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Zinc (Zn) metal is an attractive anode material for aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs). Three-dimensional (3D) carbon frameworks may serve as lightweight and robust hosts to enable porous Zn electrodes with a long cycle life. However, Zn electrode tests under a low depth of discharge (DOD) and current density often yield unreliable promises. We used 3D Zn electrodes with carbon nanofiber framework (CNF) backbones (Zn@CNF) as model electrodes to reveal how DOD and current density affect their performance. Plasma-treated CNFs provide sufficient surface hydrophilicity and surface area to allow uniform Zn plating/stripping of a thin and uniform Zn coating (5 mAh cm