Here’s how you can catch the big one in Warframe, a game about robot ninjas. But also fishing.
A couple of years back, Warframe received its first open-world expansion in the Plains of Eidolon. The Plains pivoted Warframe from a procedurally-generated mission system into a more traditional RPG world that is fixed and unmoving, but still dynamic. Roving bands of Grineer and massive ghostly beasts called Eidolons are encountered during the Plains day/night cycle, while more traditional RPG activities like mining and fishing were added too.
Years later, fishing has become a fixture of each new open-world expansion from Fortuna to the Heart of Deimos. It’s a bit odd that space ninjas need to concern themselves with fishing, but then, Warframe is a bit of an odd game.
Certain desirable items are locked behind progression in the fishing system, so it behooves every good Tenno to become a master fisherman. Read on to discover the secrets of fishing and how you too could catch a big one.
Before You Get Started
Before we even start, it’s important to know some of the base mechanics for fishing. Each open world area (Plains of Eidolon, Orb Vallis, and Cambion Drift) have different mechanics for fishing, and getting good in one area won’t necessarily translate into being a skillful fisher in another area.
In general, fishing involves first obtaining an appropriate fishing spear from the planetary vendor as well as some bait. There's usually a general bait that will encourage fish to congregate, but rare fish will often require a specific type of bait that is locked behind progression with that planet's faction.
Fish provide both faction standing when donated to the planetary vendor, but they also provide specific materials when diced up for parts. Those parts are often required to make high-level items, better bait/spears, or are even required to rank up your standing, so as a general rule, rare fish should never be donated to vendors for standing.
In order to fish, you’ll need to have a fishing spear in your equipment menu. Accessing the equipment menu and selecting the fishing spear will equip it and prevent the player from engaging in normal combat, so make sure your fishing spot is clear of enemies before you sit down to fish.
This “fishing mode” will replace your normal Warframe abilities with your baits. Throwing the bait into whatever medium the fish currently inhabit (which isn’t always water, in case you were wondering) will encourage fish to arrive so you can spear them. More on that later.
Always aim for the largest fish you can see. Not only will they provide more standing/materials, but they’re also just plain easier to catch. Some rare fish only come in one size (usually small), but if you’ve got a choice, go big or go home.
Location and time/weather are the two most important factors determining what fish are available. Certain fish will appear in lakes, some in ponds, and some in rivers or caves. Some fish only appear at night on the Plains of Eidolon, while some only appear during blizzards on Venus. Make sure to check the Warframe wiki to see when and where you can catch your desired fish.
For rare fish, time and location are just part of the equation. Some fish will only appear with bait, others only when the surface is bubbling or shimmering (called a “hot spot”), and some need both. Again, check the wiki for your particular species of fish.
Just as in real life, fishing takes patience. Fish will only appear after you take out your rod, but it can take a while. You can speed up the process by throwing in bait and by using hot spots. Keep an eye out for hot spots denoted by rippling water on the Plains of Eidolon or shimmering fumes in the Orb Vallis and Cambion Drift.
Each open-world area has its own fishing mechanics and you don’t need to start at any one location in particular. Feel free to start your fishing adventure in any of Warframe’s open-world locations and then scroll to the appropriate section in this guide.
Fishing On The Plains Of Eidolon
The first of Warframe's open-world zones, the Plains of Eidolon has many fish to catch and many different spears and baits to catch them with. Each spear is best suited for certain types of fish, while each bait is often designed to encourage one species of fish to appear over all others. In general, you'll need to work your way through each spear and bait to catch every fish on the Plains of Eidolon.
To get started, head to Fisher Hai-Luk and get yourself the three spears on offer: Lanzo, Tulok, and Peram. Each spear is best-suited to catch a certain type of fish by essentially dealing more damage. Once a fish's health is reduced to zero, it becomes caught. Use the right spear and this should only take one or two hits, but the inappropriate spear might take 3-4 hits, which will make catching fish extremely difficult (especially since fish tend to swim away after getting poked by a spear).
Lanzo spears are best used for smooth-skinned fish, and since the low-level fish are all smooth-skinned, you'll want to start with that one.
Also, be sure to pick up some Luminous Dye and some Peppered Bait. The Luminous Dye essentially makes fish glow underwater and therefore much easier to catch. Peppered Bait is the most basic sort of bait and simply increases the number of common fish you'll see on screen.
Now head into the Plains of Eidolon to start fishing. The map above provides you with a few noted spots that are great for fishing. The lakes that are directly north and west of the gate to Cetus are both great areas for fishing due to their large beaches and few enemies, but always remember to clear the area before you start fishing.
Since ranking up with the Ostron is tied to fishing, you'll want to focus your fishing efforts on meeting those rank up requirements. Getting 60 fish scales isn't too hard as you get those by turning any fish into its component parts, but Murkray Livers and Cuthol Tendrils will require specialized baits to catch, and those baits are locked behind higher Ostron rankings. Don't try to capture those fish right off the bat.
Fishing On The Orb Vallis
Your fishing trip gets easier when you arrive at Fortuna. There’s only one fishing spear used to catch Servofish, and the only thing you need to worry about is having the correct bait and the weather as certain fish only appear during certain weather conditions.
Let’s start with the spear. Instead of the three spears you use on the Plains of Eidolon, head to The Business to pick up a shock spear. This speak works a little differently than the other three--once a fish has been struck by the spear, you’ll have to play a short mini-game in order to shock the fish into submission. Hit the throw button again when the gauge is in the middle to send a powerful shock that will stun and allow you to grab it.
You can later upgrade the Shockprod Fishing Spear to a Stunna Fishing Spear, which upon successfully capturing a fish will release an EMP wave that will also stun all nearby Servofish and make it easier to catch lots of fish en-masse.
Next, we should talk about bait. Luminous dye still works the same here as it does on the Plains of Eidolon, but unlike the Plains, there's more bait to make things a bit more complicated. The Broad-Spectrum Bait will improve your odds of catching Sapcaddies, Tinks, and Brickies, while Narrow-Spectrum Bait improves your odds for Recasteres or Eye-Eyes, depending on the current weather. Everything else requires a specialized bait that has the same name as the species it's intended for
Unlike the Ostron, Solaris United doesn't require any particular fish parts in order to improve your standing with them. However, you will need them to make certain K-Drives, Kitguns, and other weapons.
Check the map above for the best locations to find certain Servofish.
Fishing On The Cambion Drift
Once again, you'll need to buy a new spear to start your fishing career on Deimos, and this time it's all infested. The Spari Fishing Spear can pierce the exocrine and allow you to capture fish beneath its gooey surface. Later you can upgrade to the Ebisu Spear that won't cause fish to scurry away if you miss your throw.
As with the Plains and Orb Vallis, fishing spots can be in lakes, rivers, ponds, or caves. Most can be caught on the surface, but some are only found underground. Also, some fish appear during the Fass cycle, while some only appear during the Vome cycle. Again, check the wiki before heading out to find any particular species so you're not wasting your time.
Thankfully, bait in the Cambion Drift is the least complicated of all fishing locales. There's Fass Residue to improve your chances of catching Fass-spawning fish, and Vome residue to catch Vome-spawning fish. Processed versions of each type of bait simply allow you to catch rarer fish.
What can you do with Deimos fish? Well, you'll need to give Daughter a few in order to acquire Daughter Tokens and rank up your standing, but otherwise, fish parts from the Cambion Drift are mostly used to create Deimos weapons, the new Xaku Warframe, and for making Antigens for Vulpaphyla companions.
Take a look at the map below for some sweet fishing spots.
