Fishing is a gathering profession in World of Warcraft Retail. The profession identified by the title WoW Midnight Fishing Profession Guide: Leveling, Fish, Locations and Rewards is specifically Fishing, not Cooking and not a crafting profession. In Midnight, Fishing covers open-water angling, fishing pools, fish used by Cooking and Alchemy, lures, fishing rods, treasures, special catches, and profession equipment.
Fishing Profession Overview
Midnight Fishing uses the familiar fishing system: equip a fishing rod, find water, cast your line, and collect fish or other items when the bobber moves. Midnight Fishing has a maximum skill of 300. You can begin in Eversong Woods and progress through the Midnight zones as your skill improves.
Fishing is a gathering profession, but it works differently from Herbalism or Mining. You do not gather from visible world nodes in a fixed route. Instead, you fish from open water or locate special pools. Open water is convenient for skill leveling, while pools are the main source of valuable fish, rare catches, recipes, and profession treasures.
Midnight adds 20 new fish, 12 types of fishing pools, new fishing rods, fish-based lures, profession treasures, and an upgradeable fishing-line system. Most fish are Cooking reagents, but some are used for Alchemy, fishing lures, feasts, special effects, or additional treasure mechanics.
| Profession detail | Midnight Fishing |
|---|---|
| Profession type | Gathering profession |
| Maximum skill | 300 |
| Profession specializations | None |
| Main equipment | Fishing rod |
| Secondary equipment | Fishing hat and fishing accessories where available |
| Main resources | Fish, fishing treasures, lure materials, fishing-line components |
| Primary partner profession | Cooking |
Is Fishing Worth It in Midnight?
Fishing is worth choosing if you enjoy relaxed farming, want a dependable source of Cooking materials, or prefer a profession that does not require complicated crafting orders. It is also useful for players who want to make gold from fish pools without investing in a full crafting setup.
The main disadvantage is that Fishing requires time and attention. Unlike Mining or Herbalism, you cannot gather while moving through the world. You must stop, cast, wait for a bite, and loot the catch. Fishing can be efficient when you target profitable pools, but random open-water fishing usually produces a large amount of low-value grey loot.
Fishing becomes more attractive during raid progression and other periods when players buy large quantities of food. Fish are used in Midnight Cooking recipes, stat food, feasts, and other consumables. Market demand can change quickly, so the most profitable fish will depend on your realm, current raid activity, Cooking demand, and the cost of competing materials.
Choose Fishing when you want:
- A relaxed gathering activity that can be done almost anywhere near water.
- Materials for your own Cooking profession.
- Access to special fish, lures, fishing treasures, and cosmetic rewards.
- A gathering profession that does not require a large upfront material investment.
- An alternative source of gold when fish prices are strong.
Fishing is less suitable if your main goal is the fastest possible gold per hour or if you dislike stationary activities. It is also not the best choice solely for profession statistics, because Fishing does not use the full specialization system available to most other professions.
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How to Learn Fishing
Learn Midnight Fishing from a Fishing trainer in the Midnight content. The profession can be learned as early as character level 78. The most convenient trainer for many players is Drathen in Silvermoon City, near the large pond in the center of the city.
Additional Midnight Fishing trainers are available in the expansion zones, including Melandra in Eversong Woods, several trainers in Zul'Aman, and Rinnoa in Voidstorm. You do not need to visit every trainer. Learning the profession once unlocks the Midnight skill line on that character.
If you already know Fishing from another expansion, you can still fish in older content, but that does not automatically teach you Midnight Fishing. Learn the Midnight profession before trying to level the current expansion skill.
Buy a Fishing Guide
After learning Fishing, visit a Fishing supplies vendor near the trainer and purchase the current fishing guide, commonly sold as an Angler's Guide or Fisherman's Guide depending on the vendor. Learning this item allows you to track fishing pools on your minimap.
Pool tracking is one of the most important quality-of-life improvements for Midnight Fishing. Without it, you can fish in open water, but finding the most useful pools becomes much slower. Purchase the guide before beginning a serious fishing session.
Equip a Fishing Rod
Fishing requires a fishing rod. You can begin with a basic rod or purchase the green-quality Farstrider Hobbyist Rod. Better rods are produced through Engineering and may be purchased from the Auction House when available.
How to Level Fishing from 1 to 300
Fishing skill increases by catching items in Midnight waters. You can level in open water or in pools, and the expansion zones have recommended skill ranges. You do not need a special recipe list, crafting material list, or profession quest chain to gain Fishing skill.
| Zone | Minimum skill | Recommended skill | Practical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eversong Woods | 1 | 1 | Start leveling and fish safely near the shoreline or rivers. |
| Zul'Aman | 75 | 100 | Useful pools and generally safe coastal fishing locations. |
| Harandar | 100 | 225 | Important for Bloomtail Minnow and Tender Lumifin. |
| Voidstorm | 225 | 300 | Endgame fishing and Voidstorm-specific catches. |
Fishing in a zone before reaching the recommended skill is possible in some cases, but your results may be less efficient and you may not be ready for the most useful pools. Use the skill ranges as a practical route rather than treating them as a replacement for the profession trainer.
