Choosing the right class in Drain the Lake can make a huge difference in how quickly you earn resources, complete runs, and collect Diamonds. While every class provides some kind of advantage, certain options are far more effective thanks to their gameplay bonuses, bucket upgrades, or farming potential. This tier list ranks every class currently available in Drain the Lake, explains their strengths and weaknesses, and helps you decide which one is worth unlocking first.
Drain the Lake Class Tier List
Here’s our overall ranking of every class currently available.
- S Tier Scooper, Hauler
- A Tier Treasure Hunter, Crewmate, Prospector
- B Tier Fisherman
- D Tier Fishman, Diver, Runner
No class is completely useless, which is why there are currently no F-tier rankings. Even the lowest-ranked classes provide bonuses that can be helpful early in the game.
S Tier Classes
These are the strongest classes in the game and should be your top priority.
Scooper
Starting Stats
- Speed: 50%
- Health: 60%
- Loot: 50%
Class Perks
- Level 1: 4% chance to instantly fill your bucket.
- Level 2: 7% chance to instantly fill your bucket.
- Level 3: 10% chance to instantly fill your bucket.
Why Scooper Is S Tier
Scooper is widely considered one of the best classes because it improves one of the game’s most important mechanics—bucket filling. Instantly filling your bucket saves valuable time throughout every run and dramatically increases efficiency. Its relatively low Diamond cost also makes it an excellent early investment that remains useful even during late-game progression.
Pros
- Excellent value for its price.
- Speeds up resource collection.
- Strong throughout the entire game.
- Works well with every bucket upgrade.
Cons
- No significant drawbacks.
Hauler
Starting Stats
- Speed: 20%
- Health: 90%
- Loot: 20%
Class Perks
- Level 1: +4 Bucket Capacity.
- Level 2: +7 Bucket Capacity.
- Level 3: +10 Bucket Capacity.
Why Hauler Is S Tier
Hauler focuses entirely on increasing bucket capacity, allowing players to carry significantly more water before returning. Larger bucket capacity means fewer trips and better overall efficiency. Although its base Speed and Loot stats aren’t particularly impressive, the bucket upgrade alone makes Hauler one of the strongest classes available.
Pros
- Massive bucket capacity bonus.
- Extremely affordable.
- Excellent for efficient farming.
Cons
- Average starting stats outside of Health.
A Tier Classes
These classes are powerful but tend to be more specialized.
Treasure Hunter
Starting Stats
- Speed: 35%
- Health: 40%
- Loot: 100%
Class Perks
- Level 1: 35% chance to earn an extra Diamond from chests.
- Level 2: 70% chance.
- Level 3: Guaranteed extra Diamond from every chest.
Why Choose Treasure Hunter?
Treasure Hunter is the best class for farming Diamonds. If your goal is unlocking additional classes or saving currency for future updates, this class can significantly increase your long-term earnings.
However, its extremely high unlock cost makes it difficult to recommend for newer players.
Pros
- Best Diamond farming class.
- Outstanding Loot stat.
- Great for long-term resource farming.
Cons
- Most expensive class in the game.
- Doesn’t improve gameplay performance directly.
Crewmate
Starting Stats
- Speed: 40%
- Health: 70%
- Loot: 40%
Class Perks
- Gains additional bucket fill speed for each friend playing with you.
Why Choose Crewmate?
Crewmate shines in multiplayer sessions. When playing alongside friends, its bucket-filling bonus can become incredibly powerful, making group farming much faster.
Solo players, however, won’t receive any benefit from its special ability.
Pros
- Strong multiplayer bonuses.
- Balanced overall stats.
- Excellent bucket fill improvements.
Cons
- Nearly useless when playing alone.
- Expensive to unlock.
Prospector
Starting Stats
- Speed: 30%
- Health: 50%
- Loot: 90%
Class Perks
- Chance to earn double Tokens.
Why Choose Prospector?
Prospector is ideal for players who want to accumulate Tokens more quickly. Although Tokens become plentiful later in the game, this class helps accelerate early progression.
