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There are plenty of different ways thatStardew Valleyplayers can interact with their world. From planting crops and harvesting them to entering the mines and collecting ores, players are never short of things to do. Perhaps underutilized byStardew Valleyplayers, panning can be a surprisingly impactful addition to one’s repertoire.
The process for unlocking panning inStardew Valleycan be a bit unclear, however, as there are a few steps that players must follow before they can reach this goal. For those looking to earn themselves a Copper Pan and begin panning for ore in the game, here’s how to do so.
Updated July 10, 2025, by Artur Novichenko:Many different activities in the valley will bring you useful or valuable items, and although panning takes time to unlock, you should still devote more time to it. Possible loot found in ponds in Stardew Valley will help you develop the farm faster. In addition, by upgrading the pan and enchanting it, you can get really valuable items, such as Mystery Boxes and Lucky Rings.
How to Unlock Panning in Stardew Valley
Unfortunately, panning isn’t immediately available to players whenthey start a playthrough ofStardew Valley. There are two ways through which players can unlock panning: the Community Center and JojaMart. Both of these paths are tied to the Shimmering Boulder in the Mountain region of Stardew Valley.
Community Center
WithinStardew Valley’s Community Center, players have a handful of bundles to complete in order to earn game-altering rewards. In order to unlock panning, players need tosuccessfully complete all six Fish Tank bundles. Once these have all been completed, the Shimmering Boulder will be destroyed, and panning will become available once players enter the Mountain region the next day and watch a cutscene with Willy.
JojaMart
Thosepursuing the JojaMart storylinehave a much more straightforward path. Once they have acquired a JojaMart membership, they will find the option to purchase thePanning Community Development Project. This removes the Shimmering Boulder for 20,000 gold and will also activate the cutscene the next time a player enters the Mountain region.
How to Pan in Stardew Valley
Panning is a straightforward process becauseStardew Valley’s fisherman, Willy, walks players through it in a cutscene. He mentions that the player will know where to pan by theshimmering lights in the waterand gives them his spare Copper Pan (though extras can be purchased from Willy for 2,500 gold). When players see those very shimmering lights while they are walking around the different regions, they need only walk over to said area and, with the Copper Pan in their active inventory, left-click on the lights.
These shimmering lights appear randomly inany river, lake, pond, on Ginger Island South, and on the Beach during the Night MarketinStardew Valley.The loot and exact location are determined at the beginning of each day. Every time a player pans, a random number of a single type of metal ore is found. On top of this, players can also find coal, a gem/mineral, or even Omni Geodes or a Lucky Ring. Daily luck as well as Food luck can increase a player’s chance of finding better items, but below is a list of potential finds with their basic chances.
10% (20% with Archaeologist)
36%
32.3%
20.8%
1%
1.5%
50%
28%
4.9%
4.7%
4.2%
3.3% (4.4% with theBook of Mysteries)
3.3% (4.4% with the Book of Mysteries)
Random piece of Clothing or Furniture
0.5% - 5%
0% (3.3% with perfect daily luck)
2% (7% with Archaeologist)
Random location-appropriate Fish
0% (10% with Fisher)
Panning is therefore an excellent way for players on their journey throughout the day to pick up extra ore and items.OnStardew Valley’s Ginger Island, players can also find theFossilized Tail, as well as theTaro Tuber, through panning.
Cost and Ingredients
Copper Pan
2,500g
When panning, can find 3 to 9 ores and up to 1 special item.
Steel Pan
5,000g and 5 Iron bars
When panning, can find 4 to 10 ores and up to 2 special item. Has a small chance to spawn another panning spot.
Gold Pan
10,000g and 5 Gold bars
When panning, can find 5 to 11 ores and up to 3 special items. Has a higher chance of spawning another panning spot.
Iridium Pan
25,000g and 5 Iridium bars
When panning, can find 6 to 12 ores and up to 4 special items. Has a high chance of spawning another panning spot.
Description
Archaeologist
Odds of finding Artifact Troves increased by 4x, Artifacts by 3.5x, and Bone Fragments by 2.
Increases the maximum cap of finding non-ore items.
Fisher
There is a 10% chance you can get a location-appropriate fish.