Recommended Fishing Leveling Route
Fishing Skill 1–125: Open Water
For the first part of the profession, fish in open water in Eversong Woods or another quiet Midnight location. Open-water fishing is a straightforward way to gain skill without traveling between pools.
Expect to catch a large amount of grey vendor trash during this stage. That is normal. Open water is recommended early because the primary goal is skill gain, not profit. Choose a location with easy access to a vendor, mailbox, or bank if you want to clear your bags regularly.
Fishing Skill 125–300: Fishing Pools
Once you reach roughly 125 Fishing, move to pools. Eversong Woods is a convenient choice because many pools are close together, especially around the central rivers. Zul'Aman is another strong option and has safe shoreline locations. Harandar is useful when you specifically need its local fish, but the zone can place you close to hostile creatures.
Continue following pools until you reach 300. Pool fishing is more profitable than open-water fishing because it produces useful fish more consistently and gives you access to special pool types, treasure pools, lure recipes, and rare catches.
Skill Boosts and Catch-Up Items
Midnight Fishing includes profession-related rewards that can provide additional skill. The Abyss Angler's Fish Log comes from the Bait and Tackle treasure in Zul'Aman and grants Fishing skill when used. The treasure can be looted once per character, while the Fish Log is Warbound, allowing players to collect it on multiple characters and send it to one Fisher.
During the Darkmoon Faire, the Fishing quest Spoilin' for Salty Sea Dogs grants additional Fishing skill. Save this reward for later in the leveling process if you want it to cover a more difficult final stretch.
Midnight Fish, Pools, and Locations
Midnight contains 20 fish that can be caught in open water and fishing pools. Pool contents are not always completely exclusive, so you may occasionally catch a fish outside its most productive location. However, targeting the correct pool remains the best way to farm a specific material.
| Fish | Useful location or pool focus | Common purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane Wyrmfish | Eversong Woods and Harandar | Cooking, buffs, and related recipes |
| Lynxfish | Eversong Woods and Zul'Aman | Cooking and perception-related effects |
| Root Crab | Zul'Aman and Harandar | Cooking and Buttered Root Crab |
| Sin'dorei Swarmer | Eversong Woods and Zul'Aman | Cooking, fishing skill buffs, and Lucky Loa Lure |
| Blood Hunter | Zul'Aman and Voidstorm | Cooking and Blood Hunter Spirit encounters |
| Bloomtail Minnow | Harandar | Cooking and Fried Bloomtail |
| Shimmer Spinefish | Eversong Woods and Harandar | Cooking and perception-related effects |
| Fungalskin Pike | Zul'Aman and Harandar | Cooking and School of Gems |
| Null Voidfish | Voidstorm | Rare fish and gold-making |
| Ominous Octopus | Voidstorm and special pools | Rare fish, Cooking, and Ominous Octopus Lure |
Other Midnight catches include Gore Guppy, Eversong Trout, Hollow Grouper, Lucky Loa, Restored Songfish, Shimmersiren, Sunwell Fish, Tender Lumifin, Twisted Tetra, and Warping Wise.
Best Zones for General Pool Farming
Eversong Woods is the easiest general-purpose zone. It has relatively safe fishing spots, convenient waterways, and pools that are close enough to support a simple route.
Zul'Aman is also a strong choice, especially if you want its regional fish, the Bait and Tackle profession treasure, or access to specific lure materials. Coastal fishing is often safer than inland fishing.
Harandar is the zone to visit when you need Bloomtail Minnow or Tender Lumifin. It is less comfortable for unattended or relaxed fishing because hostile creatures are often nearby.
Voidstorm is the endgame zone for high-skill fishing and Voidstorm-specific catches. Oceanic Vortex bubbles can appear there, but they may be difficult to locate and are not the most dependable source of skill gains.
Fishing Specializations and Knowledge Points
Midnight Fishing has no profession specializations. This is an important difference from professions such as Engineering, Alchemy, or Cooking. You do not need to choose between multiple Fishing talent trees, and there is no Fishing specialization path that can permanently lock or redirect your Knowledge Points.
Fishing still has profession progression through skill, equipment, lures, fish-related discoveries, and special rewards. However, you should not spend time searching for a Fishing Knowledge Point tree that does not exist.
Knowledge Points are therefore not a core Fishing planning concern. Instead, focus on:
- Raising Midnight Fishing from 1 to 300.
- Obtaining the fishing guide that tracks pools.
- Upgrading your fishing rod.
