Frozen River
| Blocks |  Ice Seagrass Snow Grass Block Bush
|
|---|---|
|
Climate | |
| Temperature | 0.0 |
| Downfall | 0.5 |
| Precipitation | Yes |
| Snow accumulation[BE only] |
0.125-0.25 |
|
Colors | |
| Grass color | #80B497 |
| Foliage color | #60A17B |
| Dry foliage color | #8F7A5A |
| Water color | #3938C9[JE only] #185390[BE only] |
|
Vibrant Visuals | |
| Atmospherics | Default |
| Lighting | Cold |
| Volumetric fog | Default |
| Color grading | Cold |
A frozen river is an ice topped variant of the river that replaces the river in frozen regions.
Generation
Frozen rivers generate in place of rivers in the coldest temperatures. They often cut through biomes like snowy plains, snowy taigas, and ice spikes, but sometimes also non-snowy taigas where the edges of the river are not frozen.
Like rivers, they can generate in many forms such as deep fjords, wide areas, or sometimes fall dry. They divide higher landmasses, serving as a division between two distinct biomes, and they sometimes end in elevated terrain.
Frozen rivers often end in frozen oceans, although they can form loops or lakes. They sometimes cut through snowy beaches or stony shores near oceans.
Description
In a frozen river biome, the water is completely covered in a layer of ice. Patches of land or river coasts are covered in snow.
Seagrass generates on the riverbed but cannot replace ice, and bushes can generate on land atop grass blocks. The rest of the frozen river biome generates exactly the same as any other biome, however, due to the extended coastlines, firefly bushes and sugar cane are more common, the latter uprooting itself due to the freezing water. When cutting through an ice spikes biome, spruce trees are often placed on land in the frozen river, although the biome itself does not generate them.
Salmon spawn in the water here, as well as rabbits and polar bears in Bedrock Edition. In Bedrock Edition, like some other cold biomes, only strays, skeletons, and frostbites[upcoming: Fourth Drop 2026] can spawn at nighttime or during thunderstorms, as well as drowned underwater and slimes on slime chunks.
With Vibrant Visuals, frozen rivers use default atmospherics with a strong cold color grading, making the biome appear colder blue. They use cold sunlight, which appears slightly brighter at dusk and dawn.
Mobs
The following mobs naturally spawn here:
| Mob | Spawn weight | Group size |
|---|---|---|
| Monster category | ||
 Creeper | 100⁄541 | 4 |
 Skeleton | 100⁄541 | 4 |
 Slime[note 1] | 100⁄541 | 4 |
 Spider | 100⁄541 | 4 |
 Zombie | 95⁄541 | 4 |
 Frostbite[note 2] | 25⁄541 | 4 |
 Enderman | 10⁄541 | 1–4 |
 Witch | 5⁄541 | 1 |
 Zombie Villager | 5⁄541 | 1 |
 Drowned | 1⁄541 | 1 |
| Underground water creature category | ||
 Glow Squid | 1 | 4–6 |
| Water creature category | ||
 Squid | 1 | 1–4 |
| Water ambient category | ||
 Salmon | 1 | 1–5 |
| Ambient category | ||
 Bat | 1 | 8 |
- ↑ Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.
