How to Make Shaped Ponds

Using the Island Designer app, you can create all kinds of shapes for your ponds in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH)! From hearts and clovers to stars and moon, learn just how to make your perfectly-shaped pond with our guide!

Click to jump to a section!
Heart-Shaped Pond	Clover-Shaped Pond	Vertical Heart Pond
Star/Flower-Shaped Pond	Crescent Moon Pond	Diagonal Moon Pond
	Ribbon-Shaped Pond

How to Create a Pond

Steps	Directions
1	Unlock Island Designer app
2	Unlock Waterscaping Permit
3	Terraform water into Ponds

Unlock Island Designer app

You'll only be able to edit the landscape of your island with the Island Designer app!

Unlocking the app may be tricky so follow our guide below for a complete walkthrough!

Island Designer and Terraforming Unlock Walkthrough

Unlock Waterscaping Permit

Once unlocking the Island Designer app, purchase the Waterscaping Permit at the Nook Stop for 6,000 Nook Miles.

You'll need this to carve out water from the ground for your very own ponds!

How to Get Nook Points

Create or Terraform Water into Ponds

You can now create your own ponds and rivers! Just open the Island Designer app on your NookPhone and choose the “Start construction!”

Choose the Waterscaping Permit on the bottom right corner to start crafting ponds!

How to Make Shaped Ponds

Heart-Shaped Pond

How to Make a Heart-Shaped Pond (5x5)
1	Dig up a heart outline.
2	Fill in the center.
3	Round the edges.

1. Dig up a heart outline

In-game		W				5
Enlarge	W		W			4
	W			W		3
	W				W	2
	W	W	W	W		1
	1	2	3	4	5	-

To start, you need a space for the pond which is 5x5 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the heart.

2. Fill in the center.

In-game						5
Enlarge		W				4
		W	W			3
		W	W	W		2
						1
	1	2	3	4	5	-

Now, fill up the center of the outline. You can follow the table above by digging up the tiles marked with W.

3. Round the edges

In-game	◯		◯			5
Enlarge						4
					◯	3
						2
					◯	1
	1	2	3	4	5	-

All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.

Enjoy your 5x5 heart pond!

How to Round Corners of Water

Clover-Shaped Pond

How to Make a Clover-Shaped Pond
1	Create a heart-shaped pond.
2	Repeat the steps 3 times in opposing directions.

To create a clover-shaped pond, follow the steps in the section above on how to create a heart-shaped pond, and reverse the directions to create a clover!

Vertical Heart Pond

How to Make a Vertical Heart Pond (6x7)
1	Dig up a heart outline.
2	Fill in the center.
3	Round the edges.

1. Dig up a heart outline

In-game		W				W		6
Enlarge	W		W	W	W		W	5
	W						W	4
		W				W		3
			W		W			2
				W				1
	4	3	2	1	2	3	4	-

To start, you need a space for the pond which is 6x7 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the heart.

2. Fill in the center.

In-game								6
Enlarge		W				W		5
		W	W	W	W	W		4
			W	W	W			3
				W				2
								1
	4	3	2	1	2	3	4	-

Now, fill up the center of the outline. You can follow the table above by digging up the tiles marked with W.

3. Round the edges

In-game	◯		◯		◯		◯	6
Enlarge								5
								4
	◯						◯	3
		◯				◯		2
			◯		◯			1
	4	3	2	1	2	3	4	-

All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.
How to Round Corners of Water

Create a smaller heart pond!

You can create a smaller heart pond by completing removing the 3rd row from the top, as it is occupied by water.

Star or Flower-Shaped Pond

How to Make a Star / Flower Pond (9x7)
1	Dig up a star outline.
2	Fill in the center.
3	Round the edges.

1. Dig up a star outline

In-game					W					7
Enlarge				W		W				6
		W	W				W	W		5
	W								W	4
		W						W		3
		W		W	W	W		W		2
			W				W			1
	5	4	3	2	1	2	3	4	5	-

To start, you need a space for the pond which is 9x7 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the star.

2. Fill in the center

In-game										7
Enlarge					W					6
				W	W	W				5
		W	W	W	W	W	W	W		4
			W	W	W	W	W			3
			W				W			2
										1
	5	4	3	2	1	2	3	4	5	-

Now, fill up the center of the outline. You can follow the table above by digging up the tiles marked with W.

3. Round the edges

In-game				◯		◯				7
Enlarge										6
	◯								◯	5
										4
	◯								◯	3
										2
		◯		◯		◯		◯		1
	5	4	3	2	1	2	3	4	5	-

All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.
How to Round Corners of Water

Crescent Moon Pond

How to Make a Crescent Moon Pond (8x9)
1	Dig up a moon outline.
2	Fill in the center.
3	Round the edges.

