What makes a fish valuable
Fishing has no inputs to buy for most methods, so every catch is profit. The problem is that thousands of players fish for xp, which keeps the price of common fish low. The fish that pay are the ones few people can or will catch: those behind high levels, quests, Wilderness risk, or awkward processing. Buy limits barely matter here because you are selling, not buying; what matters is whether the market can absorb your catch, so glance at the 24 hour volume for anything unusual.
| Method | Fishing level | Requirement worth knowing | AFK? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karambwans | 65 | Tai Bwo Wannai Trio | Very |
| Infernal eels | 80 | Fire cape to enter Mor Ul Rek | Fairly |
| Anglerfish | 82 | Sandworms; Port Piscarilius | Very |
| Minnows | 82 | Full angler outfit | No |
| Dark crabs | 85 | Wilderness resource area | Very, with risk |
| Sacred eels | 87 | Regicide; a knife for scales | Very |
| Aerial fishing | 43 | 35 Hunter | No |
| Tempoross | 35 | None | No, it is a minigame |
The AFK earners
Most players fishing for money want something to leave running. Karambwans, anglerfish, monkfish (62, after Swan Song) and sacred eels let you look away for a minute or more at a time. Karambwans are the standout mid-level option because Cooking trainers buy them in huge numbers. Anglerfish at 82 are slow to catch but valuable, since they can heal above your maximum hitpoints and bossers eat them by the inventory. A fish barrel lets you hold more before banking on most of these.
Sacred eels at 87 are not sold as fish: you cut them with a knife into scales, and the number you get rises with your Cooking level. Their value follows demand for the toxic blowpipe and other scale-charged items. Infernal eels at 80 work the same way: you hammer them for tokkul and a few other items in the Mor Ul Rek area, which you can only enter after the Fight Caves.
Dark crabs and the Wilderness
Dark crabs (85) are among the most profitable fish in the game, partly because the Wilderness resource area puts most players off. You need dark fishing bait and a lobster pot, and you risk what you bring. The elite Wilderness diary greatly improves catch rates there. If you fish dark crabs, bring nothing you cannot afford to lose.
Active options
Minnows (82, full angler outfit) give good money but need a click every 15 seconds or so. Aerial fishing at Lake Molch gives shark lures and molch pearls and trains Hunter at the same time. Tempoross is a minigame from 35 Fishing that pays in reward permits; the Tempoross calculator works out what a permit is worth on average at today's prices.
Fishing and Sailing
Deep sea trawling, added with Sailing, is now the highest-earning fishing in the game at high levels. Yellowfin shoals start at 79 Fishing, halibut at 83, bluefin at 87 and marlin at 91, but you need a boat with the right nets and Sailing levels to reach them. The Sailing money making list covers trawling in detail.
Reading the numbers
Each row multiplies a realistic catch rate by the current mid price of the catch after Grand Exchange tax, minus any bait or supplies. Rows with processing (eels, sacred eel scales) use the value of the processed item. If you also cook what you catch, compare the raw price with the cooked price on the cooking profit table. For xp rates and the fastest route to 99 rather than gold, use the Fishing training guide and the Fishing calculator.