Yb-doped fiber laser systems operating around 980 nm have great potential to become new pump source for Er-doped and Yb-doped fiber lasers. Moreover, these sources can get blue green lasers with frequency conversion. Two important points to obtain 980 nm fiber lasers including overcoming four-level regime oscillation and re-absorption are discussed. Current research status of fiber lasers operating around 980 nm with different operation modes including continuous wave, Q-switch and mode-locking is introduced. At last, future applications and developments are also presented.