To fish in the Ocarina of Time remake, go to the Fishing Pond at Lake Hylia, pay the owner to rent a rod, and land a fish heavier than the record he names. Do it as young Link for a Piece of Heart, then come back as adult Link and beat the adult record for the Golden Scale.
Fishing is one of the few side activities with a prize for each age, so it is worth learning once and doing twice. Below is where the pond is, how a catch works from cast to weigh-in, and what each prize does.
Where the Fishing Pond Is
The Fishing Pond is a building on the shore of Lake Hylia, the big lake south of Hyrule Field. Follow Hyrule Field south from Lon Lon Ranch until the land drops toward the water, then follow the shoreline to the pond’s hut. Our Lake Hylia guide covers the route for the 1998 game, and the lake sits in the same place in the remake.
Inside, the owner rents you a rod for a fee (20 rupees in the 1998 game), and you fish until you leave. You can only keep one fish at a time, and you have to hand the rod back before you walk out.
How to Catch a Fish, Step by Step
The on-screen prompts show the buttons, so the part worth learning is the rhythm:
- Talk to the owner and pay. He hands you the rod with a plain lure.
- Look for a big fish before you cast. Fish show as dark shapes in the water. The large ones tend to hold in the deeper water toward the middle of the pond, around the sunken log.
- Cast past the fish, not on top of it. A lure that lands on a fish’s head scares it off. Land it a little beyond, then reel it back across the fish’s path.
- Reel in short bursts. A lure that twitches and pauses draws more attention than one dragged straight in.
- Wait for a real bite. A fish will often nibble before it commits. Set the hook only when the line pulls hard.
- Tire it out. Once hooked, let the fish run when it pulls hard and reel when it eases off. Reeling flat out against a strong pull is how lines snap.
- Bring it to the owner. Walk back to him and he weighs your catch. He tells you if it beats the record.
If a fish escapes, give the water a moment to settle. Spooked fish return to the same areas.
The Two Fishing Prizes
| Link | Prize | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Young Link | Piece of Heart | One quarter of a new heart |
| Adult Link | Golden Scale | Lets Link dive much deeper |
Aim for a fish of about 55cm as young Link for the Piece of Heart, and 70cm or longer as adult Link for the Golden Scale. The remake measures fish by length, where the 1998 game weighed them and asked for 10 pounds and 13 pounds.
The Heart Piece is one of the 36 in the remake, listed in our Heart Piece guide. The Golden Scale also leads straight to a second Piece of Heart: dive to the bottom of the Lakeside Laboratory’s tank next door.
Tips for Bigger Catches
- Ignore the small fish. They bite more readily, but they win you nothing. Hold out for a big one.
- Do it as a child first. You can come back for the adult prize later, and you need the child prize anyway for a full set of hearts.
- Leave the Sinking Lure alone at first. Earlier versions hid a heavier lure around the pond after you won a prize. It sinks to where the big fish are, but the owner does not count fish caught with it toward his prizes.
- Keep your best fish. When you catch a new one, the owner lets you keep one. Hold onto the bigger one.
- Watch the rare one. The pond’s rarest fish, the Hylian Loach, does not show up on every visit, so a pond with no giant in it is normal.
The money for the rod is easy to come by; our rupee guide shows where to get it early. If you are after a fish in a bottle for Lord Jabu-Jabu, that is a different fish: our Princess Ruto guide covers where to scoop one up. Every remake guide is on our Zelda hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you fish in the Ocarina of Time remake? At the Fishing Pond on the shore of Lake Hylia. The owner rents you a rod inside.
What do you get from fishing? A Piece of Heart for young Link’s record fish and the Golden Scale for adult Link’s.
How big does the fish need to be? About 55cm for young Link and 70cm or longer for adult Link. The 1998 game weighed fish instead, asking for 10 pounds and 13 pounds.
Can you keep the fish you catch at the pond? Not to take outside. You hand the rod back when you leave, and the fish stays at the pond. For a fish in a bottle, scoop one from shallow water with an Empty Bottle instead.
Does the Sinking Lure count for prizes? No. The owner does not count fish caught with it toward his prizes.