Pros
- Best Token farming class.
- Good overall stats.
- Fair unlock cost.
Cons
- Tokens are already easy to earn.
- No gameplay-focused bonuses.
B Tier Classes
These classes are decent choices but are usually overshadowed by stronger alternatives.
Fisherman
Starting Stats
- Speed: 30%
- Health: 40%
- Loot: 70%
Class Perks
- Chance to earn bonus Tokens whenever you fill your bucket.
Why Fisherman Is B Tier
Fisherman is inexpensive and offers respectable farming bonuses. Unfortunately, its Token-focused ability isn’t particularly valuable since Tokens become relatively easy to obtain through regular gameplay.
Pros
- Very affordable.
- Helpful for beginners.
- Easy Token farming.
Cons
- Doesn’t improve gameplay mechanics.
- Outperformed by Prospector.
D Tier Classes
These classes can still be useful in certain situations, but they’re generally weaker than other options.
Fishman
Starting Stats
- Speed: 50%
- Health: 25%
- Loot: 25%
Class Perks
- Increased swimming stamina.
Why Fishman Ranks Lower
Swimming longer sounds useful, but it rarely has a major impact on overall progression. Combined with its weak starting stats, Fishman struggles to compete with higher-ranked classes.
Pros
- Cheap to unlock.
- Longer swimming duration.
Cons
- Weak overall stats.
- Minimal gameplay impact.
Diver
Starting Stats
- Speed: 60%
- Health: 30%
- Loot: 60%
Class Perks
- Chance for sharks to ignore you.
Why Diver Falls Behind
Avoiding sharks can occasionally save time, but experienced players usually have little trouble avoiding them manually. Considering its price, there are much stronger classes worth purchasing first.
Pros
- Useful against sharks.
- Good Speed and Loot.
Cons
- Expensive.
- Situational ability.
Runner
Starting Stats
- Speed: 90%
- Health: 20%
- Loot: 30%
Class Perks
- Increased walking speed.
Why Runner Is D Tier
Runner offers excellent mobility, but its bonus is fairly limited compared to classes that improve bucket efficiency or farming. Faster movement alone doesn’t significantly improve progression.
Pros
- Highest Speed stat.
- Cheapest class available.
Cons
- Weak gameplay bonuses.
- Low Health.
- Easily replaced by stronger options.
How to Unlock Classes in Drain the Lake
Unlocking new classes is straightforward once you’ve collected enough Diamonds.
Visit the Class Shop, located on the left side of the main lobby. There, you’ll find every available class along with its Diamond cost.
Diamonds can be earned by:
- Opening treasure chests.
- Exploring deeper sections of the lake.
- Claiming Badge rewards.
- Purchasing Diamonds with Robux (optional).
Class Unlock Costs
- Treasure Hunter 12,000 Diamonds
- Crewmate 6,500 Diamonds
- Prospector 5,000 Diamonds
- Diver 3,000 Diamonds
- Scooper 2,500 Diamonds
- Hauler 2,000 Diamonds
- Fisherman 1,250 Diamonds
- Fishman 1,000 Diamonds
- Runner 750 Diamonds
Which Class Should You Unlock First?
If you’re wondering where to spend your Diamonds, here’s the recommended unlock order for most players:
- Hauler – Outstanding value thanks to its bucket capacity bonus.
- Scooper – Dramatically improves bucket fill speed.
- Prospector – Great for farming Tokens.
- Treasure Hunter – Best for long-term Diamond farming once you can afford it.
- Crewmate – Excellent if you regularly play with friends.
The remaining classes are generally lower priorities unless they suit your preferred playstyle.
While every class in Drain the Lake offers unique advantages, Scooper and Hauler stand out as the strongest overall thanks to their direct improvements to bucket efficiency, which is one of the game’s core mechanics. Players focused on resource farming can also benefit from Treasure Hunter and Prospector, while multiplayer groups may find Crewmate especially valuable. Before spending your Diamonds, consider how you prefer to play, as the most expensive class isn’t always the best investment for your progression.