Best Fish for Fish Ponds in Stardew Valley (1.6.15)

Legendary Fish Ponds: highest Roe prices in 1.6.15

Since 1.6.9, legendary fish can live in a Fish Pond. Each pond holds one fish and does not reproduce it; 1.6.15 increased their Roe production. A legendary catch can therefore be a long-term pond choice, rather than only a trophy to sell. Legend II requires Qi's Extended Family quest.

Per Roe item; no Golden Animal Cracker. These are sell prices, not gold per day.
Fish	Raw Roe	Aged Roe	Aged + Artisan	Pond capacity
Legend	2,530g	5,060g	7,084g	1; no reproduction
Legend II	2,530g	5,060g	7,084g	1; no reproduction
Crimsonfish	780g	1,560g	2,184g	1; no reproduction
Angler	480g	960g	1,344g	1; no reproduction
Glacierfish	530g	1,060g	1,484g	1; no reproduction
Mutant Carp	530g	1,060g	1,484g	1; no reproduction

A 7,084g Artisan Legend Aged Roe is one processed item, not a daily payout. Output can be empty or contain different quantities. Compare each pond's ordered output probabilities and population in the Fish Pond calculator before choosing a money setup. Regular ponds need population quests; legendary ponds instead need the difficult initial catch.

Sources: official 1.6.9 changelog and 1.6.15 production change. See the legendary fish catching guide for access conditions.

How Fish Pond profit is calculated

To compare a fish you already own, use the Fish Pond calculator for Roe, Aged Roe, and Caviar prices. When several products need the same machine, compare what to put in your Preserves Jars before filling them.

Each Fish Pond holds one species. The fish asks for items as its population grows; full ponds have better chances of producing Roe or a special drop. Most Roe goes into a Preserves Jar before it is sold.

Most fish use this Roe formula

Roe = floor(30 + fish base price / 2)

Aged Roe doubles the Roe value. Artisan adds 40%. Sturgeon Roe is the exception: it becomes Caviar.

Stardew Valley Roe prices by Fish Pond fish

Rank	Fish	Base price	Roe	Aged Roe / Caviar	+ Artisan	Best for	Catch
#1	Lava Eel	700g	380g	760g	1,064g	Highest regular roe value	Hard
#2	Sturgeon	200g	130g	Caviar: 500g	700g	Best first pond and Missing Bundle	Medium
#3	Blobfish	500g	280g	560g	784g	Pearl chance plus strong roe	Hard
#4	Ice Pip	500g	280g	560g	784g	High-value mine fish option	Medium
#5	Super Cucumber	250g	155g	310g	434g	Iridium Ore and Amethyst utility	Medium
#6	Stingray	180g	120g	240g	336g	Dragon Tooth and Battery Pack utility	Medium
#7	Midnight Carp	150g	105g	210g	294g	Seafoam Pudding ingredient support	Easy
#8	Rainbow Trout	65g	62g	124g	173g	Tiny Prismatic Shard chance	Easy

Sturgeon: the sensible first pond

Sturgeon is usually the easiest first choice. One catch gives you a pond that produces Roe, and that Roe becomes Caviar in a Preserves Jar. It also covers the Missing Bundle, so the pond has a clear job even before it becomes an income source.

Sturgeon Roe -> Caviar pipeline

130g

Sturgeon Roe

500g

Caviar

700g

Caviar with Artisan

Catch Sturgeon in the Mountain Lake during Summer or Winter, from 6am to 7pm. A Trap Bobber or a fishing food buff can make the first catch less frustrating.

Lava Eel: the highest-value regular Roe

Lava Eel takes more work to catch, but it gives the best repeatable regular Roe value in this comparison. Once you have one fish, the remaining work is feeding the pond through its population requests.

Lava Eel Aged Roe math

700g

Base fish price

380g

Roe

760g

Aged Roe

1,064g

With Artisan

Catch it on Mine level 100 or in the Volcano Caldera. If that catch is holding you back, start with Sturgeon and return to Lava Eel after upgrading your tackle or Fishing level.

Population requests to plan for

A pond is not at full population immediately. Keep a few likely request items in a chest so a useful pond does not sit at a low population for a whole season.