- ↑ [upcoming: Fourth Drop 2026]
{ "hasNotes": true, "notes": { "Slime": "Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.", "Frostbite": "​<sup class=\" nowrap Inline-Template \" title=\"\">[<i><span title=\"This statement applies only to upcoming versions of Minecraft.\">upcoming:</span> [[Fourth Drop 2026|Fourth Drop 2026]]</i>]</sup>[[Category:Upcoming]]" }, "1": { "totalWeight": 541, "mobs": [ { "size": "4", "mob": "Creeper", "weight": 100 }, { "size": "4", "mob": "Skeleton", "weight": 100 }, { "note": "Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.", "mob": "Slime", "weight": 100, "notename": "Slime", "size": "4" }, { "size": "4", "mob": "Spider", "weight": 100 }, { "size": "4", "mob": "Zombie", "weight": 95 }, { "note": "​<sup class=\" nowrap Inline-Template \" title=\"\">[<i><span title=\"This statement applies only to upcoming versions of Minecraft.\">upcoming:</span> [[Fourth Drop 2026|Fourth Drop 2026]]</i>]</sup>[[Category:Upcoming]]", "mob": "Frostbite", "weight": 25, "notename": "Frostbite", "size": "4" }, { "size": "1-4", "mob": "Enderman", "weight": 10 }, { "size": "1", "mob": "Witch", "weight": 5 }, { "size": "1", "mob": "Zombie Villager", "weight": 5 }, { "size": "1", "mob": "Drowned", "weight": 1 } ], "category": "monster" }, "2": { "totalWeight": 10, "mobs": [ { "size": "4-6", "mob": "Glow Squid", "weight": 10 } ], "category": "underground" }, "3": { "totalWeight": 2, "mobs": [ { "size": "1-4", "mob": "Squid", "weight": 2 } ], "category": "watercreature" }, "4": { "totalWeight": 5, "mobs": [ { "size": "1-5", "mob": "Salmon", "weight": 5 } ], "category": "waterambient" }, "5": { "totalWeight": 10, "mobs": [ { "size": "8", "mob": "Bat", "weight": 10 } ], "category": "ambient" } }
| Mob | Spawn weight | Group size |
|---|---|---|
| Monster category | ||
| Slime[note 1] | 100 | 1 |
 Stray | 96 | 1–2 |
| Frostbite[note 2] | 45 | 2–4 |
| Skeleton | 24 | 1–2 |
| Drowned | 5 | 2–4 |
| Creature category | ||
| Glow Squid | 10 | 2–4 |
| Squid | 8 | 2–4 |
 Rabbit | 4 | 2–3 |
 Polar Bear | 1 | 1–2 |
| Water creature category | ||
| Salmon | 1 | 3–5 |
| Ambient category | ||
| Bat | 1 | 2 |
- ↑ Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.
- ↑ [upcoming: Fourth Drop 2026]
{ "hasNotes": true, "notes": { "Slime": "Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.", "Frostbite": "​<sup class=\" nowrap Inline-Template \" title=\"\">[<i><span title=\"This statement applies only to upcoming versions of Minecraft.\">upcoming:</span> [[Fourth Drop 2026|Fourth Drop 2026]]</i>]</sup>[[Category:Upcoming]]" }, "1": { "totalWeight": 270, "mobs": [ { "note": "Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.", "mob": "Slime", "weight": 100, "notename": "Slime", "size": "1" }, { "size": "1-2", "mob": "Stray", "weight": 96 }, { "note": "​<sup class=\" nowrap Inline-Template \" title=\"\">[<i><span title=\"This statement applies only to upcoming versions of Minecraft.\">upcoming:</span> [[Fourth Drop 2026|Fourth Drop 2026]]</i>]</sup>[[Category:Upcoming]]", "mob": "Frostbite", "weight": 45, "notename": "Frostbite", "size": "2-4" }, { "size": "1-2", "mob": "Skeleton", "weight": 24 }, { "size": "2-4", "mob": "Drowned", "weight": 5 } ], "category": "monster" }, "2": { "totalWeight": 23, "mobs": [ { "size": "2-4", "mob": "Glow Squid", "weight": 10 }, { "size": "2-4", "mob": "Squid", "weight": 8 }, { "size": "2-3", "mob": "Rabbit", "weight": 4 }, { "size": "1-2", "mob": "Polar Bear", "weight": 1 } ], "category": "creature" }, "3": { "totalWeight": 16, "mobs": [ { "size": "3-5", "mob": "Salmon", "weight": 16 } ], "category": "watercreature" }, "4": { "totalWeight": 10, "mobs": [ { "size": "2", "mob": "Bat", "weight": 10 } ], "category": "ambient" } }
Sounds
Music
These music tracks when the player is underwater in a frozen river:
| Title | Preview | Java Edition | Bedrock Edition | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Probability | Weight | Probability | ||
| Axolotl | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | |
| Dragon Fish | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | |
| Shuniji | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | |
These music tracks play while the player is not underwater in a frozen river:
| Title | Preview | Java Edition | Bedrock Edition | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Probability | Weight | Probability | ||
| A Familiar Room | 1 | 2.70% | — | — | |
| Below and Above | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Broken Clocks | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Clark | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Comforting Memories | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Danny | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Dry Hands | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Ebb | 2 | 5.41% | 2 | 5.56% | |
| Featherfall | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Fireflies | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Floating Dream | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Haggstrom | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Home | 2 | 5.41% | 2 | 5.56% | |
