There are plenty of different ways that Stardew Valley players 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 by Stardew Valley players, panning can be a surprisingly impactful addition to a player's repertoire.
The process for unlocking panning in Stardew Valley can be a bit unclear, however, as there are a few steps between players and this goal. For those players looking to earn themselves a Copper Pan and begin panning for ore in the game, this guide is here to help.
How to Unlock Panning in Stardew Valley
Unfortunately, panning isn't immediately available to players when they start a playthrough of Stardew 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
Within Stardew 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 to successfully complete all six Fish Tank bundles. Once these have all been completed, the Shimmering Boulder will be destroyed and panning will become available to players once they enter the Mountain region the next day and watch a cutscene with Willy.
JojaMart
Those pursuing the JojaMart storyline have a much more straightforward path. Once they have acquired a JojaMart membership, they will find the option to purchase the Panning 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 For Ore in Stardew Valley
Panning is a straightforward process because Stardew Valley's fisherman, Willy, walks players through it in a cutscene. He mentions that the player will know where to pan by the shimmering lights in the water and 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 that area and, with the Copper Pan in their active inventory, left-click on the lights.
These shimmering lights appear randomly in any river, lake, or pond in Stardew Valley. The loot and exact location is 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.
Ore | Percentage Chance |
|---|---|
Copper | 40% |
Iron | 35.9% |
Gold | 23.1% |
Iridium | 1% |
Gems | Percentage Chance |
|---|---|
Diamond | 2% |
Aquamarine | 1.6% |
Amethyst | 1.6% |
Emerald | 1.6% |
Ruby | 1.6% |
Topaz | 1.6% |
Other | Percentage Chance |
|---|---|
Coal | 50% |
Omni Geode | 26% |
Earth Crystal | 4.9% |
Frozen Tear | 4.9% |
Fire Quartz | 4.2% |
Panning is therefore an excellent way for players on their journey throughout the day to pick up extra ore and items. On Stardew Valley's Ginger Island, players can also find the Fossilized Tail, as well as Taro Tubers, through panning.
Stardew Valley is available on Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS Vita, and Xbox One.