1. Dig up a moon outline

In-game				W	W	W			5
Enlarge			W				W		4
		W			W	W	W	W	3
	W				W				2
	W				W				1
	W				W				2
		W			W	W	W	W	3
			W				W		4
				W	W	W			5
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	-

To start, you need a space for the pond which is 8x9 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the moon.

2. Fill in the center

In-game									5
Enlarge				W	W	W			4
			W	W					3
		W	W	W					2
		W	W	W					1
		W	W	W					2
			W	W					3
				W	W	W			4
									5
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	-

Now, fill up the center of the outline. You can follow the table above by digging up the tiles marked with W.

3. Round the edges

In-game			◯				◯		5
Enlarge		◯						◯	4
	◯								3
						◯			2
									1
						◯			2
	◯								3
		◯						◯	4
			◯				◯		5
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	-

All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.

How to Round Corners of Water

Diagonal Moon Pond

How to Make a Diagonal Moon Pond (8x8)
1	Dig up a moon outline.
2	Fill in the center.
3	Round the edges.

1. Dig up a moon outline

In-game			W	W	W				8
Enlarge		W	W						7
	W		W						6
	W		W					W	5
	W		W					W	4
		W	W	W	W	W	W	W	3
			W				W		2
				W	W	W			1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	-

To start, you need a space for the pond which is 8x8 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the moon.

2. Fill in the center

In-game									8
Enlarge									7
		W							6
		W							5
		W							4
									3
				W	W	W			2
									1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	-

Now, fill up the center of the outline. You can follow the table above by digging up the tiles marked with W.

3. Round the edges

In-game		◯							8
Enlarge	◯			◯					7
									6
									5
				◯			◯		4
	◯								3
		◯						◯	2
			◯				◯		1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	-

All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.
How to Round Corners of Water

Change the moon's direction

You can create this crescent moon in other directions by following the tables below. Tiles marked in gray are water, and tiles marked with '◯' to should be rounded.

Lower Left
In-game		◯				◯			8
Enlarge	◯						◯		7
								◯	6
		◯			◯				5
									4
									3
					◯			◯	2
							◯		1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	-

Upper Left
In-game							◯		8
Enlarge					◯			◯	7
									6
									5
		◯			◯				4
								◯	3
	◯						◯		2
		◯				◯			1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	-

Lower Right
In-game			◯				◯		8
		◯						◯	7
	◯								6
				◯			◯		5
									4
									3
	◯			◯					2
		◯							1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	-

Ribbon-Shaped Pond

How to Make a Ribbon-Shaped Pond (9x4)
1	Dig up a ribbon outline.
2	Round the edges.

1. Dig up a ribbon outline

In-game		W	W				W	W		4
Enlarge	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	3
	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	2
		W	W				W	W		1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	-

To start, you need a space for the pond which is 9x4 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the ribbon.

2. Round the edges

In-game	◯			◯		◯			◯	4
Enlarge										3
										2
	◯			◯		◯			◯	1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	-

All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.
How to Round Corners of Water

How to Round Corners of Water

Dig Corners to Round the Edges

The land will be rounded if you dig up the tile maked with '◯'.

You can round the edges of land by digging corners of land with the Waterscaping Permit.

Round corners will be destroyed if you connect surrounding tiles

If the tile already has water on the left and right sides, or top and bottom sides, you can't round it anymore.

Adjacent rounded tiles will also be destroyed

It will also fail if the adjacent tile is also already rounded.

Bury and Dig Again to Round Corners

Even if the water is already angular, you can still round up the corner by filling it with land and digging it up again.

Adjacent rounded tiles are also filled

If you fill a water tile with land, its adjacent tile, if it is rounded, will also get filled.

How to Avoid Creating Rivers

You may want to terraform your own creations, so keep these in mind so you don't accidentally create rivers instead of ponds!

Differences Between Ponds and Rivers
Ponds	Rivers
• A body of water with similar length and width	• A long and thin body of water
	• A body of water that meets a waterfall or river mouth
• Fishing rod line does not move	• Fishing rod line flows down the stream

Avoid Elongating Areas Water Are Rivers

Avoid adding long sections to your ponds, as these will transform it into a river. Keep your ponds at a similar length and width!

Do Not Connect to a Waterfall or River Mouth

Connecting your pond to a waterfall or river mouth will also transform it into a river. Keep your ponds separate from other bodies of water!

Use a Fishing Rod to Distinguish Between the Two

Pond	River

Did you know that your fishing rod move differently will react differently in ponds and rivers?

In a pond the hook does not move, while in a river, the hook flows down the of the stream.

List of Fishing Rods

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