- Improving Finesse or Perception through gear and consumables.
- Learning and using fishing lures.
- Collecting profession treasures and fishing-line components.
Best Fishing Setup by Goal
Best Setup for Bulk Fish Farming
Prioritize Finesse when your goal is to collect large quantities of ordinary fish for Cooking or Auction House sales. Finesse improves your chance of gathering additional fish, making it the preferred statistic for long farming sessions focused on volume.
Use a Finesse-oriented fishing rod, tool enchant, and consumable setup. The Haranir Phial of Finesse and Enchant Tool - Haranir Finesse are suitable options for this purpose.
Best Setup for Rare Fish
Prioritize Perception when you are targeting rare fish or special catches. Perception improves the chance of obtaining uncommon or valuable results, so it is more useful than Finesse when your target is a small number of high-value fish.
Use the correct pool and an appropriate lure together. Perception does not replace targeted farming; it works best when you are already fishing in a pool that can produce the item you want.
Best Setup for Treasure Hunting
Fishing treasures and special pools are a separate goal from bulk fish farming. Use the best available rod, fishing line, and fishing accessories, then focus on pools such as Careless Cargo and Lost Treasures when looking for lure recipes and other fishing-related rewards.
Fishing Stats, Tools, and Gear
Fishing uses two especially important gathering statistics:
- Finesse: Increases the chance of gathering additional fish. It is generally the best choice for bulk material farming.
- Perception: Improves the chance of finding rarer fish and special catches. It is better for rare-material targeting.
Fishing does not use the full set of crafting stats such as Resourcefulness, Multicraft, Ingenuity, or Crafting Speed. Concentration is also a crafting-profession resource and is not part of normal Fishing gameplay.
Fishing Rods
The Farstrider Hobbyist Rod is a practical starting rod. Engineering can produce stronger Midnight fishing rods, including the Sin'dorei Angler's Rod and the higher-end Sin'dorei Reeler's Rod.
The best rod may require an Engineering craft or a Crafting Order because advanced versions use materials that are not always freely tradeable. If you do not have Engineering, check the Auction House for tradeable versions and use the work-order system for Bind on Pickup equipment.
Fishing Hat and Accessories
The Elegant Artisan's Fishing Hat is a high-quality fishing accessory made through Tailoring. Higher-quality Fishing equipment generally provides stronger skill and gathering-stat bonuses. Green-quality items are easier to obtain, while blue and epic items may require reputation progress, specialized recipes, or Crafting Orders.
Fishing Lines
Midnight introduces a fishing-line progression system based on components found while fishing. The line is applied directly to a fishing rod through the profession interface. Each fishing rod requires its own line.
The Midnight Angler's Grand Line focuses on fishing treasures rather than directly increasing ordinary fish yield. It is especially useful for players who are targeting treasure chests, recipes, fishing cosmetics, or other special rewards.
Important Lures and Fishing Recipes
Midnight Fishing can produce several lure recipes from special pools, particularly Careless Cargo and Lost Treasures pools. The recipes are rarely found, and many are Bind on Pickup, but the completed lures can be traded or purchased when available.
- Lucky Loa Lure: Targets Lucky Loa and uses Sin'dorei Swarmer as a material.
- Blood Hunter Lure: Targets Blood Hunter and uses Gore Guppy.
- Ominous Octopus Lure: Improves the chance of catching Ominous Octopus and uses Shimmersiren.
- Amani Angler's Ward: Helps prevent Blood Hunter Spirits from spawning for its duration.
Lures last for a limited period, so use them only when you are prepared to fish continuously in the correct zone and pool. Applying a lure while traveling, changing zones, or taking a long break wastes much of its value.
Fishing Rewards and Treasures
Fishing pools can provide more than fish. Special catches and treasure pools may reward lure recipes, profession equipment components, fishing lines, skill items, cosmetics, and pets.
Patient Treasures can appear close to your character after fishing. If the chest is not immediately visible, check a short distance around your position. These treasures can contain fishing-related items, including fishing skill bonuses, line components, cosmetics, lure recipes, and the Bubbly Snapling pet.
Bait and Tackle is a Fishing profession treasure in Zul'Aman. It provides the Lucky Loa Lure and the Abyss Angler's Fish Log. The Fish Log is particularly useful for characters still working toward 300 Fishing.
Warping Wise is a special fish with a teleport effect. It can move you to different locations in Midnight, sometimes near another fishing pool. Use it carefully because the destination may be in a zone or area you have not fully explored.
Shimmersiren can be gutted directly from your inventory. It usually provides vendor items, with a small chance of additional rewards. Check the current market before selling Shimmersiren because the value of the fish and its possible contents can change.
Making Gold with Fishing
The most reliable Fishing gold method is targeted pool farming. Do not fish randomly and assume every catch has similar value. First identify which fish are selling well on your realm, then locate the zone and pool that produce those fish efficiently.
