Complete Guide To Fish Ponds

The 1.5 update to Stardew Valley introduced fish ponds, stone pools which players can place on their farms to breed fish and collect items. For players who wanted more utility from the game’s fishing mechanics, this provides a world of opportunity — and some great ways to make money on the farm.

Each type of fish in Stardew Valley comes with its own unique quirks, and can provide the player with unique benefits. For players looking to expand the ways they raise animals on their farm, fish ponds are a great avenue to explore. Here’s what players need to know about building them and maximizing profit.

Updated December 18, 2024, by Demaris Oxman: The Stardew Valley 1.6 update brought tons of changes and new elements to the game, including some adjustments to the Fish Ponds. Pelican Town’s fish farmers have had a few quality-of-life changes brought to the game, and can now bring Legendary Fish to live in ponds on their farms. Now that the 1.6 update is available for all gamers on all platforms, here’s all the updated information you should have about raising fish on your farm.

Getting Started With Fish Ponds

How To Build A Fish Pond

Like other farm constructions, players can purchase fish ponds from Robin at her carpentry shop. To build one fish pond, players will need the following:

The fish pond can be placed in any 5×5 space on the farm, and Robin will finish building it in two days.

What Fish Can Live In Ponds?

Once the pond is complete and a fish is caught, the player can place it in a pond. Any fish caught with a fishing rod or crab pot can reside in fish ponds on the player’s farm. This includes legendary fish, as well as their cousins from Mr. Qi’s “Extended Family” challenge. Coral and Sea Urchins are also eligible; however, they will not produce items.

Managing Fish Pond Population

Pond Capacity

Many common fish, like Carp and Herring, have an initial pond capacity of 3. Rarer fish, like Sturgeon or Void Salmon, have an initial capacity of 1. If there is room in the pond, the fish will reproduce every few days. Once they reach the pond’s capacity, they will request items to increase the pond’s capacity.

A unique case is that of
Tiger Trout,
which have an initial capacity of 10 and do not reproduce at all. The only way to increase the pond’s population is to catch more Tiger Trout and add them to the pond.

Population Quests

Once the pond reaches a certain capacity, a yellow exclamation point will appear over the pond. This indicates that the fish inside have a quest for the player, requesting a specific item. The exact item varies widely depending on the species of fish, and can range from bug meat to building materials to cooked food to rare gemstones. Check out the Stardew Valley wiki for a complete list of the items that various fish will request.

Some species will only request items twice; others may request items up to four times. These can occur at populations of 1, 3, 5, and/or 7 fish, depending on the species. Each time a quest is completed, the pond’s maximum occupancy will increase, up to 10 fish total after the last quest.

10 fish is the maximum capacity for all fish except for Legendary Fish and their relatives, which are always limited to 1 fish per pond.

Emptying Fish Ponds

At any time, the player can choose to empty their fish pond by selecting the “empty fish pond” option. This will cause any fish still living in the pond to bounce out like dropped items. The player can then gather those fish into their inventory. At this point, the fish pond will effectively be as if it were new. The player can place any permitted fish into the pond, and grow its population as described above.

Fishing In The Pond

Players can cast their fishing rod into the pond whenever they like. This will remove one fish from the pond’s population and add it to the player’s inventory. As long as at least one fish remains in the pond, the population will continue to grow up to the pond’s current maximum. This means that, as long as the player does not empty the pond completely, it will provide them with an endless supply of that species of fish.

An endless supply of fish means an endless supply of maki rolls, sashimi, and quality fertilizer, as these recipes all call for any fish. Additionally, if players happen to have a favorite cooking recipe that calls for a certain fish, it can be massively beneficial to dedicate a fish pond to that species.

Collecting Items From Fish Ponds

Depending on the population and species, fish in a pond will produce items for harvest every 1–3 days. Collecting these items will grant the player a small amount of Fishing XP; the exact amount depends on the item. The more fish are in the pond, the more frequently the fish will produce items for players to harvest. More fish in the pond also means a higher chance that rarer items will appear.

Almost all fish have a chance to produce roe, which players can place in Preserves Jars to make Aged Roe (or, in the case of Sturgeon Roe, to make Caviar). The only fish that do not produce roe are the Squid and Midnight Squid, which regularly produce Squid Ink. Many fish produce other items in addition to roe; the specific items depend on the species. A full breakdown is available on the Stardew Valley wiki, but some of the best items are included below.

The Best Fish To Keep In Ponds

Sturgeon

Though all fish roe can be aged in a Preserves Jar, Sturgeon is the only roe that will make Caviar. This gourmet product is worth 500g (or 700g with the Artisan profession). Sturgeon can be tricky to catch, but the payoff is worth it. Fish for them in the mountain lake in summer or winter, between 6am and 7pm.

At maximum pond capacity (10 fish), a Sturgeon pond has a 71% chance per day to produce 1 Roe, and a 24% chance per day to produce 2 Roe.

Stingray

Like most fish, Stingrays will produce roe; however, they also have a decent chance to produce a number of other items, some of which are quite useful and not too easy to come by. These include:

• Magma Cap: 4% daily chance to appear at maximum pond capacity
• 2-5 Cinder Shards: 9-10% chance at max capacity
• Dragon Tooth: 5% chance at max capacity
• Battery Pack: 9-10% chance at max capacity

Players can fish for Stingrays in Pirate Cove on Ginger Island, which is unlocked by purchasing the Beach Resort. They can be caught in any season, at any time of day.

Blobfish

Though they may not be the most attractive fish, Aged Blobfish Roe fetches prices comparable to Caviar. Additionally, they have a small chance to produce some fantastic items in the fish pond once it reaches its maximum population:

• Pearl, 1.7-1.9% daily chance
• 5 Warp Totem: Farm, 1.7-1.9% daily chance

Fish for Blobfish by taking a ride in the Submarine at the Night Market.

Octopus

In addition to the usual roe, an Octopus pond has a 15-16% daily chance to produce 1-10 Omni Geodes when at maximum population. These rainbow-speckled geodes can contain anything from Prismatic Shards to rare artifacts to building materials. Players can also trade them for rare goods in Calico Desert.

To catch an octopus, head to the Beach between 6am and 1pm during the summer. Alternatively, try Ginger Island West during these times in any season.