How to Make a Fishing Farm in Minecraft

Fishing in Minecraft gives you food, experience, enchanted books, name tags, saddles and other treasure items. An AFK fishing farm automates the process so you can go make dinner while your character hauls in loot. This guide explains how fishing mechanics work, walks you through building a farm, and covers the changes across versions.

How fishing works

When you cast a fishing rod into water and wait, particle bubbles appear moving toward your bobber. When the bobber dips below the surface, right-click to reel in. The catch is determined by a loot table with three categories:

• Fish (85% base chance), Cod, Salmon, Pufferfish, Tropical Fish.
• Junk (10% base chance), Leather boots, bowls, sticks, string, water bottles, bones, ink sacs, tripwire hooks, rotten flesh, lily pads.
• Treasure (5% base chance), Enchanted books, name tags, saddles, nautilus shells, enchanted bows and fishing rods.

The best rod enchantments

Enchantments change the loot percentages dramatically:

• Luck of the Sea III, increases treasure chance from 5% to roughly 11.3% and reduces junk chance. This is the single most important fishing enchantment.
• Lure III, reduces the wait time between catches from an average of 25 seconds to about 10 seconds. More catches per hour.
• Unbreaking III, triples the effective durability of the rod.
• Mending, uses the XP from each catch to repair the rod. With Mending and Unbreaking III, a rod lasts effectively forever.

The ideal fishing rod is Luck of the Sea III, Lure III, Unbreaking III, Mending. Combine enchanted books on an anvil or trade with a librarian villager to build it.

Version differences: open water requirement

Starting in Java Edition 1.16, fishing must occur in open water to receive treasure loot. The game checks a 5x4x5 area around the bobber, if any solid blocks (other than lily pads and waterlogged blocks) are within that zone, you only get fish and junk. This change was specifically designed to break most old AFK fishing farm designs.

Bedrock Edition does not have this open water requirement, so compact enclosed AFK farms still work perfectly on Bedrock.

Building an AFK fishing farm (Java 1.16+)

Post-1.16 Java farms require an open water area. Here is a design that works:

• Find or dig a body of water at least 5x5 blocks wide and 4 blocks deep.
• Place a note block with a fence gate on top at the edge of the water. The fence gate must be over the water.
• Place a heavy pressure plate (iron) on the fence gate. Open the fence gate.
• Stand on the pressure plate facing the open water. Cast your line into the water.
• Hold down right-click. When a fish bites, the pressure plate + note block interaction automatically recasts the line.
• The key is that the right-click input simultaneously reels in the catch and interacts with the note block/fence gate to reset the cycle.

Make sure no solid blocks are within the 5x4x5 zone around where your bobber lands. Place torches or fences outside that radius for safety from mobs.

Building an AFK fishing farm (Bedrock Edition)

Bedrock farms are simpler because the open water check does not exist:

• Dig a 1x1 hole, 2 blocks deep, and fill it with water.
• Place a fence post next to the hole and a heavy pressure plate on top of the fence.
• Stand on the pressure plate and aim at the water. Cast and hold the interact button.
• The confined space makes the bobber land in the same spot every time, and the pressure plate loop handles recasting.
• Place a hopper under the block you stand on (or where items drop) feeding into a chest to auto-collect loot.

What can you get from fishing?

With Luck of the Sea III, expect roughly these results per hour of AFK fishing:

• Several stacks of fish (good food supply or villager trading with fishermen).
• 1-3 enchanted books per hour. The books can have almost any enchantment including Mending, Silk Touch, Fortune and Protection.
• Occasional name tags, saddles and nautilus shells.
• Enchanted bows and rods that can be disenchanted on a grindstone for XP or combined on an anvil.

The XP from fishing is also significant. Over a long AFK session, you can accumulate dozens of levels without actively playing.

Optimizing your setup

• Use a macro or tape on your mouse button for true AFK. On some systems, you can hold right-click by changing your key binding or using a physical weight on the mouse button.
• Light up the area so mobs do not kill you while you are away. Build a shelter around the farm with torches or use a well-lit open area.
• Bring multiple rods in case one breaks before you get Mending. Store spare rods in a nearby chest.
• Stay within simulation distance of the farm. If you wander too far on a server, the chunk unloads and fishing stops.

An AFK fishing farm is one of the easiest passive resource generators in the game. Even after the 1.16 nerfs on Java, a well-built open-water farm still produces enchanted books and treasure at a solid rate. On Bedrock, the original compact designs remain fully functional. Build one early in your world and let it run while you do other things.

Why build a fishing farm?

• Treasure drops include enchanted books, name tags, saddles, and nautilus shells.
• Food source: raw cod and salmon are excellent early-game food when cooked.
• XP gain: 1 to 6 XP per catch, decent for early enchanting.
• Pufferfish are required for water breathing potions.
• Tropical fish can be used to breed axolotls.

Materials list

Item	Quantity	Notes
Fishing rod	1	Lure III, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III, Mending ideal
Building blocks	~60	Dock and shelter
Chests	4+	Sorting treasure, fish, junk
Lanterns or sea lanterns	8+	Lighting for night fishing
Boat	1	Optional: fishing from a boat on open water
Barrels	4+	Compact storage alternative

Open water requirements (1.21+ Java Edition)

To receive treasure-tier loot, your bobber must be in "open water." This means a 5x5x5 volume centered on the bobber's position must contain only:

• Water (source or flowing)
• Air
• Waterlogged transparent blocks (like waterlogged stairs)
• Lily pads (at the surface only)

Any other block (solid blocks, fences, trapdoors, glass, coral, kelp) within this zone disqualifies the bobber from treasure drops. You still catch fish and junk, but no enchanted books, name tags, or other treasure items.

