Minecraft: Mobs Can Spawn in Water and Near It & Here’s How

Minecraft’s diverse biomes serve as homes for a variety of aggressive and non-aggressive mobs. From deserts to frozen peaks, it’s hard to explore Minecraft without running into some passive mob wandering around. In today’s guide, we’re going to focus on Minecraft’s water surfaces; to be more exact, we’re going to focus on what goes on under the water’s surface. Before we start analyzing spawn conditions for each group of mobs, let’s answer one basic question: can mobs spawn in Water in Minecraft, or near it?

Can mobs spawn in water in Minecraft?

Mobs absolutely can spawn in water in Minecraft. Before spawning a certain mob, the game will check conditions. Every type of mob has certain conditions that need to be met before it spawns. For example, most hostile mobs check for light conditions. Most mobs overall check if the block below them is solid before they spawn. If the conditions are met, magic happens, and a mob appears.

While a majority of mobs in Minecraft won’t spawn in water, there are some that will spawn only under the water’s surface. To be more precise, certain types of mobs will check whether the blocks above and below them are marked as water blocks.

It’s important to keep in mind that if other conditions are right, in theory, most mobs can spawn as long as there is an air pocket in the water as well. And while this is possible, we’re going to focus on mobs that have water blocks as a requirement before they spawn. The following are mobs that will spawn in Water in Minecraft.

1. Cod

Cod is a passive aquatic mob that spawns under the water’s surface. Before Cod spawns, the game checks whether the block below and above is water and belongs to the ocean biome. Cod usually spawns on the depth between 50 and 63 blocks.

2. Dolphin

Dolphins are like Cod, one more passive aquatic mob that will check for water blocks before spawning. It has the same depth requirements as cod. Dolphins are found in all types of oceans, with the exception of frozen oceans.

3. Glow Squids

Glow Squids spawn in water, but other spawning conditions are different. In order for Glow Squids to spawn, the light needs to be at level 0. Glow Squids can spawn at level 30 or below that.

4. Pufferfish and tropical fish

These types of fish have identical spawning conditions, like cods and dolphins. One major difference is that they will never spawn in colder oceans due to being tropical in nature.

5. Squid

Squid is an aquatic passive mob that spawns in water. Unlike its cousin, glow squid, squid does not check for light conditions before spawning. Squid follows the same spawn routine as pufferfish, tropical fish, dolphins, and cods with one major difference, it can spawn in rivers as well.

6. Salmon

Salmon can be found in oceans and rivers. It has the same spawning conditions as most other fish that we’ve mentioned before. When it comes to oceans, Salmon can be found in cold, frozen, and lukewarm oceans.

7. Drowned

Drowned are aggressive mobs resembling a zombie that spawns exclusively in water. We’ve already discussed Drowned when discussing the best strategies to employ while exploring Minecraft’s waters. Drowned check whether the block below and above is water. They can be found in oceans and rivers. Zombies that drown become Drowned.

8. Guardians and Elder Guardians

Guardians and Elder Guardians are one more type of aquatic aggressive mobs. They are most commonly found in Ocean Monuments. Before spawning, Guardians and Elder Guardians will check whether the block below them is water. If the spawning block has sky exposure, the spawn will most likely fail; that’s why you will usually find them in Ocean Monuments since those water blocks don’t have sky exposure.

Can mobs spawn in the river in Minecraft?

Yes, mobs can spawn in rivers in Minecraft. Salmon, Squids, and Drowners don’t care whether the water they spawn in is flowing water or an ocean. As long as the block they spawn at and below them is marked as water.

Can spawners spawn mobs in water?

Most spawners will not spawn mobs in water; the ones that do have to be related to aquatic mobs. Spawners will check the conditions before spawning a mob as well, and if the conditions aren’t right, the spawn will not happen.

Can mobs spawn near water in Minecraft?

Plenty of mobs can spawn near water in Minecraft. Most of them are non-aggressive mobs like animals. Polar bears, rabbits, turtles, slimes, and strays can all spawn near water as long as the block below them is not water. For some aggressive, hostile mobs, the light conditions need to be met as well.

As you can see, plenty of mobs in Minecraft spawn specifically in water. While most of them are harmless, some are especially dangerous, like the Drowned and Elder Guardians. It’s useful to keep this in mind while planning your shelter and spawn-proofing it.

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