Fastest 99 Fishing OSRS Guide 2025

So you’re aiming for that shiny Fishing cape in Old School RuneScape, huh? I’ve been grinding OSRS for over a decade now, and Fishing was one of the first skills I maxed out back when I was obsessed with efficiency. Trust me, getting to 99 isn’t just about clicking spots all day; it’s about smart choices that save you hours. In this guide, we’ll dive into the absolute quickest paths, based on what works best in 2025. No fluff, just straight tips from someone who’s done it multiple times on different accounts.

Speed matters because who wants to spend months on one skill? I’ve wasted too much time in the past on slow AFK methods, thinking they’d be easier, but they just dragged on forever. The fastest way combines quests, tick manipulation, and high-level spots to hit 99 in under 100 hours if you’re dedicated. But is it worth the effort? Absolutely, especially if you’re like me and love seeing those levels pop up quickly.

Let’s break it down step by step.

Getting Started Early Levels 1-20

You might think starting from scratch is a pain, but quests make it a breeze. Skip the boring shrimp netting and jump right into experience rewards. For instance, complete Sea Slug for a quick 7,175 XP, shooting you to level 24 instantly. Then knock out Fishing Contest and parts of Recipe for Disaster for more boosts.

In my experience, I always quest first. One time on a fresh ironman account, I hit level 27 without catching a single fish. It felt like cheating, but it’s legit and saves so much tedium.

What if you skip quests? Well, you could net shrimps in Lumbridge Swamp, but that’s only about 10k XP per hour at best. Slow and mind-numbing. Don’t do it unless you’re free-to-play and have no choice.

• Quests to Prioritize:
  • Sea Slug (level 1 to 24)
  • Fishing Contest (extra 2,437 XP)
  • Recipe for Disaster subquests (up to 10k more XP)

By level 20, you’re ready for real training.

Fly Fishing Your Way to Mid-Levels 20-58

Once you hit 20, grab a fly fishing rod and a stack of feathers. Head to Barbarian Village or Shilo Village for trout and salmon. This is where things speed up. Without any tricks, you’re looking at 30-50k XP per hour as you level up. But for the fastest route? Dive into 3-tick fly fishing.

What’s 3-tick fishing? It’s a tick manipulation technique where you use herbs on swamp tar to reset your animation, letting you catch fish faster. I remember my first attempt; I fumbled the timing and barely got extra XP. But after practice, I was pulling 70-90k XP per hour by level 50. It’s intense, but worth it.

A better spot is south-east of Prifddinas if you’ve done partial Regicide quest. The spots move less, giving you 10% more catches. In 2025, with no major updates changing this, it’s still top-tier.

Pro Tip: Drop the fish as you go to keep inventory clear. Banking slows you down big time.

Here’s a quick table on XP rates for fly fishing:

Stick here until 58. It’ll take about 20-30 hours total from 20, depending on your focus.

Sometimes I mix in a bit of questing here too. Like Tai Bwo Wannai Trio for another 5k XP bump. Small wins add up.

The Core Grind Barbarian Fishing from 58-99

This is the meat of the fastest path. At 58, unlock Barbarian Fishing by talking to Otto Godblessed near Baxtorian Falls. You need 30 Strength and Agility, but if you’re training efficiently, you should’ve got those from earlier quests or light grinding.

Use a barbarian rod and feathers to catch leaping salmon. But again, 3-tick is king here. The cut-eat method works best: cut the fish into roe or offcuts, eat them if your Cooking is high enough. At level 80 Cooking, it’s 100% success, and you get bonus Cooking XP too.

I’ve spent countless hours at Otto’s Grotto pond. It’s peaceful, with a bank chest nearby via games necklace. On my main, I hit 99 here in about 60 hours total from 58, averaging 100k XP per hour with perfect ticks. That’s insane compared to old-school methods.

Why is this the fastest? Because it gives multi-skill XP: Fishing, Strength, and Agility. By 99 Fishing, you’ll have decent gains in those too, like 70+ in each if starting from 30.

But hey, is 3-tick too click-intensive for you? Drop down to AFK barbarian fishing for 50-60k XP per hour. Still solid, but it’ll double your time to 99.

