F2P Fishing 40–99: Trout/Salmon at Barbarian Village vs Lobsters in Karamja

Game screenshots and facts are cited from the Old School RuneScape Wiki (strategy, equipment, drops, and related pages). Writing is original editorial, not a copy of the wiki article.

Free-to-play fishing from 40 to 99 often comes down to two very different loops: standing at the river east of Barbarian Village dropping trout and salmon as fast as you can, or heading to Karamja with a lobster pot and banking raw lobsters for profit. The first is a high-attention powerfishing method that produces very little gold but excellent experience. The second is a slower, more AFK-friendly method that puts actual coins in your bank but demands travel and inventory management. This guide compares the two methods side by side, covering requirements, supplies, XP expectations, banking routes, common mistakes, and the point where spending real money on gold or an account might be the more honest shortcut than grinding for hundreds of hours.

Before you commit to either route, it helps to understand what you're getting into. Fly fishing at Barbarian Village is the classic free-to-play training method. It unlocks at level 20 for trout and level 30 for salmon, and thanks to a permanent fire near the fishing spots, you can cook and drop fish without ever leaving the area. Lobsters require level 40 Fishing and a lobster pot, and they are caught on the docks of Karamja. Lobsters are worth far more than trout or salmon, but the XP per hour is lower and the banking process cuts into AFK time. The decision ultimately comes down to your goals: raw XP, profit, or a balance of both.

Who This Is For & Requirements

This guide is aimed at free-to-play players who have already reached level 40 Fishing and want a realistic path to 99 without buying membership. It also works for players who are still climbing to 40 and want to plan their next move. If you are a member, the calculus changes completely: Barbarian Fishing, Tempoross, drift nets, and other member-only methods outclass both F2P options. But for pure F2P, the trout/salmon vs lobster decision is the main fork in the road.

If you are below 40, the fastest F2P route is also fly fishing from level 20 onward. Before that, small net fishing for shrimp and anchovies at Draynor Village or Lumbridge will get you to 20 quickly. There are no free-to-play quest rewards that meaningfully skip early Fishing levels, so the grind starts from the first cast. Once you hit 40, you can choose to continue fly fishing or switch to lobsters.

Method 1: Fly Fishing Trout & Salmon at Barbarian Village

Fly fishing at Barbarian Village is the backbone of F2P Fishing training. The lure spots are just east of the village on the River Lum, close to a permanent fire. You can catch raw trout at level 20 and raw salmon at level 30. The standard approach is to fill your inventory, cook the fish on the fire, and then drop the cooked fish. This keeps you in place and maximizes XP per hour because you never bank. Some players drop the raw fish instead of cooking, but cooking on the permanent fire adds passive Cooking XP and is essentially free.

The experience rates for this method are well documented in the Ironman guide and range from roughly 20,000 to 35,000 Fishing XP per hour depending on your level and how aggressively you drop. At lower levels you catch more trout; at higher levels salmon become more common, which improves XP. The method is not AFK at all—you must click the fishing spot frequently, and dropping fish requires regular attention. However, it is simple and requires no supplies beyond a fly fishing rod and a large stack of feathers.

An advanced variant of fly fishing uses tick manipulation to catch fish every three ticks instead of five. This requires specific items like herbs and swamp tar—which are members-only—so it is generally not available to free-to-play players. If you are a member reading this for comparison, tick manipulation can lift rates above the standard 20k–35k range, but for F2P the ordinary method is already the best XP available. Do not waste time trying to tick manipulate on a pure F2P account.

The biggest drawback of fly fishing is the near-zero profit. Raw trout and salmon sell for very little, and because you are dropping them, you make nothing at all. If you choose to bank the fish instead of dropping, your XP per hour drops significantly because of travel time. For most players, fly fishing is a pure XP grind and should be treated as such.

Method 2: Lobster Fishing in Karamja

Lobster fishing requires level 40 Fishing and a lobster pot. The primary free-to-play location is on the docks of Karamja, north of the banana plantation. You can also catch lobsters on Musa Point, but the main docks are the most popular spot. Lobsters are caught from cage/harpoon fishing spots, but the lobster pot is the only tool you need. Each lobster is worth considerably more than trout or salmon, making this a profit-focused method.

The trade-off is speed. Lobster fishing is slower than fly fishing in terms of XP per hour. The exact rate depends on your level, banking method, and how often you run to the bank. Because the research pack does not list a single official XP rate for F2P lobster fishing, players should verify current rates on the wiki's Fishing training guides or use a skill calculator. However, the general consensus from the wiki data is that lobsters produce significantly less XP per hour than fly fishing, often less than half of the fly fishing maximum.

Banking is the main complication. Karamja does not have a bank directly next to the fishing spots. Players typically run to a deposit box or bank on the island, or use a teleport to return to a mainland bank. This travel time reduces AFK and XP. Some players with access to a teleport like the Explorer's Ring (from the Lumbridge achievement diary) can bank more efficiently, but even then, the cycle is more involved than simply dropping fish. The profit from lobsters depends on Grand Exchange prices, which fluctuate. Always check current prices before committing to a long lobster grind.

XP & Time Comparison

The table below summarizes the key differences between the two methods. Fly fishing is the clear winner for XP, while lobster fishing is the profit alternative. The XP rates for fly fishing are from the Ironman Guide's stated range of 20,000–35,000 XP per hour. Lobster rates are not listed as a single number in the research, so the table marks them as slower and directs players to live calculators.

