How to Use a Fish Pond in Stardew Valley

Ask Robin to build a Fish Pond for 5,000g, 200 Stone, 5 Seaweed, and 5 Green Algae. After construction, add one fish to start the pond. Check its produce bucket and bring the items it requests to raise its population limit. If you want Caviar, start with a Sturgeon and process its Roe in a Preserves Jar.

1. Gather the materials and choose a spot

Set aside the money and building materials before going to Robin's Carpenter's Shop. Stone is the largest requirement. Keep the Seaweed and Green Algae in separate stacks so you can confirm you have five of each. They are easy to sell by accident when clearing inventory after fishing.

Pick a clear 5×5 spot on your farm. Leave space where you can walk up to the pond and reach the produce bucket. If you plan to put several ponds together, leave a path between them or along one side. The best place is somewhere you will pass when checking other farm buildings, since it makes it easier to notice a request or a new item.

2. Build and stock the pond

1. Bring the materials and 5,000g to Robin.
2. Open the farm building menu and select Fish Pond.
3. Choose a clear spot and confirm construction.
4. When the pond is complete, select a fish in your inventory and use it on the pond.
5. Inspect the pond to confirm the species and population.

A pond holds one species at a time. Start with one fish if you want that population to grow naturally. If you have more of the same fish, you can add them while there is space below the current limit. Check the pond before adding a second species. If you want to raise two different fish, use two ponds or change the first pond's stock once you are ready.

3. Complete requests to raise the limit

Check the pond when it displays a request. It can ask for a particular item when the population reaches its current limit. Bring the requested item and use it on the pond. Then inspect the new capacity and give the fish time to multiply. The requested items depend on the species, so read the actual prompt rather than bringing the items a different pond asked for.

Keep at least one fish in the pond if you want its population to recover after harvesting. If you remove the only resident, you lose the fish that would otherwise repopulate it. Check the count before fishing more than once. This is especially helpful early, when the pond may have only a few fish and another request still needs attention.

4. Collect produce and choose what to process

Check the bucket at the front of the pond during your farm rounds. The species determines what you might find, and a pond can produce Roe or other items depending on its population and fish. Collect the item when it appears. Do not expect every fish species to give the same produce.

For Caviar, put Sturgeon Roe into a Preserves Jar. Other Roe can be processed into Aged Roe. Read the item name before you load the jar if you want a particular result. If your jars are already busy, keep a chest near the pond so you can store its produce and process batches when space opens up.

5. Fix a pond that stopped growing

Inspect the pond's population and its limit. If the two numbers match, look for a request before waiting several more days. If there is no fish in the pond, add one to restart the population. If the pond will not accept the fish you selected, check whether it already holds another species and whether that fish can be stocked.

Decide what you want before clearing a pond to change species. Catch any fish you want to keep and check the pond menu before replacing its stock. A pond that already produces an item you need can keep doing that while you build a second pond for another fish.

Put a sign beside each pond if you have several. A sign placed on the pond can show the species and population, which makes it easier to check which one has room for another fish.