Fish	Pop 1 quest	Pop 3 quest	Pop 5 quest	Pop 7 quest
Lava Eel	Fire Quartz x3	Basalt x1, Diamond x2, or Dwarf Scroll III x1	Mega Bomb x2	Iridium Bar x1
Sturgeon	Diamond x1	Jelly x1, Pickles x1, or Maple Syrup x2	Omni Geode x3	Nautilus Shell x1
Blobfish	Coral x3, Frozen Tear x2, or Sea Urchin x2	Coffee Bean x5, Mayonnaise x1, or Pizza x1	Cookie x1, Green Tea x1, or Wine x1	Rainbow Shell x1 or Rice Pudding x1
Super Cucumber	None	Coral x3, Honey x1, Oyster x1, Driftwood x3, or Refined Quartz x3	Dried Starfish x1, Emerald x2, Omni Geode x2-3, or Purple Mushroom x2-3	Diamond x1, Gold Bar x3, Iridium Ore x1, Jelly x1, Pickles x1, or Sea Urchin x2

Special Fish Pond drops worth planning around

Roe is not the only reason to build a pond. These options make sense when you need a specific item, not just because a table labels them as profitable.

Fish	Drop	Value	Why it matters
Blobfish	Pearl	2,500g	Rare sell item and gift
Rainbow Trout	Prismatic Shard	Very rare	Collection and Galaxy Sword path
Super Cucumber	Iridium Ore	Crafting	Useful before Skull Cavern is stable
Stingray	Dragon Tooth	Island crafting	Warp Totem and Island Obelisk progress
Lava Eel	Spicy Eel	Buff food	Speed and Luck for Skull Cavern
Octopus	Omni Geode	Artifacts and minerals	Museum and resource rolls

A practical Fish Pond setup

A Fish Pond costs 5,000g, 200 Stone, 5 Seaweed, and 5 Green Algae. Build one when you have a reason for the space: Caviar, high-value Roe, or a rare item you are actively trying to obtain.

Example 5-pond mix

2 ponds: Lava Eel

Best regular roe money once you can catch one.

1-2 ponds: Sturgeon

Caviar, Missing Bundle coverage, and easy repeat value.

1 pond: Blobfish

Strong Aged Roe plus Pearl upside from Night Market fish.

1 pond: Utility slot

Use Super Cucumber for Iridium Ore or Stingray for Island items.

Use this as a starting point, not a fixed income forecast. Output changes with population, daily rolls, and how quickly you move Roe through a Preserves Jar.

Fish Ponds vs crops, animals, and artisan goods

Fish Ponds are not the biggest money engine on a developed farm. Kegs, crops, and pigs can earn more. Their advantage is different: production continues year-round, daily work is light, and the pond can produce Caviar, Pearls, Dragon Teeth, Iridium Ore, or buff food from space that may otherwise stay unused.

Good reasons to build one

Age roe before selling unless you need cash immediately.
Take Artisan if fish ponds are part of your income plan.
Stock quest items so population does not stall.
Start with Sturgeon before chasing Lava Eel if fishing is painful.

Common mistakes

Do not fill ponds with common fish if the goal is money.
Do not ignore population requests; low population means weaker output.
Do not compare only raw fish price; roe and special drops are the pond value.
Do not build too many ponds early if the materials slow down barns, tools, or sprinklers.

Fish Pond questions players usually ask

What is the best fish pond fish in Stardew Valley?

Legend and Legend II have the highest Roe value per item, but each legendary pond holds only one fish. Lava Eel is the highest-value regular Roe choice. Choose Sturgeon for a first Caviar pond or Blobfish for a Pearl chance; compare output probabilities before treating item value as daily profit.

What is the best roe in Stardew Valley?

Legend and Legend II Roe sells for 2,530g raw, 5,060g aged, or 7,084g aged with Artisan. Among regular fish, Lava Eel Roe sells for 380g raw, 760g aged, or 1,064g with Artisan. Sturgeon Roe becomes Caviar instead.

Is Caviar better than Aged Roe?

Caviar is useful for the Missing Bundle and beats many low-value Aged Roe products, but it is not the highest-value option. Lava Eel Aged Roe sells for more; pick Sturgeon when the bundle or a simpler catch matters more than maximum price.

How many fish ponds should I build?

Start with one Sturgeon pond, then add Lava Eel when you can catch it reliably. A late-game mix might use two Lava Eel ponds, one or two Sturgeon ponds, one Blobfish pond, and one utility pond such as Super Cucumber or Stingray.

Do fish ponds beat crops or animals for profit?

Usually no. A large crop-and-Keg setup or a well-run pig barn can earn more. Fish Ponds are attractive because they work year-round, need little daily attention, and can produce items that crops do not.