Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest Β· Starts October 1st Β· $500 in prizes

10 Fish Pumpkin Designs

We curated 10 of the very best fish pumpkin designs so you can pick one and start carving in minutes.

  1. 1. Fan Tail Fish with Low Notches

    Fan Tail Fish with Low Notches pumpkin carving stencil

    A plump fantail goldfish glides across the pumpkin as one big glowing silhouette, with a rounded body, sweeping double tail, and small notched fins along the belly. The entire fish is pierced through in a single connected shape, so it lights up like an aquarium at night. At medium difficulty the low fin notches are the detail work; cut the broad body and tail first, then nick out the small fin points with short careful strokes.

    See template β†’
  2. 2. Hammerhead with Unequal Fins

    Hammerhead with Unequal Fins pumpkin carving stencil

    A hammerhead shark cruising in full profile, its wide flattened head, tall dorsal fin, and forked tail all reading instantly in silhouette. The complete shark is one cut-through opening that stretches across the pumpkin's widest face for a dramatic glowing display. An easy carve with one caution: the slim notch between the tail forks is delicate, so cut it before removing the large body piece.

    See template β†’
  3. 3. Three Fish Above Two Waves

    Three Fish Above Two Waves pumpkin carving stencil

    Three fish swim in a loose diagonal school above two rolling wave bands, with a trail of round bubbles rising toward the stem. Every element is cut through: fish bodies with notched tails, the long curved waves, and the bubble dots all become glowing openings. The waves are the longest cuts, so brace the pumpkin and saw them in smooth continuous strokes; poke the bubbles out first with a round tool while the wall is solid.

    See template β†’
  4. 4. Curled Dolphin Profile

    Curled Dolphin Profile pumpkin carving stencil

    A leaping dolphin caught mid-arc, its curved body, pointed snout, dorsal fin, and sweeping tail all glowing through one sculpted cut-through opening, with an intact rind island shaping the pectoral fin and belly. The interior island is the key feature: cut the outer outline in sections and leave the connecting bridges to the island untouched until the very end, then trim them carefully to final width.

    See template β†’
  5. 5. Two Fish and Six Bubbles

    Two Fish and Six Bubbles pumpkin carving stencil

    Two plump fish swim toward each other with a rising trail of six bubbles between them and two wavy water slots rippling underneath. The fish bodies, bubbles, and wave lines are all cut through, turning the pumpkin into a glowing underwater scene. A relaxed medium carve for anglers and lake families; drill the bubbles in ascending size order, then saw the fish, and finish with the long shallow wave curves.

    See template β†’
  6. 6. Goldfish with Flowing Fins

    Goldfish with Flowing Fins pumpkin carving stencil

    A fancy fantail goldfish glides across the pumpkin with billowing fins, a sweeping double tail, and a body covered in overlapping scale rows. This is a continuous-wall shading design: the skin is shaved away at varying depths so fins glow softly and each scale reads in relief, with no pierced holes. Rated hard for its texture work, it goes best if you outline the fish first, clear the background layer, then carve the scales one row at a time.

    See template β†’
  7. 7. Seahorse with a Ribbed Fan

    Seahorse with a Ribbed Fan pumpkin carving stencil

    An elegant seahorse posed upright with a ridged, segmented body, a ribbed fan fin on its back, and a tail that coils into a tight spiral. This is a shading pattern: you carve away skin at varying shallow depths to sculpt the plates, fin ribs, and curl while the wall stays solid. Rated hard for its fine detail, it rewards a light touch; work the tiny tail spiral with a small gouge last.

    See template β†’
  8. 8. Seahorse with Ten Raw Plates

    Seahorse with Ten Raw Plates pumpkin carving stencil

    An elegant seahorse curls down the pumpkin in profile, its coronet, snout, banded belly plates, back fin, and spiral tail all rendered in carved relief. This is a shading design: the body is shaved to a pale glow while the plate lines and outline are left or scraped at different depths for dimension, with no pierced openings. Rated hard for its fine segmentation, shave the belly bands one at a time and keep each dividing ridge intact.

    See template β†’
  9. 9. Round Fish and Three Bubbles

    Round Fish and Three Bubbles pumpkin carving stencil

    A plump fish silhouette with a notched triangle tail swims across the pumpkin, trailed by three round bubbles rising toward the stem. The fish body and each bubble cut completely through, giving anglers a bold, glowing catch with almost no fine detail to fuss over. An easy pattern; remove the large body in two pieces split at the tail notch, then drill or carve the bubbles smallest to largest.

    See template β†’
  10. 10. Spotted Eagle Ray

    Spotted Eagle Ray pumpkin carving stencil

    A spotted eagle ray glides diagonally across the pumpkin, its wide wings dotted with rows of round spots, a long whip tail trailing off behind, and a curled loop near the tail base. The whole creature is rendered by etching the skin: outlines and spots are shaved to glow softly while the wall stays sealed. Rated hard for the fine linework; carve the spots with a small round gouge and keep your outline strokes shallow and consistent.

    See template β†’

That's our list of 10 fish pumpkin designs. Print your favorite and tag us when you're done.

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10 Fish Pumpkin Designs | PumpkinCarvingIdeas.com