# Frost Walker Enchantment in Minecraft: What It Does and How to Use It

_Published October 16, 2026_

Frost Walker turns water into temporary walkable ice as you step — the exact radius per level, and why it conflicts with Depth Strider.

Frost Walker freezes the water under your feet into ice as you walk across it — letting you cross open water at full speed without a boat.

## What Frost Walker actually does

Walking over water (or flowing water) converts it to frosted ice in a radius around where you're about to step, instantly giving you solid ground to walk on. The radius is 3 blocks at level I, growing by 1 block per level after that (4 blocks at level II). The frosted ice is temporary — it reverts to water again after a short time once you're no longer standing near it.

## How to use it

Frost Walker is for crossing open water on the surface quickly — oceans, rivers, lakes — without needing a boat, ice road, or bridge. It's mutually exclusive with Depth Strider (see [Frost Walker vs. Depth Strider](/guides/frost-walker-vs-depth-strider)): Frost Walker wins for surface travel, Depth Strider wins for staying submerged. One real limitation: it's treasure-only, meaning you can't roll it at the enchanting table — it has to come from an anvil application of a book obtained elsewhere (loot, villager trade, or fishing).

## Well-known builds that use it

Frost Walker is the alternative pick to Depth Strider on [The Ideal Boots Enchantments](/guides/ideal-boots) — same supporting cast of Protection, Feather Falling, Unbreaking, and Mending either way.

[Build these boots in the calculator →](https://anvilcalc.com/#eyJpIjoiZGlhbW9uZF9ib290cyIsImUiOltdLCJwIjowLCJuIjoiIiwidCI6W1sicHJvdGVjdGlvbiIsNF0sWyJmZWF0aGVyX2ZhbGxpbmciLDRdLFsiZnJvc3Rfd2Fsa2VyIiwyXSxbInVuYnJlYWtpbmciLDNdLFsibWVuZGluZyIsMV1dfQ)

## Frequently asked questions

**How big an area does Frost Walker freeze?**

A radius of 3 blocks at level I, 4 blocks at level II, centered around where you're about to step.

**Does the ice stay frozen permanently?**

No — it's temporary and melts back into water again a short time after you move away from it.

**Can I get Frost Walker from the enchanting table?**

No. It's a treasure enchantment — the only way to get it is from an anvil application of a book found elsewhere (dungeon/village loot, villager trade, or fishing).

**Can you have both Frost Walker and Depth Strider?**

No, they're mutually exclusive on the same boots in normal gameplay.