Time Out: Warframe Fishing Guide

Though Warframe may be a third-person shooter-looter, killing waves of Grineer and Corpus baddies isn’t the only way to spend your time. If you’d like a more relaxing way to spend your in-game hours, why not lay down your arms and pick up a fishing spear instead? Not only is it a peaceful alternative to the daily Warframe grind, but it can also get you some useful components for building new weapons and Warframes to take onto the battlefield. So how can you start racking up your scaly body count? Our Warframe Fishing Guide will tell you all you need to know about netting some big fish stories of your own.

How do I start fishing in Warframe?

The first thing you need to start fishing in Warframe is a Fishing Spear, which you can acquire from Fisher Hai-Luk, a vendor on Cetus who sells fishing supplies. However, like most vendors in Cetus, Hai-luk doesn’t accept credits—instead, you’ll need to buy a Fishing Spear using Standing. You can start earning Standing by completing bounties, assigned by Konzu in Cetus. The starter Fishing Spear only costs 500 standing, so completing a single bounty should earn you enough to buy it. Once you have your new fishing Fishing Spear, you’ll need to equip it in your Gear menu, which you can access through your Arsenal.

Now it’s time to head out onto the Plains of Eidolon. To start fishing, find a body of water (duh) and equip your Fishing Spear by holding Q on PC and selecting the corresponding Gear slot. Once you have the spear equipped, aim down its “sights” the same way you’d aim a gun (right mouse button by default on PC) while facing the water. Environmental sounds should become partially muted and within a few seconds, you should hear the sound of bubbling, splashing water. This tells you that a fish has spawned nearby! Keep your eyes on the water and try to move in the direction the sounds are coming from. In time, you should spot the fish in the water, along with its species name if you hover over it with your crosshair. With the fish in your sights, you can now take aim and throw your spear by pressing the same button you usually use to fire a weapon (left mouse button by default on PC). If successful, your Warframe will haul the fish out of the water for your admiration, while if you fail, the fish will quickly swim away. Miss too many times and the fish will despawn entirely.

After you’ve caught your fill of fish, head back into Cetus through the gate and pay a visit to Fisher Hai-luk again. Talk to her and select “Fishing Services” to either “Provide” your fish to Cetus’s needy in exchange for Standing or “Cut Bait” to reduce your fish to their component parts for use in constructing equipment from blueprints.

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How do I catch rare fish?

Some crafting recipes require more than just generic fish scales and instead call for components only found in rare species of fish. So how do you catch this elusive prey? First, do your research. Certain fish species only spawn at certain points during the in-game day-and-night cycle or only in certain bodies of water. The official Warframe wiki can be a good place to start for this kind of information. Next, ascertain if you need bait to catch your fish of choice. Though most fish can be caught without bait, the Sharrac, Karkina, Murkray, Norg, Cuthol, and Glappid only spawn if you use bait to lure them out of hiding.

Also, note that many rare fish are hardier than their more common brethren and require either a specialized spear or multiple strikes to reel them in.

How do I acquire and use bait?

As easy as it would make our lives if Hai-luk sold her own bait, instead she sells bait blueprints. After buying a blueprint, you can use it an unlimited number of times to craft the bait you need from your Foundry—assuming you have the components needed. Bait is crafted exclusively from resources you can find on the Plains of Eidolon, often from other species of fish, so make sure to stock up while you’re there.

Once you’ve crafted your bait, there’s no need to equip it in your Arsenal. Just head out to the Plains of Eidolon and find your chosen fishing spot. When you equip your Fishing Spear, you’ll see your bait in your fishing menu on the bottom right of the screen. To cast your bait, press the corresponding number key while aiming at the water. But wait! You can’t just throw your bait anywhere if you want it to be effective. Instead, try to aim it near a “hotspot,” a patch of water marked by rippling white bubbles. These hotspots will activate your bait and keep it active for three minutes, during which time the bait’s target fish has a higher chance of spawning. Note that placing multiple copies of the same bait in a hotspot at the same time will not increase the chance of your desired fish spawning, so only use one at a time!

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How can I see fish when I’m fishing at night?

Some species of fish only spawn at night, which can be a real pain for would-be fish spotters. In the dark waters, it’s nearly impossible to see anything, much less the wriggling shadow of a fish. Fortunately, there’s a relatively easy fix for this problem. Simply purchase a blueprint for Luminos Dye from Hai-luk and build it with Iradite and Ferrite in your Foundry. Once you’ve built it, it operates much like bait, appearing in your fishing menu when you equip your Fishing Spear. Unlike bait, however, it can be thrown anywhere in the water and still have an effect.

Once you’ve thrown the Luminos Dye in the water, nearby fish will glow for two minutes, making them easy to spot and aim at. Not only is this useful for fishing at night, but also for catching fish hiding under aquatic plants. And since crafting “one” Luminos Dye will grant you 10 charges of the item, there’s no reason to be stingy with it. Glowing fish for everyone!

Hook, Line, & Sinker

Fishing is definitely one of Warframe’s more unique features and one that offers a nice break from the constant cycle of shooting and looting. We hope this guide has illuminated this watery past-time for you—as clearly as a Luminos Dye-covered Norg. We hope this Warframe Fishing Guide serves your purpose.

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