![Ultimate Guide to Fish Ponds in Stardew Valley](https://cdn.peacedoorball.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/fish-pond-feature-640x375.webp)
The 1.5 update for Stardew Valley brought exciting additions, such as fish ponds—small stone pools that players can install on their farms to breed fish and harvest valuable items. This feature opens up endless possibilities for those who wish to enhance their gameplay through fishing, ultimately paving the way for increased farm income.
Each fish species in Stardew Valley has its own distinct attributes, providing various advantages to players. For those aiming to diversify their farming practices with animal husbandry, fish ponds present an intriguing option. Below, we outline essential information on how to construct fish ponds and optimize their productivity.
Updated December 18, 2024, by Demaris Oxman: The recent 1.6 update introduced significant changes and exciting new features, including enhancements to fish ponds. Players in Pelican Town can now accommodate Legendary Fish in their ponds, enhancing gameplay options for aquaculture enthusiasts. Here’s the latest information you need on fish farming in your Stardew Valley.
Starting Your Fish Pond Adventure
![Fish Pond Construction Materials Fish Pond Construction Materials](https://cdn.peacedoorball.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/fish-pond-construction-materials.webp)
Steps to Construct a Fish Pond
Similar to other farm structures, you can acquire fish ponds from Robin’s carpentry shop. To construct a single fish pond, you will need the following materials:
- 200
- 5
- 5
- 5,000g
The fish pond can be situated within any 5×5 area of your farm, and it will be built by Robin within two in-game days.
Eligible Fish for Your Ponds
Once your pond is constructed, you can introduce fish by placing any caught fish into it. All fish caught via a fishing rod or crab pot can inhabit your fish ponds, including Legendary Fish and those from Mr. Qi’s “Extended Family”challenge. However, it is important to note that while Coral and Sea Urchins can also be placed in ponds, they do not produce any items.
Maintaining Your Fish Pond’s Ecosystem
Understanding Pond Capacity
Common fish species like Carp and Herring typically start with a pond capacity of three, while rarer varieties, such as Sturgeon or Void Salmon, begin with just one. Fish will reproduce every few days, provided there is remaining capacity in the pond. When reaching the pond’s capacity, fish will request items to facilitate population growth.
Notably, the Tiger Trout has an initial capacity of ten and does not reproduce; players must catch additional Tiger Trout to increase the population.
Completing Population Quests
When your fish population hits specific levels, a yellow exclamation point will appear, indicating that the fish have quests for the player. These quests require specific items, ranging from bug meat to rare gemstones, depending on the fish species.
Each species has a defined number of requests—some will ask for items only two times, while others might request up to four times. These requests can happen at populations of 1, 3, 5, and/or 7 fish. Completing quests increases the pond’s max occupancy up to 10 fish, apart from Legendary Fish which remain capped at 1 fish per pond.
How to Empty Your Fish Pond
Players can choose to empty the fish pond by selecting the “empty fish pond”option, causing all fish to bounce out like dropped items. The fish can then be collected into the player’s inventory. This effectively resets the pond, allowing you to reintroduce any ballpark-eligible species and renew the fish population.
Fishing Within Your Pond
![Fishing in Pond Fishing in Pond](https://cdn.peacedoorball.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/fishing-in-pond.webp)
Players can cast their fishing rods at their leisure in the pond. Each cast will remove a fish from the pond’s population and place it in the player’s inventory. As long as at least one fish remains in the pond, the population will continue to rebound up to its maximum capacity. This means players can enjoy a consistent supply of their chosen fish species.
This continuity allows for the endless creation of maki rolls, sashimi, and quality fertilizer, as many of these recipes require any fish. Players can strategically dedicate ponds to favored species for enhanced culinary endeavors.
Harvesting from Your Fish Ponds
![Fish Pond Items Fish Pond Items](https://cdn.peacedoorball.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/fish-pond-items.webp)
Fish in the pond will produce harvestable items every 1-3 days, depending on the fish population and species. Collecting these items contributes a small amount of Fishing XP based on the specific items harvested. The higher the number of fish in the pond, the more frequent and varied the item output will be, which includes a greater chance of rarer items dropping.
Nearly all fish are capable of producing roe, which can be placed in Preserves Jars to create Aged Roe or Caviar when using Sturgeon Roe. The notable exception is the Squid and the Midnight Squid, which instead yield Squid Ink. Different species may yield unique additional items too. For a full breakdown of product yields, check the Stardew Valley Wiki.
Optimal Fish Choices for Your Ponds
![Best Pond Fish Best Pond Fish](https://cdn.peacedoorball.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/best-pond-fish.webp)
Sturgeon
Sturgeon are unique in that their roe can be aged to create Caviar, a gourmet product selling for 500g (or 700g with the Artisan profession). Although they may be challenging to catch, the benefits are undeniable. To catch Sturgeon, fish in the mountain lake during summer or winter, between 6am and 7pm.
When at maximum pond capacity (10 fish), a Sturgeon pond has a 71% daily chance to produce 1 Roe and a 24% chance for 2 Roe.
Sturgeon Quests |
||
---|---|---|
Capacity Before |
Capacity After |
Item Requested |
1 |
3 |
1 Diamond |
3 |
5 |
1 Jelly, 1 Pickles, or 2 Maple Syrup |
5 |
7 |
3 Omni Geodes |
7 |
10 |
1 Nautilus Shell |
Stingray
In addition to producing roe, Stingrays can yield valuable items that are somewhat rare, making them an attractive choice for ponds:
- Magma Cap: 4% daily chance at max 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
Stingrays can be fished at Pirate Cove on Ginger Island, accessible after purchasing the Beach Resort, and can be caught throughout all seasons.
Stingray Quests |
||
---|---|---|
Capacity Before |
Capacity After |
Item Requested |
3 |
5 |
7 Cinder Shards |
5 |
10 |
1 Dragon Tooth |
Blobfish
While they may not win a beauty contest, Aged Blobfish Roe can command prices akin to Caviar. Moreover, they have a small chance of producing fantastic items in your fish pond:
- Pearl: 1.7-1.9% daily chance
- 5 Warp Totem: Farm: 1.7-1.9% daily chance
You can catch Blobfish by taking a Submarine ride at the Night Market.
Blobfish Quests |
||
---|---|---|
Capacity Before |
Capacity After |
Item Requested |
1 |
3 |
3 Coral, 2 Frozen Tears, or 2 Sea Urchins |
3 |
5 |
5 Coffee Beans, 1 Mayonnaise, or 1 Pizza |
5 |
7 |
1 Cookie, 1 Green Tea, or 1 Wine |
7 |
10 |
1 Rainbow Shell or 1 Rice Pudding |
Octopus
Octopus ponds present a 15-16% daily chance of yielding 1-10 Omni Geodes at maximum capacity. These geodes can hold valuable materials ranging from Prismatic Shards to rare artifacts. Players can trade these for unique goods in the Calico Desert.
To catch an Octopus, visit the Beach between 6am and 1pm in summer, or at Ginger Island West during any season.
Octopus Quests |
||
---|---|---|
Capacity Before |
Capacity After |
Item Requested |
3 |
5 |
3 Coral, 1 Honey, 1 Oyster, or 3 Refined Quartz |
5 |
7 |
1 Dried Starfish, 2 Emerald, 2-3 Omni Geodes, or 2-3 Purple Mushroom |
7 |
10 |
1 Green Tea |
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