Warframe isn’t all about slicing and dicing your way through armies of faceless goons or logging in just to get your Daily Tribute reward. Why not take a break from all the senseless killing and head to your nearest lake to violently spear some innocent fish.
Fishing is one of the few non-combat activities in Warframe and the rewards you get from fishing are vital for building new weapons. It’s also one of the quickest ways to gain Standing so investing some free time into fishing is always worth it.
You can only fish in the Plains of Eidolon on Cetus and the Orb Vallis on Venus. The fish in both locations yield Standing and rewards that go toward building items for your Warframe. There are some key differences in how fishing works between Cetus and Venus, which we’ll get into later, but just note that the equipment you’d use in one location is not ideal for the other.
How to fish in Warframe
Your first Fishing Spear is acquired from an NPC on Cetus named Fisher Hai-Luk. However, your credits are no good here so you’ll need to earn some Standing before you can purchase it. Luckily, it doesn’t cost much – only 500 Standing – so all you have to do is complete one bounty quest and the spear is yours.
Equip the Fishing Spear and head out into the Plains of Eidolon to find a body of water. Now pull out your Fishing Spear by holding the weapon switch button and selecting it. You throw your spear the same way you’d fire your gun; aim down the sights and fire away.
Your spear should go flying towards your crosshair and (hopefully) right into a fish. It should be noted that Fishing Spears have both travel time and fall off in height the further their distance of travel, so you’ll have to do some quick compensation for both when fishing.
Ideally, lead the fish by a few pixels and aim the spear slightly above it for best results. If you successfully land a fish, the game will show your Warframe holding their catch and briefly display information about its species, weight, and size in a box in the lower-right corner of your screen.
Be aware of your surroundings
With your spear out, you’ll notice the volume of environmental noise is much lower. This helps with hearing for where fish are since they’ll usually make a splashing sound followed by some bubbling.
You might want to wear headphones for this to make pinpointing their location easier. Fish will make this noise a few moments before actually appearing near the surface, so keep your spear at the ready and scan the water around you the moment you hear some bubbling.
Don’t forget that you’re still vulnerable to attacks from any nearby enemies and your weapons and abilities are disabled while you have your Fishing Spear out. Don’t try throwing the spear at enemies – it barely does any damage.
Fishing hot spots
Certain rare species of fish can only be lured out of hiding using special Bait. Bait can only attract fish around hotspots in the water. These hotspots are marked by circular white patterns that fade in and out on the surface of the water (Plains of Eidolon) or greenish glowing lights (Orb Vallis).
When you approach a hotspot, throw Bait at it. The type of Bait you use influences the chances of certain types of fish appearing in and round that hotspot. The effects of Bait last for a maximum of 3 minutes; during this period, that fish type is far more likely to spawn.
You can continue to throw Bait so long as a hotspot is still active, even if you’ve used Bait on that spot already. You don’t have to actually hit the hotspot dead on for it to take effect; it’s usually enough to throw Bait within the general area of hotspot.
A hotspot disappears once all nearby fish have either been caught or run away, or if it expires.If you’re playing with a squad, hotspots are shared between all members.
Some notes on bait
Both the Plains of Eidolon and the Orb Vallis have different types of Bait that you can throw at a hotspot to increase the chances that certain rare fishes will spawn in that area.
Note that the effects of Bait don’t stack and you can’t use different kinds of Bait on a single hotspot. Also, remember that the time of day (Plains of Eidolon) or current weather cycle (Orb Vallis) affects the types of fish that can spawn in a hotspot, so don’t waste your Bait trying to lure a day fish during the night.
