Stardew Valley – Best Fish Ponds & Rewards

Fish ponds are a great way to passively gain resources to sell at a market to create new items in Stardew Valley. However, some fish are better than others based on what they produce and how much population you have in the pond. Here are some of the best fish you can have in a fish pond in Stardew Valley.

What is the best fish for fish ponds in Stardew Valley?

Need for Speed: Rivals Screen 6 — Screenshot by Gamepur

It’s important to note that the fish will have quest icons above their fish ponds at different times that you need to complete. If you do not meet them, you cannot grow their population, so make sure to check their ponds every few days to see what they need you to do. These quests revolve around giving the fish a particular item.

Blobfish

Blobfish are excellent for fish ponds because they produce a decent amount of roe when you have six in a pond in Stardew Valley. They also have a chance for warp totems to drop, which teleport you directly back to your farm, or they can produce pearls, which you can sell for 2,500 gold pieces. You need to have at least nine Blobfish in a pond to create the rarer items, which will take you some time to acquire.

You have a limited time window to catch a Blobfish. You can only catch them while attending the Night Market, an event at the beach from Winter 15 to 17. While at the Night Market, make sure to go on the submarine ride. This takes you deep-sea fishing, granting you the rare opportunity to catch various rare fish. If you find a Blobfish, take it home and add it to your fish pond to start reaping the benefits.

These are the potential quests for the Blobfish that show up every four days to increase their population:

One population: Three coral, two frozen tears, or two sea urchins
Three population: Five coffee beans, one mayonnaise, or one pizza
Five population: One cookie, one green tea, or one wine
Seven population: One rainbow shell or a rice pudding

These are all of the potential rewards you can get for having a Blobfish Fish Pond in Stardew Valley.

One Population: 1 to 2 Roe
Nine Population: 1 Pearl or 5 Warp Totems

Lava Eel

The Lava Eel is potentially the least helpful fish because it does not produce beneficial resources. Instead, the Lava Eel can make roe, spicey eels, gold ore, or magma geodes. Several other fish we’ve listed offer you rarer ingredients, but the profits from the Lava Eel turn it into an effective way to regularly make money if you’re ever in need of it.

To catch a Lava Eel, you’ll need to delve into the Mines beyond floor 100 or visit the Forge at the top of the Volcano Dungeon on Ginger Island in Stardew Valley. When you reach these locations, toss your rod into the lava and wait to catch it. The Lava Eel is the only fish you can catch in the lava, making it a bit easier to locate, but it has a low chance of appearing.

These are the quests that Lava Eel have a chance to request from you while in a fish pond to increase their population:

One population: Fire Quartz
Three population: 1 Basalt, 2 Diamonds, or 1 Dwarf Scroll III
Five population: 2 Mega Bombs
Seven population: 1 Iridium Bar

These are all of the rewards you can receive for having a Lava Eel pond in Stardew Valley and the required population.

One Population: 1 to 3 Roe
Three Population: 5 Gold Ore
Nine Population: 5 Spicy Eels or 5 to 10 Magma Geodes

Midnight Squid

Like the Blobfish, the Midnight Squid is another type of fish you can capture at the Night Market. You’ll be able to find it during the submarine ride during this event on Winter 15 to 17.

Midnight Squid are desirable because they can produce squid ink. The more population you have in the pond, the higher chance of gaining squid ink. When you have 10 Midnight Squid in your pond, you can drop two squid ink simultaneously. You can use squid ink for clothing dye, tailoring, and to create a seafoam pudding.

These are the potential quests for the Midnight Squid that show up every three days to increase their population:

Three population: Three coral or two sea urchins
Five population: Two sardine
Eight population: An ocean stone

These are all of the rewards you can get for having a Midnight Squid pond in Stardew Valley, and the required population for those rewards.

One Population: 1 to 2 Squid Ink

Spook Fish

Another fish you can catch during the submarine ride at the Night Market is the Spook Fish. Like the Midnight Squid and the Blobfish, you can only capture it during wither 15 and 17 during the Night Market.

Notably, there’s nothing too particular about what the Spook Fish produces in its pond. It reliably has roe like any other fish, even with a single population inside the fish pond. However, it stands out amongst the others because it has a slight chance of producing a treasure chest when you have a population of nine Spook Fish or higher. The treasure chest contains multiple valuables you can sell at the market for high prices.

These are the potential quests for the Spook Fish that show up every four days to increase their population.

Three population: Three amethyst, three coral, three iron bars, an oyster, three red mushrooms, or three refined quartz
Five population: A dried starfish, two emeralds, one granite, two Omni geode, or two purple mushrooms
Seven population: A diamond, three gold bars, one iridium ore, one mayonnaise, or a pickle

These are all of the rewards you can receive for having a Spook Fish pond in your Stardew Valley game and the required populations for those rewards.

One Population: 1 Roe
Nine Population: 1 Treasure Chest

Sturgeon

Sturgeon are likely the easiest fish to capture on this list. You can find them during the summer and winter months outside the cave entrance, along the river from the mountain. Try to find a location to throw your line far away into the water and away from the shore. They are difficult to capture even if you know the best location to look for them, but they’re worth adding to a fish pond.

A Sturgeon does not offer the same variety as the other fish residing in a pond. However, they drop sturgeon roe, which you can turn into caviar. No other fish can have their roe become caviar, making it a must-have for any Stardew Valley farm. You can sell every piece of caviar for 500 gold pieces.

These are the potential quests for the Sturgeon that show up every four days to increase their population:

One population: A diamond
Three population: A jelly, two maple syrup, or a pickle
Five population: Three Omni geode
Seven population: A nautilus shell

These are all of the rewards you might receive for having a Sturgeon Pond in your Stardew Valley farm and the required population levels for them.

One Population: 1 to 2 Sturgeon Roe

Void Salmon

A spookier fish to add to your farm is the Void Salmon. You can capture it any time of the year in Stardew Valley. However, you must first complete the Dark Talisman quest to access the Witch’s Swamp. The quest becomes available after you finish the Community Center Bundles or the Joja Community Development form.

You can find the Witch’s Swamp on the east side of the train station to the north of town. To complete the Dark Talisman quest, you need to speak to the Wizard about obtaining magic ink from his ex-wife’s home, but you need to talk to Krobus about using a dark talisman to gain access.

Void Salmon is an excellent fish to add to a pond if you’re looking to acquire Void Essence regularly. You have to wait until you get more than eight population, and it’s a slight chance, but it can happen. You can also loot void eggs and roe from them, which are always good. You can use void eggs to create a Void Chicken to create even more void eggs or use them in various recipes.

These are the potential quests for the Void Salmon that show up every four days to increase their population:

One population: Five void essence
Three population: 10 bat wings
Five population: One diamond or a void egg
Seven population: An iridium ore

These are all of the rewards you might receive for having a Void Salmon pond in your Stardew Valley game, and the required populations for those rewards.

One Population: 1 to 3 Roe
Eight Population: 5 to 10 Void Essence
Nine Population: 1 Void Egg

Any fish you capture in Stardew Valley can go live inside your fish pond. Check out all of the different varieties to find the correct assortment that fits your needs to produce the best farm you can produce in Stardew Valley.