Step-by-step: Building the fishing station

Step 1: Find or create open water

The easiest option is a natural ocean, river, or large lake. If building from scratch, dig a pool at least 7x7 and 4 blocks deep. Fill it entirely with water source blocks. Verify the open-water requirement by standing at the center: no solid blocks within 2 blocks in any direction from your bobber's landing spot.

Step 2: Build a dock

Construct a dock extending over the water. Keep the dock edge at least 3 blocks away from where your bobber lands. This ensures the dock blocks are outside the 5x5x5 open-water check zone. Use stairs, slabs, or planks for a natural dock appearance.

Side view:

  [LANTERN]
  [ROOF]
  [PLAYER on dock]---casting--->  [BOBBER in open water]
  [DOCK BLOCKS]                   [WATER]
  [SUPPORT]                       [WATER]
  [GROUND]                        [WATER FLOOR]

Step 3: Add shelter and lighting

Build a roof over your standing position to protect from rain and phantoms. Place lanterns or sea lanterns on the dock for visibility at night. Avoid placing any light sources in the water near the bobber zone, as underwater blocks would break the open-water check.

Step 4: Add storage

Place chests or barrels on the dock for sorting catches. Label them: Fish, Treasure, Junk. This keeps your inventory clear for long fishing sessions.

Step 5: Add a campfire for cooking

Place a campfire or smoker on the dock. You can cook raw fish immediately after catching it. Smoked fish restores more hunger than raw, and the campfire cooks without fuel.

Optimal enchantments

Enchantment	Effect	Priority
Lure III	Reduces wait time by ~50%	High
Luck of the Sea III	Increases treasure chance, decreases junk	High
Unbreaking III	Triples effective durability	Medium
Mending	Repairs rod with caught XP	Highest

Rain bonus

Fishing during rain reduces the average wait time between bites by approximately 20%. Rain stacks with Lure III. If it starts raining while you fish, your catch rate improves noticeably. Thunderstorms provide the same bonus as rain.

Catch rate math

Without any enchantments, the average wait time between bites is 5 to 30 seconds (average 17.5 seconds). Lure III reduces this to 5 to 15 seconds (average 10 seconds). In one hour of active fishing with Lure III, you catch approximately 360 items. With Luck of the Sea III, roughly 11.5% of those are treasure tier.

Common mistakes

• Dock too close to bobber. Dock blocks within the 5x5x5 zone around the bobber eliminate treasure drops. Keep at least 3 blocks distance.
• Fishing in shallow water. If the water is only 1 to 2 blocks deep, the bobber may sit too close to the bottom, invalidating open water. Use 3+ blocks depth.
• No Mending on the rod. A fishing rod without Mending breaks after 64 uses (or 192 with Unbreaking III). Mending makes it last forever by using the XP from each catch.
• Kelp or sea grass in the fishing zone. These count as solid blocks for the open-water check. Clear any kelp, sea grass, or coral from the 5x5x5 zone.
• Ignoring phantoms. Fishing at night without sleeping spawns phantoms. Build a roof over your fishing spot or sleep periodically.

Want to see all this in action? Astroworld MC runs a custom-built economy survival server with custom bosses, eternal enchants, crates and an auction house. Join at astroworldmc.com, IP play.astroworldmc.com, Java + Bedrock crossplay.

Frequently asked questions

Is active fishing better than AFK fishing?

For treasure loot, yes. Active fishing in open water drops enchanted books, name tags, and other treasure items. Most AFK designs use closed-water spots that only produce fish and junk.

Can I fish in artificial ponds?

Yes, as long as the pond meets the open-water requirements (7x7 minimum, 3+ deep, no solid blocks in the 5x5x5 zone). The water does not need to be a natural body.

What is the best food from fishing?

Cooked salmon restores 6 hunger points and 9.6 saturation, making it one of the best early-game foods. Cooked cod restores 5 hunger and 6 saturation. Both are excellent until you establish a crop or animal farm.

Does fishing work in the rain underground?

No. The rain bonus only applies if the bobber is exposed to the sky and it is actively raining. Underground or covered fishing spots do not receive the rain speed bonus.

Questions about Make a Fishing Farm

What does Make a Fishing Farm come down to?

Fishing in Minecraft gives you food, experience, enchanted books, name tags, saddles and other treasure items.

What are the numbers behind Make a Fishing Farm?

Lure III, reduces the wait time between catches from an average of 25 seconds to about 10 seconds.

What do you type for Make a Fishing Farm?

Enchantments change the loot percentages dramatically: Luck of the Sea III, increases treasure chance from 5% to roughly 11.3% and reduces junk chance. This guide uses Luck of the Sea III, Lure III, Unbreaking III, Mending.

How do the choices in Make a Fishing Farm compare?

For Fishing rod, the table on this page lists Quantity: 1, Notes: Lure III, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III, Mending ideal.

What should you avoid while doing Make a Fishing Farm?

Light up the area so mobs do not kill you while you are away.

Which Minecraft version does Make a Fishing Farm apply to?

Starting in Java Edition 1.16, fishing must occur in open water to receive treasure loot.