Bait must be crafted. Alternatively you can purchase pre-crafted Bait from Fisher Hai-Luk on Cetus or from The Business on Fortuna.
| Fish Bait | Description |
|---|---|
 | Peppered bait attracts fish active during the day. The blueprint costs 500 and is composed of Nistle Pod (20) and Fish Meat (20). |
 | Twilight bait attracts fish active during the night. The blueprint costs 1,000 and is composed of Nistlepod (10), Maprico (1), Fish Oil (10), and Fish Meat (20) |
 | Cuthol bait attracts Cuthol fish. The blueprint costs 2,000 and is composed of Maprico (5), Goopolla Spleen (10), Murkray Liver (5), and Fish Meat (20). |
 | Norg bait attracts Norg fish. The blueprint costs 2,000 and is composed of Maprico (5), Sharrac Teeth (10), Karkina Antenna (5), and Fish Meat (20). |
 | Murkray bait attracts Murkray fish. The blueprint costs 2,000 and is composed of Tralok Eyes (5), Mortus Horn (5), Goopolla Spleen (10), and Fish Meat (20). |
 | Glappid bait attracts Glappid fish. The blueprint costs 5,000 and is composed of Maprico (5), Norg Brain (10), Cuthol Tendril (5), and Fish Meat (20). |
| Servofish Bait | Description |
|---|---|
 | Narrow-Spectrum bait attracts Recaster and Eye-Eyes servofishes. Costs 100. |
 | Kriller bait attracts Kriller servofish. Costs 100. |
 | Narrow-Spectrum bait attracts Sapcaddy, Tink, and Brickie servofishes. Costs 100. |
 | Mirewinder bait attracts Mirewinder servofish. Costs 200. |
 | Longwinder bait attracts Longwinder servofish. Costs 200. |
 | Tromyzon bait attracts Tromyzon servofish. Costs 300. |
 | Charamote bait attracts Charamote servofish. Costs 300. |
 | Synathid bait attracts Synathid servofish. Costs 400. |
Fishing the Plains of Eidolon
There are seven different kinds of fish that inhabit the waters of the Plains of Eidolon. Here, fish are classified by size (small, medium, or large). The greater their size, the larger the reward. All fish can be filleted at Fisher Hai-Luk for Fish Scales, Fish Meat, and Fish Oil plus one unique material for each species of fish.
The time of day also affects what kind of fish spawn. The Plains of Eidolon go through a Day-Night cycle (22 minutes of Day followed by 4 minutes of Night). If you’re aiming to catch a species that only comes out at night, you’ll want to be at the fishing spot before nightfall to make use of every available second.
Note that some fish can only be caught with the aid of specific Bait. These Baited Species of fish are much rarer than other species. The rewards for catching a Baited Species of fish are much greater than those from Common Species – the Glappid, for instance, gives you 10-times the Standing of the most valuable Common Species.
Further, there are three different kinds of Fishing Spear that you can purchase from Hai-Luk. Each Fishing Spear deals a different type of damage. Some fish are more vulnerable – or more resistant – to certain types of damage, so don’t forget to switch to the appropriate Fishing Spear for the species you’re hoping to catch.
This map of the different Fishing spots in the Plains of Eidolon has the different spots where you can find and catch each species of fish conveniently marked.
Fishing spears you can buy on Cetus
Fishing Spears are purchased with Standing from the vendor Fisher Hai-Luk on Cetus. All Fishing Spears can be used on all varieties of fish on the Plains of Eidolon, though each kind of Fishing Spear is naturally stronger or weaker against certain types of fish.
Fishing Spears purchased on Cetus can also be used on the Orb Vallis on Fortuna, but this isn’t recommended as they cause damage to the Servofish, reducing the materials and rewards you get for catching them.
| Fishing spear | Description |
|---|---|
 | The Lanzo Fishing Spear deals Impact damage, making it powerful against fish with smooth skin. |
 | The Peram Fishing Spear deals Slash damage and is good against fish with scaly hides. |
 | The Tulok Fishing Spear deals Puncture damage and is effective against armored fish. |
Non-baited fish in the Plains of Eidolon
These common species of fish don’t require the use of any Bait to lure them out from the water’s depths.
