Ocarina of Time Remake Lake Hylia: Lab, Fishing, Fire Arrows

Lake Hylia is the large lake at the south end of Hyrule Field, with the Lakeside Laboratory on its shore, the Fishing Pond across the water and the Water Temple deep below the island in the middle. This page follows the Switch 2 remake: how to get to Lake Hylia, what to do there as a child and as an adult, how the lake changes over seven years and what you can collect. The Fishing Pond has its own fishing guide.

How do you get to Lake Hylia?

Leaving as a child is easy too: the owl, Kaepora Gaebora, waits beyond the rope bridge and offers to fly you to Hyrule Castle.

What can you do at Lake Hylia as a child?

A first visit fits in after you have the Silver Scale or whenever you pass through Hyrule Field. None of it is required for the main story.

1. Talk to Kaepora Gaebora. He tells you the Zora watch over the lake and that the Water Temple lies at its bottom, then offers the lift to Hyrule Castle. Say no if you want to stay.
2. Visit the Lakeside Laboratory. The Lake Scientist asks whether you like playing in water and lets you try his pool. You cannot reach the bottom yet; his advice is to learn diving from the Zora.
3. Teach the scarecrow a tune. In the field past the houses stand two scarecrows, Pierre and Bonooru. Play Bonooru a tune of your own, eight notes long. He memorises it, and it becomes the Scarecrow Song when you play it back to him as an adult. Write the notes down.
4. Plant a Magic Bean and release a bug. The soft soil by the laboratory door takes a Magic Bean, and a bug released on the soft soil by the barrels and sacks next to the laboratory brings out a Gold Skulltula.
5. Fish for a Piece of Heart. The Fishing Pond is in the log hut across the lake. A fish of 50 cm or more wins the prize; the fishing guide covers the fees, controls and big fish.
6. Pick up Ruto’s Letter. If you swam in from Zora Domain, a bottle lies on the lake floor near the passage. It holds Ruto’s Letter; the bottles guide explains how to keep the bottle.

The island in the middle has the big tree, a warp platform and a stone tablet. As a child the tablet is still too dirty to read; it matters only after the Water Temple.

What is in the Lakeside Laboratory?

The laboratory is the tall building on the shore near the rope bridges. The Lake Scientist studies the lake water and makes medicine with it, and a deep pool fills one side of the room.

• The diving test. Dive into the pool. With the Silver Scale you still stop short of the bottom, and the scientist promises something good if you touch it. With the Golden Scale from the adult Fishing Pond you reach the bottom and he gives you a Piece of Heart. This works while the lake is still dry.
• The Eyeball Frog. In the Biggoron Sword trade, King Zora’s frog goes to the scientist, who turns it into eye drops. The timer and route are on the Biggoron Sword page.
• A Gold Skulltula at the bottom. As an adult, sink to the bottom of the pool in the Iron Boots and use the Hookshot. The Gold Skulltula checklist has the details.

How does Lake Hylia change as an adult?

Seven years later the lake is almost empty. The scientist explains that one day a blast of frigid air rolled across Lake Hylia, the waterway to Zora Domain froze over and the lake dried up. His research has stalled with it. Blocks of ice sit on the exposed lakebed, and only a little water is left near the island.

What to do while the lake is dry:

1. Sleep in the ruined house. The broken house beside the laboratory has a bed glowing green. Lie down to enter the Hall of Fallen Foes.
2. Ride the bean plant. If you planted a Magic Bean by the laboratory, the grown plant carries you over the dry lakebed. Hop off at the stone tower and climb the ladders inside and outside to a Piece of Heart on the deck at the top.
3. Learn the Scarecrow Song. Play Bonooru the tune you taught him as a child. Pierre then tells you to play the song wherever you see straw swirling in the wind, and he will appear there for your Hookshot.
4. Reach the Fishing Pond. With the lake empty, ride the bean plant across to the hut, or play the Scarecrow Song to call Pierre and Hookshot to him. A fish of 60 cm or more wins the Golden Scale.
5. Dive in the laboratory for the Piece of Heart as described above.

How do you get into the Water Temple?

Come back with the Zora Tunic and Iron Boots from the Ice Cavern, the Hookshot, the bow, bombs and Din’s Fire.

1. Warp in with the Serenade of Water or walk down to the dry lakebed.
2. Put on the Zora Tunic and sink into the remaining water near the island with the Iron Boots.
3. Fire the Hookshot at the round ring above the barred gate. The bars lift; walk through, take off the boots and swim up into the temple.

The temple itself, with its three water levels and four small keys, is in the Water Temple walkthrough.

How do you refill Lake Hylia and get the Fire Arrows?

Defeating Morpha at the end of the Water Temple ends the drought. Back at the lake, the ice breaks apart, water bursts out and the lake fills again while Sheik watches from the shore.

1. Read the tablet on the island. The stone near the warp platform now reads: “When the lake is full and dawn breaks, release an arrow toward the halo of light.”
2. Wait for the sunrise. After Sheik leaves, dawn is not far off. Stand by the tablet and aim the bow at the bright ring around the rising sun.
3. Collect the Fire Arrows. The light falls onto a small island across the water. Swim over and take the Fire Arrows.

With the lake full, the Fishing Pond is easy to reach again and the underwater passage to Zora Domain is open. At night the big tree on the island hides a Gold Skulltula for the Longshot.

What can you collect at Lake Hylia?

The full steps are on each checklist; this is the short list for the lake.

What should you read next?

• Water Temple walkthrough: the dungeon under the lake
• Fishing guide: the Piece of Heart, the Golden Scale and the loach
• Pieces of Heart checklist: all three lake pieces in order
• Gold Skulltulas checklist: the five lake spiders
• Walkthrough hub: where the lake fits in the main story