Destiny 2 fishing, including how to fish and how to get bait

How to fish in Destiny 2 and Gone Fishin' quest steps

To unlock fishing in Destiny 2, you first need to complete the first section of the seasonal Into the Depths quest. Afterwards, you will be sent to speak to Hawthorne in the tower, which will start you on a fishing tutorial quest called Gone Fishin.

The quest steps for Gone Fishin are:

• Speak to Suraya Hawthorne in the Tower Bazaar
• Collect 20 bait
• Catch 5 fish in the outskirts of the EDZ
• Catch 5 fish in the Cistern on Nessus
• Catch 5 fish in the Miasma in Savathun’s Throne World
• Release your caught fish at the aquarium in the H. E. L. M.

Fishing requires bait, which is collected by completing seasonal activities, like Salvage and Deep Dive, playlist activities, like Vanguard Ops or Crucible, and public events. Whichever avenue you choose, you can anticipate it will take multiple completions to gather the required bait.

Once you have bait, you need to find a spot to fish. There are fishing holes in the EDZ, on Nessus, and in Savathun’s Throne world. Look for the blue diamond shaped indicator in the director to find the precise location.

Once you find the spot, walk out onto the docks. Follow the button prompt to cast your line. There may be a few bobs as fish nibble, but wait until the lure is pulled under, and the fishing line goes taught. Hit the button again to snag the fish. If you time it just right you’ll achieve a perfect catch, increasing the odds of catching a legendary or exotic fish.

As you catch fish you’ll eventually want to store them somewhere. That’s where the fish tank in the H.E.L.M. comes into play. Head to this destination and approach the console. Deposit your fish to fill the tank. You’ll also earn gear for any legendary and exotic fish you turn in.

The Season of the Deep is here alongside the Into the Depths quest. You can know go fishing too! Don't forget to keep an eye on the Lost Sector and King's Fall challenge rotation schedule!

How to get bait in Destiny 2

Becoming a master fisher in Destiny 2 will require a lot of bait. While many in game activities reward it, there is an easy way to optimize and farm bait in Destiny 2.

Open the EDZ in the Director, and look for public events. Completing any public event will bestow 7 or 8 bait upon you. Experienced Guardians will know that EDZ Public Events are frequent, fast, and can be chained for rapid completions.

Load into a zone with an upcoming event and clear it as quickly as possible. You can also grab any fast patrols, like the ones focused on slaying enemies. As soon as you finish fast travel to the next point with a Public Event. If you are solo you can even try loading into the same area you just finished, occasionally you will be sent to a server where the activity isn’t done yet, and you can double up on the completion.

Repeat this process until your pockets are filled with bait.

How to catch exotic fish in Destiny 2

Exotic fish are the most desirable, yet most rare, fish you can catch in Destiny 2. Not only are they impressive to reel in, they also contribute to triumphs, and will award exotic armour when you turn them in at the H.E.L.M.

The odds of any particular fish being exotic is rare, so catching one is a numbers game. However, you can tip the odds in your favour by taking advantage of the Focused Fishing meter. This meter incrementally fills every time you or someone near you catches a legendary or exotic fish. As the meter fills, the odds of catching a legendary or exotic fish increases. The people near you don’t need to be in your fireteam, so it can be worthwhile to reload an area until you find an instance with folks casting lines.

Filling the Focused Fishing meter takes time, and even with it full the odds of any particular fish being exotic are low, so you should plan to bring as much bait as you can, at least several dozen. Keep fishing repeatedly, and eventually you should catch one.

There is one important caveat. Public Events interrupt fishing. If one starts, you will lose your Focused Fishing progress, so don’t start fishing when you see a Public Event is imminent.

Good luck fishing in Destiny 2!