| Key | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| komorebi | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Left to Bloom | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Lilypad | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Living Mice | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Memories | 2 | 5.41% | 2 | 5.56% | |
| Mice on Venus | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Minecraft | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Nightly | 2 | 5.41% | 2 | 5.56% | |
| One More Day | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| O's Piano | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Oxygène | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Puzzlebox | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Shores | 2 | 5.41% | 2 | 5.56% | |
| Subwoofer Lullaby | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Sweden | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Watcher | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| Wet Hands | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
| yakusoku | 1 | 2.70% | 1 | 2.78% | |
In Creative mode, the following tracks can play:
| Title | Preview | Java Edition | Bedrock Edition | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Probability | Weight | Probability | ||
| Aria Math | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Biome Fest | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Blind Spots | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Dreiton | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Haunt Muskie | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Taswell | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Key | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Subwoofer Lullaby | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Living Mice | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Haggstrom | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Minecraft | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Oxygène | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Mice on Venus | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Dry Hands | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Wet Hands | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Clark | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Sweden | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Danny | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Left to Bloom | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| One More Day | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Floating Dream | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Comforting Memories | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| A Familiar Room | 1 | 3.03% | — | — | |
| Featherfall | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Watcher | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Puzzlebox | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| komorebi | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| yakusoku | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Lilypad | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Below and Above | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| O's Piano | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Broken Clocks | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
| Fireflies | 1 | 3.03% | 1 | 3.13% | |
Data values
ID
| Name | Identifier | Translation key |
|---|---|---|
 Frozen River | frozen_river |
biome |
| Name | Identifier | Numeric ID |
|---|---|---|
| [No displayed name] | frozen_river | 11 |
Biome definition
Press "show" to display json contents
{
"attributes": {
"minecraft:audio/background_music": {
"creative": {
"max_delay": 24000,
"min_delay": 12000,
"sound": "minecraft:music.creative"
},
"default": {
"max_delay": 24000,
"min_delay": 12000,
"sound": "minecraft:music.game"
},
"underwater": {
"max_delay": 24000,
"min_delay": 12000,
"sound": "minecraft:music.under_water"
}
},
"minecraft:gameplay/natural_mob_spawns": {
"argument": {
"spawn_costs": {},
"spawns_by_category": {
"ambient": [
{
"type": "minecraft:bat",
"count": 8,
"weight": 10
}
],
"monster": [
{
"type": "minecraft:spider",
"count": 4,
"weight": 100
},
{
"type": "minecraft:zombie",
"count": 4,
"weight": 95
},
{
"type": "minecraft:zombie_villager",
"count": 1,
"weight": 5
},
{
"type": "minecraft:skeleton",
"count": 4,
"weight": 100
},
{
"type": "minecraft:creeper",
"count": 4,
"weight": 100
},
{
"type": "minecraft:slime",
"count": 4,
"weight": 100
},
{
"type": "minecraft:enderman",
"count": {
"type": "minecraft:uniform",
"max_inclusive": 4,
"min_inclusive": 1
},
"weight": 10
},
{
"type": "minecraft:witch",
"count": 1,
"weight": 5
},
{
"type": "minecraft:drowned",
"count": 1,
"weight": 1
}
],
"underground_water_creature": [
{
"type": "minecraft:glow_squid",
"count": {
"type": "minecraft:uniform",
"max_inclusive": 6,
"min_inclusive": 4
},
"weight": 10
}
],
"water_ambient": [
{
"type": "minecraft:salmon",
