Fishing 1–300 Leveling Guide: Zones, Lures and the Nat Pagle Quests
A fishing 1-300 leveling guide for vanilla-era realms: where to fish at every skill range, which lures to buy, the Expert book and the Nat Pagle Artisan quest.
Fishing is the profession everyone can take, because it does not use one of your two main profession slots. It feeds Cooking, gives you buff food, and later turns into one of the steadiest sources of gold in the game. The catch is the climb: the last hundred points are slow, and they need a book from Booty Bay and a quest from a very patient fisherman in Dustwallow Marsh. This fishing 1-300 leveling guide lays the climb out in order, with the zones to fish at each skill range and the lures that speed it up, for a character on a vanilla-era realm such as WoW Forever.
Where and what you need
Levels. Fishing has no level gate for its first ranks, but the Expert book and the Artisan quest assume a character around level 30–35, mostly because of the zones you need to reach.
Trainers. Every capital city and most large towns have a fishing trainer who sells the Apprentice and Journeyman ranks. A fishing supplies vendor stands nearby with a basic Fishing Pole and lures.
Gear. A Fishing Pole goes in your main hand. Later, a Strong Fishing Pole from a fishing supplier adds a small bonus. Anything that raises Fishing skill helps, because it means fewer lost fish in harder water.
Money. The Expert book costs a little gold, and lures cost a few silver each. Set aside two to three gold for the whole climb.
The route
The numbers follow the skill ranges in order.
- Apprentice, 1–75. Train Fishing in your capital and fish any river or pond in your starting zone. Elwynn, Durotar, Mulgore, Dun Morogh, Teldrassil and Tirisfal all work. Cook what you catch to level Cooking alongside it.
- Journeyman at 50. Return to the trainer for Journeyman, which raises the cap to 150.
- 75–150. Move to the Barrens, Wetlands, Hillsbrad or Westfall coast. The water is a little harder, and the fish sell better.
- Expert book at 125. Buy Expert Fishing – The Bass and You from Old Man Heming on the docks of Booty Bay in Stranglethorn. It raises the cap to 225.
- 150–225. Fish the coast around Booty Bay, the rivers of Stranglethorn, or the lakes of Desolace and Arathi. Use a Shiny Bauble or Nightcrawlers if you lose too many fish.
- The Nat Pagle quests at 225. Find Nat Pagle at his camp on the coast of Dustwallow Marsh. His quest asks for four rare fish: a Feralas Ahi, a Misty Reed Mahi Mahi, a Sar'theris Striker and a Savage Coast Blue Sailfin, each caught in a different zone. Turning them in teaches Artisan Fishing, which raises the cap to 300.
- 225–300. Fish the coasts of Tanaris, Feralas and Azshara, or the lakes of Felwood and Winterspring. Lures matter here; the last fifty points are the slowest.
- Fishing for gold. Once you reach 300, use the fishing gold guide for the pools and night swarms that sell best.
What you get
| Skill range | Where | What sells |
|---|---|---|
| 1–75 | Starting zone rivers and ponds | Raw fish for Cooking, little gold |
| 75–150 | Barrens, Wetlands, Hillsbrad, Westfall | Oily Blackmouth and Deviate Fish |
| 150–225 | Stranglethorn coast, Desolace, Arathi | Firefin Snapper, Rockscale Cod, Mithril Head Trout |
| 225–300 | Tanaris, Feralas, Azshara, Felwood | Stonescale Eel, Spotted Yellowtail, rare pools |
| Lures | Shiny Bauble, Nightcrawlers, Bright Baubles, Aquadynamic Fish Attractor | Each adds Fishing skill for ten minutes |
| Artisan quest | Nat Pagle, Dustwallow Marsh | Raises the cap to 300 |
Time it takes
Fishing gains a point for nearly every catch early on and slows down as you climb. Roughly: 1–75 takes about an hour, 75–150 about an hour and a half, 150–225 about two hours, and 225–300 about four to six hours. The four rare fish for Nat Pagle can take an extra evening, mostly because they come from different zones.
Lures make the biggest difference after 200. They do not change how fast you gain skill, but they let you fish harder water without losing fish to the "fish got away" message.
Tips
- Cook every catch for the first 150 points; Cooking levels for free alongside Fishing.
- Buy a stack of the strongest lure you can use before every session after 150.
- Fish in zones where your skill is close to the zone's limit; you gain points faster there.
- Collect the Nat Pagle fish as you travel; the Feralas Ahi and Sar'theris Striker come from zones you will visit anyway.
- Keep your fishing pole in your bags with a macro to swap it in; it saves time between fights.
- Sell Oily Blackmouth and Firefin Snapper in stacks; alchemists and cooks buy them in bulk.
Running it with ForeverBot
ForeverBot is a farming and gathering bot, not a fishing bot, so the fishing climb itself is yours. Where ForeverBot helps is the travel: the Settings navigator's Route mode and arrow lead you to Booty Bay for the Expert book and to Dustwallow Marsh for Nat Pagle, and the Leveling section with Pick guide by level and zone keeps your character in zones whose water matches your skill.
When you want gold rather than skill, switch to the Farming section in the same zones and let the Gold/hour counter tell you whether mobs or fish pay better that evening. The fishing gold guide covers where fish beat everything else. Every section comes with every plan; see plans and pricing.
FAQ
Where do I buy the Expert Fishing book?
Old Man Heming sells Expert Fishing – The Bass and You on the docks of Booty Bay in Stranglethorn Vale. You need at least 125 Fishing skill to learn it. It raises your maximum skill from 150 to 225 and is the only way past 150, so make the trip as soon as you reach 125.
How do I get Artisan Fishing?
Reach 225 Fishing and visit Nat Pagle at his camp on the coast of Dustwallow Marsh. His quest asks for four rare fish caught in four different zones: Feralas, the Swamp of Sorrows, Desolace and the Savage Coast of Stranglethorn. Turning them in teaches Artisan Fishing and raises the cap to 300.
What is the fastest way to level Fishing?
Fish in water that is just within your skill, use the strongest lure you can, and cook everything you catch. Most players lose time by fishing easy water too long or by fishing hard water without a lure. From 225 on, the coasts of Tanaris and Feralas give the best balance of skill gains and fish worth selling.
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