| Fish | Description |
|---|---|
 | Charc Eels spawn in Lake Biomes and spawn during Day and Night. They are weak against the Lanzo, Tulok, and Peram Fishing Spears. Their unique drop is Char Electroplax. |
 | Goopolla spawn in Ocean Biomes during both the Day and Night. They are weak against the Lanzo, Tulok, and Peram Fishing Spears. Their unique drop is Goopolla Spleen. |
 | Khut-Khut spawn in Pond Biomes during the Day and are weak against the Lanzo, Tulok, and Peram Fishing Spears. Their unique drop is Khut-khut Venom Sac. |
 | Mawfish spawn in Lake Biomes during the Day and are weak against Lanzo, Tulok, and Peram Fishing Spears. Their unique drop is Mawfish Bones. |
 | Mortus Lungfish spawn in Pond Biomes during both the Day and Night. They are weak against the Lanzo and Peram Fishing Spears. Their unique drop is Mortus Horn. |
 | Tralok spawn in Ocean Biomes during the day and are weak against the Tulok and Peram Fishing Spears. Their unique drop is Tralok Eyes. |
 | Yogwun dwell in Pond Biomes and spawn during the Day. They are weak against the Lanzo, Tulok, and Peram Fishing Spears. Their unique drop is Yogwun Stomach. |
Baited fish in the Plains of Eidolon
Baited Species only appear with the aid of a Bait. Four of these species are considered rare and are worth up to 10 times more than other fish species.
| Fish | Description |
|---|---|
 | Cuthol spawn in Pond Biomes during the Night and are weak against the Lanzo Spear. Use a Cuthol bait to lure them out. Their unique drop is Cuthol Tendrils. |
 | Glappid are rare fish that spawn in Ocean biomes at Night and are weak against the Peram Fishing Spear. They can only be lured out with Glappid Bait. Their unique drop is Seram Beetle Shell. |
 | Karkina spawn in Ocean Biomes at Day and Night and are weak against the Lanzo and Tulok Fishing Spears. They must be lured with Twilight Bait. Their unique drop is Karkina Antenna. |
 | Murkray spawn in Ocean Biomes during the Day and Night and are weak against the Lanzo Spear. Use a Murkray bait to lure them out. Their unique drop is Murkray Liver. |
 | Norg spawn in Lake Biomes during the Night and are weak against the Peram and Shockprod Spears. Use a Norg Bait to lure them out. Their unique drop is Norg. |
 | Sharrac spawn in Ocean Biomes during the Day and Night and are weak against the Lanzo and Tulok Fishing Spears. They can only be lured with Twilight Bait. Their unique drop is Sharrac Teeth. |
Non-baited non-fish in the Plains of Eidolon
Wait what? Non-baited non-fish? Yes, believe it or not even if you’re not so lucky at catching fish you still have a chance of catching something… a boot. It’s rare, but sometimes when your spear lands a hit just outside of a fish’s hitbox you might catch a boot. This boot is pretty useless and is more of a trophy than anything else, but it can be sold for 400 Credits.
Fishing in Fortuna
Due to the notable lack of bodies of water on Venus, there aren’t any actual tuna on Fortuna – in fact, there aren’t any real fish at all. However, there are 13 different species of Servofish that inhabit the pond, lake, and cave biomes on the Orb Vallis.
Fishing for Servofish is best done with a special spear known as the Shockprod. Regular Fishing Spears purchased from Cetus can be used to catch Servofish, but they cause damage to them, reducing their trade-in value.
Rather than a Day-Night cycle, the Orb Vallis goes through a Warm-Cold cycle. The current cycle can be viewed by pulling up your map while you’re on the Orb Vallis. Warm cycles are much shorter than Cold cycles (4 minutes to the Cold cycles’ 22 minutes).
The fish sizes on Fortuna are also classified differently from those on the Plains of Eidolon: Basic, Adorned, and Magnificent. Just like on the Plains, the bigger the size, the rarer the Servofish and the greater the loot earned from trading it in. You are given Scraps and a unique drop for each Servofish you give to The Business. Note that some types of Servofish only spawn when lured with a Bait. However, the rewards you get from non-Bait Servofish are decent enough that you won’t ever really need to use Bait to chase the rarer varieties.
Fishing spears you can buy on Fortuna
The Shockprod can be purchased for 500 Standing from the Business on Fortuna. Other Fishing Spears damage the Servofish and reduce their trade-in value. The Shockprod is the only Spear you’ll need when starting to fish on the Orb Vallis.
Later on for 5,000 Standing you can upgrade to the Stunna which stuns nearby Servofish after you catch one making it great for catching a bunch more in a row. The stunned fish will light up with an electric effect and easier spot similar to when using Dye.
