How to Fish in Elder Scrolls Online

Collect bait. To fish successfully in ESO, you will need to collect bait. There are various types of bait that can be found around the world of Tamriel. For the best success in fishing, you will need to use the correct bait for each of the four water types. You can also purchase simple bait from merchants that can be used everywhere, but it isn’t perfectly suited for any type of water.

Find a fishing hole. Nearly every body of water in ESO has a fishing hole. You can identify a fishing hole by finding a large ripple in the water.

• You will automatically begin the game with a fishing rod, but bait must be collected in-game.

Identify the fishing hole. There are four different types of water in Elder Scrolls Online: lakes, rivers, foul water, and oceans. The appearance of each water type is self-explanatory, although if you find a fishing hole that you’re unsure of, you can use simple bait to catch a fish first. You can use the details below to identify the body of water you are in:

• Lakes include Spadetail, Silverside Perch, and Shad.
• Oceans include Dhufish, Longfin, and Minnows.
• Rivers include Salmon, River Betty, and Fish Roe.
• Foul water includes Slaughterfish, Trodh, and Chub.

Start the fishing process. To start fishing, simply tap “E” on a fishing hole. Your character will show an idle fishing animation as he fishes.

Choose the right bait. Whilst you can use simple bait for all four water types, your chance of catching better rewards is improved with the right bait. You can choose between collected bait by holding down the “E” key instead of tapping “E” whilst at a fishing hole.^[1]

• If you are fishing in a lake you can use Guts or Minnows. Guts can be collected by killing and looting small passive mobs such as rats and frogs. Minnows can be fished for in oceans.
• If you are fishing in an ocean you can use Worms and Chub. Worms can be looted from undead corpses or from interacting with alchemy plants found throughout Tamriel. Chub can be fished from foul water.
• If you are fishing in a river you can use Shad or Insect Parts. Shad can be fished from lakes. Insect Parts can be collected when interacting with torchbugs or butterflies, which are both found flying in the air throughout Tamriel.
• If you are fishing in Foul Water you can use Fish Roe or Crawlers. Fish Roe can be fished from rivers. Crawlers can be collected by killing and looting passive spiders or from interacting with alchemy plants found throughout Tamriel.