Zones
Notable (for anglers) changes to old zones and locations include:
- Stranglethorn Vale splits into 2 zones: Northern Stranglethorn and The Cape of Stranglethorn. Zul'Gurub is no longer a dungeon, and becomes part of Northern Stranglethorn. Booty Bay remains a neutral (Steamwheedle) Goblin settlement. The Stranglethorn Extravaganza Contest covers both zones.
- The Barrens also splits into 2 new zones - Northern Barrens and Southern Barrens. The oases are in the Northern Barrens.
- Alterac Mountains have joined the Hillsbrad Foothills zone.
- Horde Goblins have invaded Azshara's Bay of Storms, constructing Bilgewater Harbor in the middle.
- Thousand Needles completely floods with seawater. Sea levels rise in several other zones, including Tanaris (Gadgetzan becomes a port) and Wetlands (Menethil Harbor is almost submerged). Darkshore contains much more inland seawater.
- Orgrimmar and Stormwind City gain more water.
- The Blasted Lands, Stonetalon Mountains, and (at the bottom of a cliff) Badlands gain coastlines.
- Loch Modan's dam has been breeched, and most of its water has emptied out into the Wetlands.
There are very many changes to quests, towns, and paths between zones. There are also several new lakes in the elevated areas on the edges of zones, some of which can only be reached using a flying mount.
Open Water
All pre-Cataclysm open water catches can still be caught after the Cataclysm, except a few quest-only fish (see Cataclysm Fishing). There are no new fish, except in new Cataclysm zones (see Cataclysm Catches). However, the precise zones in which old fish can be caught has changed in some cases:
As the Gazetteer explains, pre-expansion Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor contained just 6 different groups catches: Each zone matched 1 of the 6 zone groups. Catches (and no-junk skill) were based on the zone group.
In Cataclysm the old (levels 1-60) zones of Azeroth continue to use the same 6 zone groups. So, instead of listing the changes to the precise catch in each zone, the table below simply lists zones whose zone group has changed. Common catches have been checked manually, but it is assumed that the rare catches are change with the rest of the zone group. For information about specific catches, refer to the Fish Finder.
| Zone | Pre-Cataclysm | Post-Cataclysm | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone Group | No-Junk Skill | Zone Group | No-Junk Skill | ||
| Alterac Mountains | 4 | 225 | 3 | 150 | Joins Hillsbrad Foothills. |
| Arathi Highlands | 4 | 225 | 3 | 150 | Quirk: The Forbidding Sea (east coast) is unchanged. |
| Azshara | 5 | 300 | 2 | 75 | Quirk: Many old sub-zones, including Bay of Storms, were unchanged until patch 4.1. |
| Badlands | - | - | 5 | 300 | New coastline. |
| Blasted Lands | - | - | 6 | 425 | New coast and inland water. Quirk: Inland skill far lower (25). |
| The Cape of Stranglethorn | 4 | 225 | 4 | 225 | New zone. Jaguero Isle remains in zone group 5, but with 225 no-junk skill. |
| Eastern Plaguelands | 6 | 425 | 5 | 300 | - |
| Feralas | 5 | 300 | 4 | 225 | Quirk: Jademir Lake and Verdantis River are unchanged. |
| The Hinterlands | 5 | 300 | 4 | 225 | - |
| Northern Stranglethorn | 4 | 225 | 3 | 150 | New zone, including Zul'Gurub. Quirk: South Seas in zone group 5 with 300 skill. |
| Southern Barrens | 2 | 75 | 4 | 225 | New zone. |
| Swamp of Sorrows | 4 | 225 | 6 | 425 | All water become coastal. |
| Thousand Needles | 4 | 225 | 5 | 300 | All water become coastal. |
| Un'Goro Crater | 5 | 300 | 6 | 375 | No-junk skill 50 points below other group 6 zones. |
| Western Plaguelands | 5 | 300 | 4 | 225 | - |
| Zul'Gurub | 6 | 425 | 3 | 150 | Joins Northern Stranglethorn. |
Zones not listed have not changed. Sub-zones are not listed. Values shown do not apply to lava. For full details check the Fish Finder page.
Many formerly inland-only zones gain coastline. In these cases (unnamed) coastal water contain inland fish.
Pools
There are several major changes to Pools in Old Azeroth:
- Prefixes Abundant, Lesser, Sparse and Teeming have been removed from Firefin Snapper School, Oily Blackmouth School and Sagefish School.
- Trunk and Rum type no longer varies by zone: Each named pool type has the same catch, regardless of location.
- Many zones gain new inland pools (types detailed below), including Arathi Highlands, Darkshore, Desolace, Duskwood, Eastern Plaguelands, Feralas, The Hinterlands, Moonglade, Northern Barrens, Redridge Mountains, Un'Goro Crater, Western Plaguelands and Wetlands - almost everywhere now has inland pools, except level 1-10 zones.
- Coastal pools have been added to Blasted Lands, Swamp of Sorrows and Thousand Needles.
- Patch of Elemental Water have disappeared from Azshara.
- Muddy Churning Water has disappeared from Zul'Gurub.
- Elwynn Forest's infamous "School of Fish" (which contained Peacebloom) eventually disappeared.
The table below summarises currently known pools in Old Azeroth.
Learn More
- Fish Finder - Where to catch fish, showing skill required, type of water, and variations such as time of day.
- Also in Cataclysm: Cataclysm Fishing, Cataclysm Catches, and Cataclysm Frequently Asked Questions.
Comments about Cataclysm Old Azeroth Changes
Below are readers' comments about "Cataclysm Old Azeroth Changes":
More catches per school ?
Enarka, November 2010:
With the Shattering being live, I've fished five schools already and gotten anywhere up to SIX catches.
Any patch notes ?
el, November 2010:
Enarka - Please specify precisely what pools (by name). The number of catches has always varied. For example, Sagefish School contain far more than Greater Sagefish School (*giggle*).
Enarka, November 2010:
Every "old world" school so far!