Corpus (Common) Species of Servofish
| Fish | Description |
|---|---|
 | Brickies spawn in Ponder and River Biomes during the Warm Cycle. Its unique drop is Muon Battery. |
 | Echowinders spawn in Lake Biomes during the Warm Cycle. Its unique drop is Anoscopic Sensor. |
 | Eye-Eye spawn in Pond Biomes during the Warm Cycle. Its unique drop is Rotoblade. |
 | Krillers spawn in Lake Biomes during the Warm Cycle. Its unique drop is Thermal Laser. |
 | Longwinders spawn in Lake hotspots during the Warm Cycle. Its unique drop is Lathe Coagulant. |
 | Mirewinders spawn in Cave Biomes during the Cold and Warm Cycles. Its unique drop is Parallel Biode. |
 | Recasters spawn in Pond hotspots during the Cold Cycle. Its unique drop is Neural Relay. |
 | Sapcaddies spawn in Lake Biomes during the Cold Cycle. Its unique drop is Venedo Case. |
 | Scrubbers spawn in Cave Biomes in Cold and Warm Cycles. Its unique drop is Exa Brain. |
 | Tinks spawn in Pond and River Biomes during the Cold Cycle. Its unique drop is Dissipator Coil. |
Orokin (Rare) Species of Servofish
| Fish | Description |
|---|---|
 | Charamotes spawn in Cave hotspots during the Cold and Warm Cycles. Its unique drop is Sagan Module. |
 | Synathids spawn in Cave hotspots during the Cold and Warm Cycles. Its unique drop is Neural Ecosynth Analyzer. |
 | Tromyzons spawn in Pond hotspots during the Cold Cycle. Its unique drop is Entroplasma. |
General tips for fishing in Warframe
Use your Luminous Dye and Pharoma
A lot of your time will be spent waiting for fish to spawn. As mentioned above, fish make a noise before appearing. However, depending on the conditions of your environment, such as water clarity, time of day, and the angle of light reflecting on the water’s surface, actually visually identifying fish can be a hassle.
Luminous Dye lights up nearby fish, making them much easier to spot. There’s no reason to save up the Dye you have. They’re cheap and easy to craft, only costing 5,000 Credits and 10 of both Iradite and Ferrite, so you should always have some on hand when fishing.
You can also use Pharoma which “relaxes” the fish causing them not to swim away when water is disturbed when you miss or in the water. This makes them easier to catch since they stay in the same area. It’s also likewise cheap and easy to make. Needing 5,000 Credits and 10 of both Iradite and Alloy Plate.
Use your Warframe’s and Sentinel’s abilities
Remember that many Warframes’ skills can be useful when you’re fishing. Ivara’s Dashwire creates a zipline that you can position above bodies of water. This gives you a better viewing angle for scanning the surface for fish. It also helps with aiming, as you don’t have to compensate as much for gravity when you’re firing spears from above.
Banshee’s Sonar briefly highlights the outlines of nearby fish. However, they don’t appear on your minimap and their weak points aren’t visible.
The Sentinel Oxylus has an ability that seems to be specifically made for this activity: the Scan Aquatic Lifeforms ability. Others might not be as obvious, but when used properly can help enhance your ability to identify and capture fish. The ability is functionally similar to Luminous Dye. It highlights fish both in the water and on your minimap, speeding up the fishing process by quite a bit.
Use Resource Boosters and Resource Drop Chance Boosters
Resource Boosters instantly double the number of resources you get from pickups. This effect also works when you’re fishing!
Any fish you catch when a Resource Booster is active is doubled. You can also use Resource Drop Chance Boosters.
They’re great because they double the base number of fish that spawn meaning you have twice as many fish to hunt and save time since you don’t have to wait as much for new ones to spawn.
Both can be bought at the Market with Platinum. How much they cost depends how long you want them to last.
A 3-day booster is 40 Platinum, a 7-day booster is 80 Platinum, and a 30-day booster is 200 Platinum. Getting the 30-day booster is the most cost efficient and let’s you get the most bang for your buck. Doing math it costs around 7 Platinum per day as opposed to around 11 Platinum per day for a 7-day booster or around 13 Platinum per day for a 3-day booster.