Quick Links
As you work your way up in Stardew Valley, you begin to consider building things you might have overlooked before. New buildings from Robin allow you to create Artisan Goods, have your very own horse, and more! The Fish Pond is something that's, honestly, not terribly expensive — you might overlook it because you're so preoccupied with just managing your first patch of crops and a few chickens.
.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=440&h=280&dpr=2)
Stardew Valley: The Best Fish For Fish Ponds
Fishing ponds can be very lucrative in Stardew Valley. Here are the best fish you can put in your fish ponds.Slowly, however, you'll gain access to items that automize much of the farming process, and you'll eventually have enough time to investigate and build these new contraptions. If you're new to the world of Fish Ponds, there's no need to worry! This guide has all the information you'll need and more.
Updated on April 8, 2024 by Eva Csaki: With the release of Stardew Valley's 1.6 update, all things 'fish' have been given quite the facelift. The 1.6 update even brings a brand-new fish to the waters of Stardew Valley - the Goby. We've refreshed this guide to bring you updated information on how to use the new Goby fish in your Fish Ponds as well as a brief rundown on what changes to your fish collection you can expect from Stardew's 1.6 update. Now all that's left is for you to sit back, relax, and say hello to all the new fish in the sea.
Building A Fish Pond
Like all other farm buildings, you can find the Fish Pond in Robin's shop in the mountains. You will find the Fish Pond in the usual farm building menu.
Building Materials Required:
- 5,000g
- 200 Stone
- 5 Seaweed
- 5 Green Algae
It'll take up a 5x5 space on your farm, so make sure you've cleared enough room before going to visit Robin! She'll take two days to build it.
If you have a Telephone in your house, you can select Robin's shop from the phone menu and check on what materials you'll need to buy the Fish Pond before heading out to her shop. It'll save you a wasted trip if her shop is closed or if you have the wrong materials!
You can catch Seaweed and Green Algae by fishing. Seaweed can be found in the Ocean, while Green Algae can be caught in most bodies of water.
These items may seem like junk when you're looking to catch special fish, but don't throw them out! You'll need both Green Algae and Seaweed for quests, crafting, and cooking.
Raising Fish In A Pond
.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=2)
Once your Fish Pond has been completed, add fish by approaching with the fish in hand and interacting with the pond.
After interacting with the pond, you will be greeted by the Fish Pond menu which shows you how many fish live there, the maximum number of fish, and how happy the fish are.
Fish live in the pond and slowly reproduce, creating more fish! All fish can live in a Fish Pond, with the following exceptions:
Quests
.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=2)
Every so often, the fish in your Fish Ponds will give you a quest, noted by a yellow exclamation mark symbol over the pond. Quests will only spawn when a Fish Pond is at maximum capacity.
This does not mean the ten-fish maximum, but the maximum capacity per current Fish Pond level. For instance, some fish will have a quest starting at the three-fish maximum. You will need to fulfill this quest for the pond maximum to increase to five. This mechanic levels based on fish type up to the universal ten-fish maximum.
The fish will ask you to bring them a particular item or items. These may be easy to locate, like Acorns, Coal, or White Algae, or they may be rarer, such as Dried Starfish, Diamonds, or Dwarf Scrolls.
Rarer fish will request rarer items, so if you plan to make a Sturgeon farm, best be prepared to fetch high-end items.
Unfortunately, there's no way to change the item once it's been determined. Reloading, fishing a fish out, and letting the pond repopulate, and all other methods have always returned the same item request.
By completing quests for the fish, you'll be able to increase the number of fish in the pond, to a maximum of ten fish.
The only exception to this rule is the Tiger Trout, which does not reproduce. You'll be able to add ten Tiger Trout from the start.
Production
Fish-produced items will collect over time in the chum bucket on the edge of the pond. Most fish produce Roe, but certain species have a small chance of producing other items as well. However, you may need to reach a certain fish population to get them.
If you're looking for a specific fish for your Fish Ponds, try using the Sonar Lure while fishing. The Sonar Lure shows you what fish is on your line before you commit to catching it.
Aging Roe In Preserves Jars
.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=2)
Roe, which fish produce more than any other item, can be preserved and turned into Aged Roe (or Caviar if the Roe is from a Sturgeon) — an Artisan Good that sells for a much higher price!
To create Aged Roe, make a Preserves Jar and interact with it while holding any type of Roe; it'll be taken out of your inventory to process.
The price of Roe and Aged Roe depends on the fish's base price. Roe sells for 60g + the fish's base price. Aged Roe sells for two times the Roe Price. Caviar sells for a flat 500g. The prices of Caviar and Aged Roe are increased by 40% if you have the Artisan Profession, as well.
If you choose to complete the Community Center, you will eventually need Caviar for the Missing Bundle.
Removing/Changing The Fish In The Pond
.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=2)
There are a few methods for taking fish out of a Fish Pond.
The first method is to use your Fish Pond like you would any other body of water and fish in it. Simply wait for one of your pets to bite!
Once you've caught them all, you still need to interact with the menu and click 'Empty Pond' to set the pond back to neutral. Otherwise, it won't let you put any fish in there unless they are the same species as before.
It's a reliable way to have a sustainable supply of certain rarer populations — though certain fish reproduce slower than others. The quickest that fish reproduce is every day and the slowest is every four days.
The fishing method does not work for the Tiger Trout as the Tiger Trout does not reproduce in Fish Ponds.
The second method for removing fish from your Fish Pond is to select the 'Empty Pond' button on the right-hand side of your Fish Pond menu. The button looks like a blue fish with a red 'X' over it.
If you want to switch the species of fish in your Fish Pond, you will first need to empty it.
Selecting the 'Empty Pond' button will eject all of the fish currently in the pond. These fish will bounce around on the ground outside the pond. To collect them, simply walk through the fish on the ground like you would any other ground drop.
Fish that fall into a body of water are irretrievable unless they have accidentally fallen into your Fish Pond. Fish that are returned to the Fish Pond can be removed by following one of the above methods.
Pond Decorations
.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=2)
There are three ways you can decorate your pond.
First, and most basic, you can interact with the pond after adding at least one fish. On the right-hand side, there's a button that allows you to toggle the pond-side decorations between a few designs. This is the grid-like button directly under the 'Empty Pond' button.
Second, you can add any sign (including a Sign Of The Vessel) on the left-hand corner of the pond. Once there, the sign will display the type of fish and the number currently in the pond.
Finally, four fish are capable of changing the colour of the water in the Fish Pond. Lava Eels turn the water red once you've completed their first quest.
The other fish change the water's colour once their population reaches three; Super Cucumbers turn the water light purple, Void Salmons change it to dark purple, and Slimejacks make it green
Stardew Valley's 1.6 update also introduced Fish Tank decorations, bobber skins, and new lures for even more personalization.
