No MMORPG is complete without a fishing minigame, and Warframe is no exception to this rule. Fishing in Warframe can be a zen activity in its own right. Itcontributes to gear and faction progression in various ways, instead of just being a break from the violent gunplay.
You can earn favor (measured in Standing, a per-Syndicate currency) with the local syndicate by offering them the fish you catch. More importantly, all fish can be dissected to extract crafting ingredients that cannot be taken elsewhere.
To catch certain rare species of fish, you have to be in the right place, at the right time, with proper equipment at hand. Although it may seem daunting to a first-time angler, this Warframe fishing guide will provide an easy explanation of all the mechanics of the minigame.
How does fishing in Warframe work?
The fishing process itself is not too difficult to master. If you spot any fish in a waterbody, you must throw a fishing spear and hit it.
- If you use a 'shock spear,' a minigame will be added where you must pick the 'sweet spot' on the bar to shock the fish. After catching a fish, it has a random chance of being one of three qualities.
- The quality of the fish dictates the amount of resources you can extract from it or the level of Standing you gain when you gift it to the local syndicate.
- Quality is separate from the 'rarity' of fish. Rarity depends on what fish it is, and no RNG is involved in this.
There are three things you need to fish in Warframe:
- A fishing spear. Certain fishing spears will work better against certain fish.
- Bait. Common fish can be caught without bait, but high-rarity subspecies of fish only spawn when specific baits are used.
- Luminous Dye. This can be cast into the water to highlight all fish around you for a specific duration. Multiple Dyes can be cast to cover a larger area.
How to equip fishing Spear in Warframe
Fishing is possible without Bait or Luminous Dye but impossible if you don't have an equipped fishing spear. To equip a fishing spear in Warframe, you have to:
- Go to the Arsenal menu.
- Go to the Gear Wheel Menu (third tab on the top left).
- Click on Gear and equip your fishing spear on a slot.
You can then pull out the fishing spear on the field by opening the gear wheel (Q) and clicking on the slot.
Multiple fishing spears and baits can be swapped during a Warframe mission without needing to equip them separately. This is beneficial because you will often need a specific type of fishing spear depending on which planet you're fishing on.
- You need to get and use all three fishing spears purchasable from Fisher Hai-Luk in Cetus, as they all have advantages and disadvantages against specific fish types.
- Shock spears, which can be purchased from The Business in Fortuna, can catch servofish in Orb Vallis. However, it only temporarily incapacitates fish in the other open worlds.
- Infested Spears, purchasable from Daughter in Cambion Drift, can catch Deimos fish through the surface. However, those floating above ground can be caught by Cetus spears.
Best fishing spears for each Open World in Warframe
The following are the best fishing spears for each open world in Warframe:
- Plains of Eidolon: Tulok (note that you optimally need all three)
- Orb Vallis: Stunna
- Cambion Drift: Ebisu
Best Fishing hotspots in Warframe: All hotspot types covered
All types of fish in Warframe are bound to specific weather conditions and locations. For example, certain Plains-exclusive fish can only be found in the ocean, while some can be found solely in subterranean brooks in caves.
In each case, certain locations are known as 'fishing hotspots' in Warframe. The following are the best-known hotspots of each type.
Best lake hotspot for fishing in Plains of Eidolon
Plains-exclusive fish that appear in the lake biome can be easily found in the Gara Toht Lake at the center of the map.
Best ocean hotspot for fishing in Plains of Eidolon
The best ocean hotspot is down towards the south-east coastline of the Plains map.
Best pond hotspot for fishing in Plains of Eidolon
There are numerous ponds across the Plains of Eidolon, but the pond shown below is widely considered the best hotspot.
Best lake hotspot for fishing in Orb Vallis
Right ahead of the Fortuna entrance, the big lake contains multiple good lake hotspots.
Best pond hotspot for fishing in Orb Vallis
The pond north of the Asta Crater is the best pond hotspot for fishing in the Orb Vallis.
Best cave hotspot for fishing in Orb Vallis
Outside of the Plains, there are no other ocean fishing biomes in Warframe thus far. Instead, there are cave hotspots in both Orb Vallis and Cambion Drift.
Cave hotspots in Orb Vallis are the only source of two rare servofish in Warframe: Charamote and Synathid.
Best cave hotspot for fishing in Cambion Drift
There are three good cave hotspots in Cambion Drift, but arguably the best one is located southeast of Albrech's Prospect. The location shown above is the easiest entry point and the image below pin-points the hotspot in the cavernous chasm.
Although you can technically find fish in caverns leading to Isolation Vaults in Warframe, these seldom have hotspots.
Best surface hotspot for fishing in Cambion Drift
Note that fishing hotspots sometimes glitch out, and the best way to tell if the hotspot is active is to bring along the Oxylus companion. In any case, active hotspot areas always grant the most fish density.
Can you catch fish in Warframe's Duviri open world?
The Golden Maw feeding side activity in Duviri is an exclusive source for ingredients like Maw Fang in Warframe. However, it can also grant Duviri-exclusive fish if you are exceptionally good at this minigame.
Catching 15 fish before the timer runs out rewards you with one of the following fish:
- Seonn
- Xiran
- Haav
- Namaes
- Inaak
Unlike all other fish in Warframe, these Duviri fish do not grant any specific rewards or resources. Their only use is decorative, as they can be put into the aquarium in your Orbiter.
Check out other guides on this game from Sportskeeda:
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