Fishing Hotspots are special areas of Aeternum where New World fishermen can seek out greater rewards in the form of rarer and more valuable catches.
You'll notice them right away, as you'll see fish jumping out of the water. However, like harvesting nodes, schools of fish are limited in resources -- once fished, they'll need some time to regenerate.
Fishing Hotspot Bonuses
Data provided by newworldfishingguide allows us to see the scarcity of certain fish in Hotspots.
Fish Count: 30
Respawn Time: ~15 minutes
Drop Rates:
○ Common: 45%
○ Uncommon: 40%
○ Rare: 10%
○ Legendary: < 5%
Fish Count: 20
Respawn Time: ~35 minutes
Drop Rates:
○ Common: No Chance
○ Uncommon: 65%
○ Rare: 30%
○ Legendary: ~5%
Fish Count: 10
Respawn Time: ~45 minutes
Drop Rates:
○ Common: No Chance
○ Uncommon: 20%
○ Rare: 70%
○ Legendary: 10%
When can I locate Fishing Hotspots?
If you're told the location of a Fishing Hotspot, but can't see schools of fish, why is this?
You must have required Fishing Skill level to access the Hotspot
During exploration, you'll certainly come across Fishing Hotspots, but won't see fish jumping out of the water.
This is not necessarily because of another traveler has fished the node, but because you don't yet meet the Fishing Skill level required.
If you don't see fish jumping out of the water, you won't benefit from the bonuses to rare catches.
Fishing Skill Level Requirements
Different Hotspots will unlock at certain levels within each tier, whether Broad, Rare or Secret. Those levels are:
- Broad Fishing Hotspots (1*): 2, 4, 7, 3, 9, 12, 16, 20, 25, 27, 30, 34, 37, 41, 45, 52, 56, 59, 70
- Rare Fishing Hotspots ((2*): 7, 20, 30, 45, 56, 60, 62, 67, 70, 74, 83, 88, 95, 99, 103, 110, 114, 117, 141
- Secret Fishing Hotspots (3*): 12, 27, 62, 70, 88, 99, 110, 117, 128, 134, 141, 148, 153, 158, 165, 172, 179, 185, 190, 193, 197, 200
Using the New World Fishing Guide website can help you plan which Hotspots become available at each Fishing Skill level.
Making the most of Fishing Hotspots
Bait
Anything that increases your Fishing Skill or adds bonuses to catches is useful in New World. These methods include higher tier rods, perks, and even Trophies on display in your house.
One of these methods is to use different kinds of Bait, which increase your chances of landing rare catches. These baits are particularly useful:
Obtained from Cooking
Increases your chance of catching rarer fish in saltwater by 47%.
Obtained when harvesting Flints during the day.
Increases your chance of catching rarer fish in saltwater by 70%.
Obtained when harvesting Flints during the night.
Increases your chance of catching rarer fish in saltwater by 85%.
Obtained via Cooking
Increases your chance of catching rarer fish in freshwater by 47%.
Obtained when harvesting Bushes.
Increases your chance of catching rarer fish in freshwater by 70%.
Obtained when harvesting Bulrush.
Increases your chance of catching rarer fish in freshwater by 85%.
Perks and Trophies
Your fishing rod can be equipped with various perks that increase the chances of rare drops, in particular Lucky Waters, Lucky Day, and Lucky Night perks.
Displaying a Fishing Gathering Trophy in your House will also add a sizeable boost to your fishing prowess:
- Minor Fishing Gathering Trophy - increases Luck when fishing by 2500 points
- Basic Fishing Gathering Trophy - increases Luck when fishing by 5000 points
- Major Fishing Gathering Trophy - increases Luck when fishing by 9000 points
Fisherman's Gear
There are a total of 15 quests that reward various pieces of Fisherman's gear, all part of a chain. Start by speaking to Michael Shields, the Master Fisher found on the riverside west of Green Haven.
While it's possible to complete the chain when your level is in the mid-20s, you won't benefit from the higher level gear until much later.
The sets include:
- Fisherman's gear -Tier 2 cosmetic set, with no bonuses.
- Battered Fisherman's gear - Tier 2 cosmetic set, with no bonuses.
- Hardy Fisherman's gear - Tier 3
- Sleek Fisherman's gear - Tier 4
- Fierce Fisherman's gear - Tier 5
- Vengeful Fisherman's gear - Tier 5