• Requirements for Barbarian Fishing:
  • Level 58 Fishing
  • Barbarian rod (from Otto)
  • Feathers (thousands needed)
  • Knife for cut-eat
  • High Cooking recommended

From 70, you can catch leaping sturgeon for even better rates, up to 110k XP per hour with 3-tick.

One long session I did was during a weekend binge. Started at 85 Fishing, ended at 92 by Sunday night. The key? Stamina potions to keep running, and a good playlist. Without stamina, spot rotations kill your momentum.

Advanced Alternatives for Variety

Not everyone loves barbarian fishing forever. If you want to switch it up, try these.

Drift Net Fishing Levels 47-99

This trains Fishing and Hunter together. Head to Fossil Island underwater after Bone Voyage quest. Set up drift nets and chase fish shoals. At level 70, you’re getting 80-90k Fishing XP per hour, plus Hunter gains.

I tried this on an alt for variety. It’s less intense than 3-tick, but costs numulites for access. Rates max at 88k XP, so not as fast as barbarian, but fun if you’re multitasking skills.

Required Gear: Fishbowl helmet, diving apparatus, flippers, drift nets.

2-Tick Harpooning Levels 71-99

For the absolute peak speed, 2-tick swordfish/tuna at Port Piscarilius. Use a crystal harpoon and rats for tick manip. This hits 130k+ XP per hour at 99.

Tried it once, got 137k in a test hour. But it’s sweaty and requires PvP worlds for max efficiency, which means PK risk. Not my favorite, but if you’re brave, go for it.

Table comparing top methods:

Pick based on your playstyle. I stuck with barbarian for the extra stats.

Gear and Boosts to Maximize Speed

Don’t overlook equipment; it shaves off hours. The Angler’s outfit from Fishing Trawler gives 2.5% bonus XP. I hated the minigame, but after 50 games, I had the full set. Worth the grind.

Crystal harpoon is best for harpoon methods, lasting 2,500 charges. Rada’s blessing from Kourend Diary ups double fish chance, no extra XP but faster inventory fills.

Fish barrel stores 28 fish, perfect for extended sessions. And spirit flakes for 50% double catches.

In one run, I combined Angler’s, Rada’s, and invisible boosts from Fishing Guild (+7 levels). Felt like I was flying through levels.

Question: How do you get these? Fishing Trawler for outfit, diaries for blessing, Aerial fishing for flakes.

Profit vs Speed Trade-Offs

Fastest doesn’t always mean profitable. Dropping fish in barbarian fishing means zero gold, but speed is priority. If you want cash, switch to monkfish at 62 for 200-300k GP per hour, but only 30-40k XP.

On my iron, I banked everything for Cooking later. Flexible.

Is there a balanced way? Infernal eels at 80 for 28k XP and 200k GP per hour. Not fast, but pays for bonds.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

I’ve seen newbies mess up big time. Don’t fish in crowded spots without anti-PK gear. One time in Wilderness, I lost a full inventory to a random PKer. Lesson learned.

Also, forget to restock feathers? You’ll waste time running to shops. Buy in bulk from GE.

And practice tick manip in a quiet area first. Rushing it leads to frustration.

Short para here: Always use stamina pots.

Longer one now. Speaking of stamina, keeping your energy up is crucial for methods with running, like chasing shoals in drift nets. I once forgot pots and my rates dropped 20%. Now I always stock 100+ before a session. It’s those little things that add up over hours of grinding.

Time Estimates to 99

From 1-99 fastest path: Quests to 33 (1-2 hours), fly fishing to 58 (20 hours), barbarian to 99 (60-70 hours). Total around 80-90 hours.

That’s with perfect execution. Add more if you’re learning ticks.

Why so variable? Depends on breaks, distractions. I took a week off mid-grind once, came back refreshed.

Final Thoughts and Personal Story

Wrapping up, the fastest way is quests, 3-tick fly, then 3-tick barbarian. It’s not easy, but rewarding. Remember my first 99 party? Friends teleported in, fireworks everywhere. Made all the clicks worth it.

What about you? Planning an ironman or main? Either way, stick to this and you’ll cape soon.

One last tip: Mix in Tempoross minigame for variety. It’s 40-50k XP per hour and gives rewards like fish barrel.

Keep grinding, folks. See you at the fishing spots.