Sell Cooking Materials
Most fish are used by Cooking. Demand is usually strongest when players are preparing for raids, Mythic+, progression events, or consumable-heavy content. Sell fish in smaller batches if the market is active, and avoid flooding the Auction House with your entire stock at once.
Fish can also be used for your own Cooking. If you already have Cooking on the same character, Fishing becomes a convenient way to reduce the cost of food and feasts instead of buying every ingredient from the Auction House.
Target Rare Fish
Rare catches such as Null Voidfish and Ominous Octopus can be more valuable than common fish, but their prices and drop rates make them less predictable. Use Perception, the correct pool, and a matching lure when possible.
Farm Lure Materials
Some fish are valuable because they are used to create lures. Sin'dorei Swarmer, Gore Guppy, and Shimmersiren can have demand from other Fishers who want to target specific catches. Check whether selling the raw fish or crafting the completed lure produces the better return.
Sell Recipes and Fishing Components
Careless Cargo and Lost Treasures pools can provide lure recipes and fishing-related materials. Rare recipes may sell well early in the expansion or after a major balance change, but their value depends heavily on supply.
Use Market Timing
Check your realm's Auction House before starting a long session. Compare the prices of common fish, rare fish, lure materials, and Cooking reagents. Raid days may increase demand for food materials, while large farming groups can temporarily reduce prices.
Fishing gold is usually made through consistency rather than one lucky catch. A safe route, a good pool target, appropriate gear, and disciplined Auction House posting matter more than fishing in a random body of water.
Best Profession Pairings
Fishing and Cooking
Cooking is the natural partner for Fishing. You can turn your own catches into food, stat consumables, and feasts, while keeping valuable fish that are better sold raw. This pairing reduces dependence on the Auction House and lets you evaluate whether a fish is worth cooking or selling.
Fishing and Alchemy
Alchemy can use selected fish and other aquatic materials in Midnight recipes. This pairing is useful if you want to supply your own consumables or sell fish to Alchemists. It is not as direct as Fishing and Cooking, but it can diversify your material market.
Fishing and Engineering
Engineering can create advanced fishing rods. Pairing the professions on one character gives you greater control over your equipment, although it is not necessary if you can purchase rods or submit Crafting Orders.
Fishing and Tailoring
Tailoring produces the Elegant Artisan's Fishing Hat. This is a practical pairing for players who want to craft their own fishing accessory, but Tailoring is not required for Fishing progression.
Common Fishing Mistakes
- Forgetting to learn Midnight Fishing: Having an older Fishing skill does not automatically unlock the current expansion skill line.
- Not buying pool tracking: The fishing guide that reveals pools saves substantial travel time.
- Using open water for the entire profession: Open water is acceptable for early skill gains, but pools provide better materials and rewards.
- Fishing the wrong zone: Use Harandar for local fish such as Bloomtail Minnow and use Voidstorm for high-level Voidstorm catches.
- Ignoring your goal: Finesse is better for bulk fish, while Perception is better for rare catches.
- Using lures without a target: A lure has the most value when used in the correct zone and pool.
- Selling everything immediately: Keep fish required for your own Cooking, lure crafting, or planned professions.
- Overlooking profession treasures: Bait and Tackle, Patient Treasures, and special pool rewards can provide skill items and unique collectibles.
- Standing near hostile creatures: Harandar can be dangerous for relaxed fishing. Choose safer shorelines when possible.
- Ignoring bag space: Fishing produces fish, grey items, recipes, equipment components, and treasure items. Empty your bags before a long session.
Practical Fishing Tips
- Learn Midnight Fishing as soon as you enter the expansion if you intend to level it during normal questing.
- Buy the pool-tracking guide immediately after learning the profession.
- Use open water for the early skill range, then switch to pools for better materials and rewards.
- Start with Eversong Woods when you want a safe, simple route with nearby pools.
- Use Zul'Aman for fishing treasures, regional fish, and the Bait and Tackle treasure.
- Visit Harandar only when you need its specific fish or are following a route that avoids hostile creatures.
- Use Voidstorm at high skill for its rare fish and endgame materials.
- Choose Finesse for bulk Cooking-material farming and Perception for rare-fish hunting.
- Upgrade your rod before investing heavily in long farming sessions.
- Apply fishing lines separately to each rod you use.
- Save profession skill rewards such as the Darkmoon Faire quest for the later stages of leveling.
- Use lures only when you can remain in the correct pool for their full duration.
- Check Auction House demand before farming, especially during raid preparation periods.
- Keep a separate stock of fish for Cooking and sell surplus materials rather than automatically auctioning everything.
- Fish near a mailbox, vendor, or bank when possible so you spend less time managing a full inventory.







