The 1.5 update toStardew Valleyintroduced 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 inStardew Valleycomes 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 July 12, 2025, by Demaris Oxman:TheStardew Valley1.6 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 5x5 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 fromMr. 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 ofTiger 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 wikifor 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 of1, 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 anendless supply of that species of fish.
An endless supply of fish means an endless supply ofmaki rolls, sashimi,andquality fertilizer, as these recipes all call for any fish. Additionally, if players happen to have afavorite cooking recipethat 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 asmall amount ofFishing 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 produceroe, which players can place in Preserves Jars to makeAged Roe(or, in the case of Sturgeon Roe, to makeCaviar). The only fish that do not produce roe are theSquid and Midnight Squid,which regularly produceSquid Ink. Many fish produce other items in addition to roe; the specific items depend on the species.A full breakdown is available on theStardew Valleywiki, 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 makeCaviar.This gourmet product is worth500g(or700gwith the Artisan profession). Sturgeoncan be tricky to catch, but the payoff is worth it. Fish for them in themountain lakein 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.
1
3
5
1 Jelly, 1 Pickles, or 2 Maple Syrup
7
10
1 Nautilus Shell
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:
Players can fish for Stingrays inPirate Cove on Ginger Island, which is unlocked by purchasing the Beach Resort. They can be caught in any season, at any time of day.
1 Dragon Tooth
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:
Fish for Blobfish by taking a ride in the Submarine atthe Night Market.
3 Coral, 2 Frozen Tears, or 2 Sea Urchins
5 Coffee Beans, 1 Mayonnaise, or 1 Pizza
1 Cookie, 1 Green Tea, or 1 Wine
1 Rainbow Shell or 1 Rice Pudding
Octopus
In addition to the usual roe, an Octopus pond has a15-16% daily chance to produce 1-10 Omni Geodeswhen 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 goodsin Calico Desert.
To catch an octopus, head to theBeachbetween 6am and 1pm during the summer. Alternatively, tryGinger Island Westduring these times in any season.
3 Coral, 1 Honey, 1 Oyster, or 3 Refined Quartz
1 Dried Starfish, 2 Emerald, 2-3 Omni Geode, or 2-3 Purple Mushroom
