Fishing, but Can't Find the Spell
Check the Professions window instead of your spellbook. Use the hammer and pickaxe icon, locate Fishing, and drag it onto your action bar.
I Can Cast, but Every Fish Gets Away
Your skill may be too low for the location. Return to a starting-zone lake or river, or apply a suitable lure to increase your effective Fishing skill.
For a fresh character, the combination of starting-zone water and a Shiny Bauble is the simplest option.
I'm Clicking the Bobber but Not Catching Fish
Make sure you're waiting for the splash. Casting places the bobber into the water, but the catch requires you to right-click at the moment a fish bites.
If the game specifically says your fish got away, check your Fishing skill and location instead of assuming your timing is the only problem.
Can You Learn Fishing at Level 1?
Yes. Apprentice Fishing has no character level requirement in WoW Forever, allowing you to learn it on a new character.
How High Can Fishing Level Up?
Fishing can progress to skill 300, with additional training ranks including Expert and Artisan required as you advance.
For your first session, though, there's no need to worry about reaching the maximum. Learn Fishing, get a pole, and begin in a low-requirement area.
Once your Fishing ability is on your action bar and you understand the bobber timing, the process becomes simple. Start with a Shiny Bauble in a starting zone, build your skill, and move to more difficult waters when you're ready.