"count": {
"type": "minecraft:uniform",
"max_inclusive": 5,
"min_inclusive": 1
},
"weight": 5
}
],
"water_creature": [
{
"type": "minecraft:squid",
"count": {
"type": "minecraft:uniform",
"max_inclusive": 4,
"min_inclusive": 1
},
"weight": 2
}
]
}
},
"modifier": "overlay"
},
"minecraft:visual/sky_color": "#7fa1ff"
},
"carvers": [
"minecraft:cave",
"minecraft:cave_extra_underground",
"minecraft:canyon"
],
"downfall": 0.5,
"effects": {
"water_color": "#3938c9"
},
"features": [
[],
[
"minecraft:lake_lava_underground",
"minecraft:lake_lava_surface"
],
[
"minecraft:amethyst_geode"
],
[
"minecraft:monster_room",
"minecraft:monster_room_deep"
],
[],
[],
[
"minecraft:ore_dirt",
"minecraft:ore_gravel",
"minecraft:ore_granite_upper",
"minecraft:ore_granite_lower",
"minecraft:ore_diorite_upper",
"minecraft:ore_diorite_lower",
"minecraft:ore_andesite_upper",
"minecraft:ore_andesite_lower",
"minecraft:ore_tuff",
"minecraft:ore_coal_upper",
"minecraft:ore_coal_lower",
"minecraft:ore_iron_upper",
"minecraft:ore_iron_middle",
"minecraft:ore_iron_small",
"minecraft:ore_gold",
"minecraft:ore_gold_lower",
"minecraft:ore_redstone",
"minecraft:ore_redstone_lower",
"minecraft:ore_diamond",
"minecraft:ore_diamond_medium",
"minecraft:ore_diamond_large",
"minecraft:ore_diamond_buried",
"minecraft:ore_lapis",
"minecraft:ore_lapis_buried",
"minecraft:ore_copper",
"minecraft:underwater_magma",
"minecraft:disk_sand",
"minecraft:disk_clay",
"minecraft:disk_gravel"
],
[],
[
"minecraft:spring_water",
"minecraft:spring_lava"
],
[
"minecraft:glow_lichen",
"minecraft:trees_water",
"minecraft:patch_bush",
"minecraft:flower_default",
"minecraft:patch_grass_badlands",
"minecraft:brown_mushroom_normal",
"minecraft:red_mushroom_normal",
"minecraft:patch_pumpkin",
"minecraft:patch_sugar_cane",
"minecraft:patch_firefly_bush_near_water"
],
[
"minecraft:freeze_top_layer"
]
],
"has_precipitation": true,
"temperature": 0.0
}
Achievements
| Icon | Achievement | In-game description | Actual requirements (if different) | Gamerscore earned | Trophy type (PS) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS4 | Other | |||||
 |  | Adventuring Time | Discover 17 biomes. | Visit any 17 biomes. Does not have to be in a single world. | 40 | Silver |
Advancements
| Icon | Advancement | In-game description | Actual requirements (if different) |
|---|---|---|---|
  | Adventuring Time | Discover every biome |
|
History
Java Edition
| Java Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0 | Beta 1.9 Prerelease | Added FrozenRiver. | |||||
| 1.7.2 | 13w36a | Frozen river is now required for the new "Adventuring Time" achievement. | |||||
| 1.13 | 18w16a | Renamed "FrozenRiver" to "Frozen River". | |||||
| 1.18 | 21w37a | Prior to the removal of numerical biome IDs, this biome's numerical ID was 11. | |||||
| 1.21.5 | 25w05a | Added bushes, which can generate in frozen rivers. | |||||
Bedrock Edition
| Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| v0.9.0 | Added many biomes, including frozen rivers. | ||||||
| v0.13.0 | build 1 | Added rabbits, which can spawn in frozen rivers. | |||||
| v0.15.0 | build 1 | Added strays, which spawn in frozen river biomes. | |||||
| Pocket Edition | |||||||
| 1.0.0 | alpha 0.17.0.1 | Added polar bears, which can spawn in frozen rivers. | |||||
| Bedrock Edition | |||||||
| 1.2.13 | beta 1.2.13.8 | Added drowned, which spawn in frozen river biomes. | |||||
| 1.4.0 | beta 1.2.14.2 | Added salmon, which spawn in frozen rivers. | |||||
| Frozen rivers now generate with seagrass. | |||||||
| 1.13.0 | beta 1.13.0.9 | Squid can now spawn in frozen rivers. | |||||
| 1.21.70 Experiment | Preview 1.21.70.20 | Added bushes, which can generate in frozen rivers. | |||||
| 1.21.90 | Preview 1.21.90.26 | Added cold color grading and lighting to frozen rivers with Vibrant Visuals. | |||||
| 26.50 | Preview 26.50.22 | Bats now spawn in frozen rivers. | |||||
| Upcoming Bedrock Edition | |||||||
| 26.60 Experiment | Preview 26.60.29 | Added frostbites, which can spawn in frozen rivers. | |||||
Legacy Console Edition
| Legacy Console Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox 360 | Xbox One | PS3 | PS4 | PS Vita | Wii U | Switch | |
| TU31 | CU19 | 1.22 | 1.22 | 1.22 | Patch 3 | 1.0.1 | Added frozen rivers. |
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
| New Nintendo 3DS Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1.0 | Added frozen rivers. | ||||||
Issues
Issues relating to "Frozen River" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.
Gallery
Screenshots
-
Frozen river carved a fjord through mountainous terrain -
A frozen river that continued through a taiga, leading to odd-looking generation -
A frozen river single biome world
Historical screenshots
-
A frozen river single biome world before 1.18 -
A frozen river with ray tracing
In other media
-
Frosted Fjord, a level in Minecraft Dungeons set on a frozen river -
Kai in front of a gingerbread house, in front of a frozen river
See also
External links
- "Around the Block: Frozen River" by Duncan Geere – Minecraft.net, November 28, 2023.
