OSRS Ironman Fishing Guide (1–99)

General Tip: Bank All Fish for Cooking

• Don't drop-train Fishing — bank everything for future Cooking XP.
• You’ll need about 13,000 fish to reach 99 Cooking from scratch (est.).
• Consider training Cooking with what you fish rather than fires or wines.

Levels 1–20: Shrimp & Anchovies

• Use a small net at Draynor Village or Lumbridge Swamp.
• Bank all shrimp and anchovies.
• Gets you early Cooking XP too if you want to cook as you go.

Levels 20–40: Trout & Salmon

• Use a fly fishing rod at:
  • Barbarian Village (Varrock teleport)
  • Shilo Village (after quest, later on)
• Use feathers from early combat drops or Master Farmers.
• Bank all trout and salmon — good early Cooking training.

Levels 40–62: Lobsters

• Use a lobster pot at:
  • Port Sarim → Karamja (free to access, charter back)
  • Catherby if using Camelot teleport
• Bank every lobster — these will train Cooking well into the 70s.
• Optional: Use Kingdom of Miscellania later to gather them passively.

Levels 62–76: Monkfish

• Requires Swan Song quest.
• Fished in Piscatoris Fishing Colony.
• Bank every monkfish — one of the best Cooking XP items for Ironmen.

Levels 76–99: Sharks or AFK Barb Fishing (optional)

• Sharks are slower but bankable food for bossing.
• Fish at Catherby or use Fishing Guild at 68+.
• Optional: Switch to Barbarian Fishing (fast XP, no banking)
• If you switch to Barbarian Fishing, make sure you’ve banked enough fish to hit your Cooking goals first!

Fishing Tools Checklist

• Small net – Shrimp/Anchovies
• Fly fishing rod + feathers – Trout/Salmon
• Lobster pot – Lobsters
• Harpoon – Tuna, Swordfish, Sharks
• Barbarian rod – For optional XP grind later

Tips for Ironmen

• Feathers from early Slayer tasks, chicken farms, or pickpocketing
• Get early teleports (Varrock, Camelot, Ectophial) to bank fish faster
• Kingdom of Miscellania (after Throne of Miscellania) is amazing passive fish income
• Consider using Lunar spellbook for Humidify if you go into Cooked Karambwans later