From level 40 to 99 requires roughly 12.7 million additional Fishing XP (13,034,431 total XP for 99 minus the XP at level 40). At a sustained 30,000 XP per hour fly fishing, that is about 420 hours of fishing. At a more realistic 25,000 XP per hour due to dropping lapses, it climbs to over 500 hours. Lobster fishing, being slower, could easily push that number well beyond 800 hours depending on banking routes. These numbers are estimates based on the XP rates above; use the wiki's skill calculator for a precise projection from your current level.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many players waste dozens of hours by making simple errors. The most frequent mistake is assuming lobsters are better XP because they require a higher level. That is not true—higher level does not always mean faster XP. Fly fishing remains the fastest F2P method well beyond level 40, even up to 58 and beyond if you don't mind dropping.

• Banking trout and salmon: Unless you are an ironman with a specific need, banking these fish is almost never worth the XP loss. Drop them or cook/drop.
• Not bringing enough feathers: Each fish consumes one feather. A full inventory of 28 fish uses 28 feathers. Buy thousands at once to avoid constant restocking.
• Lobster banking too often: If you run to the bank after every inventory, your AFK time and XP plummet. Use a full inventory and plan a longer stay, or accept that lobsters are semi-active.
• Ignoring the permanent fire at Barbarian Village: Cooking the fish before dropping adds Cooking XP for free. Skipping it is wasted free XP.
• Not checking GE prices: Lobster profit varies. Before committing to a 100-hour lobster grind, confirm that raw lobsters are actually selling for a worthwhile amount.
• Trying to tick manipulate on F2P: The herb and tar method is members-only because the items are not available in free-to-play. Save the effort.

AFK vs Efficient Play

This decision boils down to how much attention you can give the game. Fly fishing is efficient but demanding: you must click the fishing spot, wait for the catch, drop the fish, and repeat. There is very little true AFK time. On a second monitor or while working from home, it can be done semi-AFK, but it still requires frequent clicks. Lobster fishing, by contrast, has longer periods of waiting between catches, especially at lower levels. If you are willing to bank less often, you can get a few minutes of AFK per inventory. However, the banking run forces you back to attention.

If you want the absolute fastest F2P XP, fly fishing is the only realistic choice. If you want to make gold while you train and don't mind a much longer road to 99, lobsters are viable. Some players alternate: fly fish for an hour to push XP, then lobster fish for an hour to bank some coins and rest their clicking hand. That hybrid approach keeps the grind from becoming monotonous.

Supplies & Unlock Checklist

Both methods have minimal supply requirements, but buying the right quantities in advance saves time. You can buy fishing equipment at any fishing shop. Port Sarim has a convenient shop right next to the docks where you can also catch lobsters if you have membership? No, Port Sarim is F2P. The fishing shop there sells small nets, fishing rods, fly fishing rods, lobster pots, and bait. You can also buy feathers from the same shop, though some players find it cheaper to buy feathers from other shops or the Grand Exchange.

• Fly fishing road + feathers: The rod is a one-time purchase. Feathers are consumed one per fish, so for a long grind you will need tens of thousands. Buy at least 10,000 at a time to minimize restocking.
• Lobster pot: One-time purchase, non-consumable.
• Optional teleports: For lobster banking, having an Explorer's Ring (from Lumbridge achievement diary) or a charged amulet of glory is helpful, though the amulet is members-only? Actually glory is members? In F2P, amulet of glory can be worn but teleports are members? The teleports are members-only. So stick to Explorer's Ring if you have it. Otherwise, run.

Feather costs add up, but they are trivial compared to the gold you would make from lobsters. At current GE prices, even 100k feathers is a small investment. Check live prices before buying in bulk.

When Buying Gold or a Service Is the Honest Shortcut

Let's be realistic: 40–99 Fishing is a massive time sink. At 30k XP/hr, you are looking at over 400 hours. If your goal is simply to have a high Fishing level for quests, diaries, or prestige, that time might be better spent elsewhere. This is where third-party marketplaces come in. You can buy gold to fund better supplies, or you can buy an account that already has 99 Fishing, or pay for a boosting service that levels the skill for you. These options save hundreds of hours, but they are not free and they carry risk.

If you choose to buy gold, do it from a reputable marketplace with verified sellers and buyer protection. Understand that real-world trading is against Jagex's terms of service, so there is always a chance of account action. This guide does not endorse breaking the rules, but we also won't pretend that grinding 400 hours is a good use of everyone's time. For many players, the honest answer is: if your time is worth more than the cost of a boost or account, buying the result is the smarter play. Just weigh the risks and never share your login details with an untrusted service.

Practical Next Step

Start with fly fishing at Barbarian Village. Bring a fly fishing rod and at least 1,000 feathers. Fish from level 20 (or 30 if you already have salmon) until you have a good feel for the rhythm. Try dropping fish for an hour and record your XP. Then, on another day, head to Karamja with a lobster pot and fish lobsters for an hour, banking a full inventory at the end. Compare the two in terms of XP gained and gold earned. That one-hour test will tell you which method fits your play style and goals.

If you decide to buy gold or a service instead, make sure you've done the math on time saved. The wiki's Fishing calculator can tell you exactly how many hours remain from your current level. Whether you grind or buy, the goal is the same: a level 99 Fishing account you're happy with. For more free-to-play skill comparisons, check our F2P Smithing guide or F2P Crafting guide.

Sources

• Fishing — main page for equipment, fish levels, and methods.
• Ironman Guide/Fishing — fly fishing XP rates and level recommendations.
• Pay-to-play Fishing training — equipment and advanced methods for context.
• Barbarian Training — members-only fishing expansions for comparison.