Melvor Idle 2 Fishing Guide: Food, Specials and AFK Spots
Melvor Idle 2 Fishing guide: which fish to target, how to turn catches into food, when special items matter, and the best AFK routine.
Fishing is the first skill that pays for itself. The catch feeds Cooking, the cooked food feeds combat, and the surplus sells. No other gathering skill removes a bottleneck this early with this little setup.
The sequel changes the skill list and the level cap, but the shape of fishing is stable: pick a spot, catch fish, process or sell. What changes is which fish are worth targeting at each level and how special items fit in.
The fishing routine
| Step | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pick the highest fish you can catch reliably | Better healing and value per inventory |
| 2 | Fish until the bank stack is full | Fewer trips, more AFK time |
| 3 | Cook the part you will eat | Raw fish heals less and sells for less |
| 4 | Sell the surplus | Funds bank slots and seeds |
| 5 | Keep special items | They feed quests, crafting or collection |
Reliability matters more than tier. A fish you catch quickly fills the bank faster than a rare fish you fail on.
Which fish to target
Early on, target the highest fish whose catch rate is comfortable. As your level rises, move up one tier at a time and test the catch rate. If the spot feels slow, drop back; the extra tier is not worth a halved catch rate.
The exception is a fish that feeds a specific recipe or quest. In that case, target it even if it is slower, because the alternative is buying it at a premium.
Cooking is half the skill
Fishing without Cooking produces raw fish, and raw fish is a worse food and a worse sale. Train the two together:
- Catch a bank of fish.
- Cook the edible portion.
- Sell the rest raw only if Cooking level is too low for the tier.
Cooking level should trail Fishing by a few levels, not lag by twenty. The skill order page→ shows where Cooking fits against the rest of the route.
The highest-healing food is for bosses; the mid-tier food is for training. Do not eat your boss food on trash mobs.
Special items
Fishing special items are the reason the skill stays relevant after food is solved. They can feed quests, crafting or collection logs, and they are a by-product of time spent fishing rather than a separate grind.
Check the Codex before selling a special item. If it has no use, sell it; if it is a quest item, bank it. The items guide→ covers the keep-or-sell decision.
AFK spots and banking
The best AFK spot is the one closest to a bank with a fish you can catch reliably. Travel time is the hidden cost of fishing; a slightly worse fish next to a bank beats a better fish across the map.
For long sessions, fill the bank, cook a batch, sell the surplus, then return. Do not bank every few fish; the trip is the cost, not the catch.
Fishing for money
Fishing is a steady early money method because the output is always sellable. It is not the best gp per hour at high levels, but it is the most reliable because it needs no inputs.
The money making guide→ ranks it against Thieving and Smithing. The short version: fish for food first, sell the surplus second.
A bank full of gold and no food is a combat death waiting to happen. Keep a stack for the content you are currently clearing.
FAQ
What is the best fish to catch first? The highest-tier fish you can catch reliably. Catch rate beats tier until your level is high enough to make the next tier comfortable.
Do I need Cooking to make money from fishing? No, but cooked fish sells for more and feeds combat. Train Cooking alongside Fishing.
Are fishing special items worth keeping? Check the Codex. Quest and crafting items are worth keeping; pure vendor items are not.
Can I fish while doing something else? Yes. Fishing is one of the most AFK-friendly skills; set it and check back when the bank is full.
Official source: Melvor Idle 2 on Steam ↗ Official source: Early Access announcement ↗ Community source: Melvor Idle wiki Fishing ↗