Ocarina of Time Remake Fishing: Heart Piece, Golden Scale and Loach

The Fishing Pond is one stop you should make in both eras of the Switch 2 remake. As a child it gives a Piece of Heart; as an adult it gives the Golden Scale, which in turn unlocks a second Piece of Heart in the Lakeside Laboratory. Each visit is a single paid session with no time limit, so you can stay until you land the fish you need.

Where is the Fishing Pond, and how do you get there?

The pond is inside a log hut on the east shore of Lake Hylia, with a “Wanna fish?” sign at the door. The Fishing-Pond Man stands at the counter, and a fish tank beside him shows the current record catch.

The adult route needs the Hookshot and a Scarecrow Song you have already set up; the ocarina songs guide explains how. When you first arrive as an adult, the owner complains that the dry lake has driven his customers away and is delighted to see you again after seven years.

How much does it cost, and how do the controls work?

Fishing costs 10 rupees as a child and 30 rupees as an adult. Once you pay, you can fish as long as you like. The owner gives you a fishing rod and a lure; while holding the rod you cannot use weapons. You can keep one fish at a time: each time you land a bigger one, choose to keep it, and it replaces the last. To end the session, talk to the owner and choose “I’m done.” He then measures your kept fish and hands out any prize.

If you have never played before, choose “How do I fish?” at the counter for a step-by-step lesson.

If you pull against the fish, it thrashes and can shake the hook. When the owner calls out that the fish is getting tired, hold ZR to reel it in quickly.

What do you get as a child, and how big must the fish be?

Child Link wins a Piece of Heart for finishing with a kept fish of 50 cm or more. The owner only says “a big enough fish,” and the fish tank by the counter shows a 40 cm record, caught by the owner himself. Do not stop at 41 cm: aim for 50 cm or larger. Catches of 56 to 59 cm all won the Heart Piece in remake footage.

If your catch also beats the record, the owner swaps it into the tank by the counter. This Heart Piece is entry 6 on the Pieces of Heart checklist.

What do you get as an adult, and how big must the fish be?

When you pay as an adult, the owner tells you the target directly: finish with a kept fish of 60 cm or more and he gives you “a fantastic golden prize,” the Golden Scale. It has to be caught on the normal lure.

Smaller fish are not wasted time, but there is no reason to keep one under 60 cm once you have a bigger one. Release it and cast again.

How do you catch a fish big enough?

• Pick a target. Walk around the pond until you see a large fish, then cast so the lure lands just in front of it. A lure that lands far away is easy to ignore.
• Move the lure slowly. The owner’s advice is to go slow and give the fish a chance to get interested. Jerking the lure constantly can make a big fish wary.
• Look in deeper water. Larger fish tend to stay away from the shallows, so cast toward the middle and the deeper parts of the pond.
• Keep ZR held during the fight. That way you start reeling the moment the fish tires.
• Fish in the rain as an adult. The owner says it has been raining around the pond and that fish bite more easily in the rain. The rain comes and goes, so make use of it when it falls. It is also said that fish bite better around dawn and dusk.

A big fish fights longer than a small one and changes direction often. Watch the line and keep tilting toward it until it tires; you may need to tire it more than once before it reaches the shore.

Where is the sinking lure, and should you use it?

When you pay as an adult, the owner warns you: even if you find a sinking lure, do not pick it up. A sign by the pond says the same thing: any fish caught using the sinking lure will not be counted.

The lure appears in the pond only after you have won the child’s Piece of Heart. It does not always sit in the same place. In remake footage it was found by the stone wall at the back of the pond and underwater near a sunken log. It may be on the bank or below the surface, so swim and dive if you do not see it on land. When you pick it up, the game describes it as a modified lure that fish cannot resist, then shows a prompt to switch lures with Y.

The sinking lure drops to the bottom, where fish take it more readily. The cost is the prize: if you show the owner a fish over 60 cm caught with it, he refuses the Golden Scale and tells you to try again with the normal lure. He also confiscates the sinking lure when you end the session. Use it for fun or for the Hyrule loach, then pay again and switch back to the normal lure for the real prizes.

What is the Hyrule loach, and what is it worth?

The Hyrule loach is a rare fish that looks nothing like the others: long, slender and brown rather than fat and green. It spends most of its time on the pond bottom and only occasionally rises toward the surface. That is why the sinking lure helps; with the normal lure, wait for it to swim up and cast right on top of it.

It is very hard to land. It swims fast and changes direction often, so you must switch your stick direction the moment it turns. If you pull the wrong way too often, it breaks free and returns to the bottom.

When you finish, the owner identifies the loach and gives you a purple rupee (50 rupees) as thanks for showing him something special. Unlike an ordinary fish, the loach still earns this reward when caught with the sinking lure. Afterward he releases it, saying the fish has become scarce. Loaches of around 87 to 90 cm appeared in remake footage. Caught with the sinking lure, even a loach that size does not earn the Golden Scale.

Can you hook the owner’s hat?

Yes. Casting toward the counter can snag the Fishing-Pond Man’s hat. Give it back when he asks. Reportedly, letting his hat sink into the pond costs you a 50-rupee fine.

What changed from the original version?

The original version weighed fish in pounds and charged different fees. In the Switch 2 remake, catches are measured in centimeters, a child pays 10 rupees and an adult pays 30, and the prize targets are 50 cm and 60 cm. Weight targets and sinking-lure spots from older guides do not apply to this version.

What does the Golden Scale do?

The in-game description calls it a gold-gleaming Zora scale that lets you dive extremely deep. It is an upgrade over the Silver Scale from the Zora diving game, and it works as soon as you get it.

Your first use for it is next door. Jump into the deep tank in the Lakeside Laboratory and dive until you touch the bottom; the Lake Scientist rewards you with another Piece of Heart. It is entry 24 on the Pieces of Heart checklist (Show on map). The other minigames and their prizes are on the side quests and minigames page.