Follow the remake’s four-key route, earn the Longshot and defeat Morpha’s expanded phases.
Enter beneath Lake Hylia
Equip the Zora Tunic and Iron Boots. Sink to the underwater doorway below the island and Hookshot its overhead target to open the gate. Inside, surface into the main chamber, then sink to the bottom and take the east passage to Ruto.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Lower the water at Ruto’s crest
After speaking to Ruto, remove the boots and follow the shaft upward. Take the Map and play Zelda’s Lullaby at the royal crest to lower the water fully. Drop back down into the water below.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Take key one from the Spikes
Light the two doorway torches using arrows through the central flame, or Din’s Fire. Enter and defeat the three Spikes when their spines retract. Open the chest for the first required Small Key.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Open the southern Compass route
Break the southern rock wall and sink along the passage. Defeat the Shell Blade by Hookshotting its open mouth. Surface, press the switch, Hookshot to the rising statue and clear the enemies beyond. Open the Compass chest.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Take key two beyond the whirlpool
Return to the main room’s bottom east route and push the block into the water. Follow the passage to the whirlpool. Sink onto its submerged ledge, Hookshot the statue-mouth switch, remove the boots and dash through the timed gate. Surface for the second key.
References: G2A · four-key remake Water Temple route
Raise the water halfway
Spend a key on the central pillar’s door. Hookshot to the inner ledge and play Zelda’s Lullaby at its crest. The water rises to the middle level. Leave through the door beside the floating block. The basement below it is optional.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Ride the eastern water lift for key three
At middle water, explore east. Clear the cracked passage and Stingers, Hookshot upward, then operate the crystal-controlled water lift. Its upper chest holds the third required key. Return to the main chamber.
References: G2A · four-key remake Water Temple route
Reach the highest crest
Unlock the western middle-level door. Hit the crystal, defeat the descending Tektite, stand on the water platform and trigger the crystal again. Ride up, follow the passage and play Zelda’s Lullaby at the high crest.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Climb the moving waterfall platforms
Unlock the top-floor west door. Descend to the lowest platform and use the Hookshot targets on the moving platforms to climb the waterfall. Go through the door at the top.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Raise and lower the dragon statues
Shoot the crystal to raise the heads, then Hookshot the first. Lower them, Hookshot the wall target across the room and climb over the lowered head. Raise them again to reach the next head. Lower once more, stand on that head and raise it beneath your feet to reach the exit. Clear the enemies and cross to the next room.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Wait for Dark Link’s openings
Cross the misty room to its far door, then return toward the tree. Avoid attacking Dark Link’s raised shield. Dodge his three-swing sequence and counter after the final swing. Later, evade the jump and charged spin before countering. Collect the Longshot beyond him.
References: G2A · four-key remake Water Temple route
Leave through the underground river
Use an overhead Longshot target beyond the chest and drop into the river. Avoid the whirlpools. Near its end, shoot the eye and Longshot through the timed gate, then follow the southern exit back toward the main room. This route does not award a required key.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Collect the fourth and final key
Lower the water at Ruto’s crest, then raise it halfway inside the central pillar. From the pillar’s north side, activate the eye and Longshot through the timed gate. Follow the waterfall target to the block, pull it out and work around it to push from the other side. Surface beyond it for key four.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Use the bottom north passage
Sink to the bottom north passage. Longshot across the spikes and unlock the door. Cross the room with water currents and rolling boulders to its opposite door; the Iron Boots help you hold your position when appropriate.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Hold down the submerged switch
In the Stinger room, bomb the two weak wall sections to access both sides of the block. Push and pull it around the opened passage until it drops onto the floor switch. The water rises, allowing you to reach the next door.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Reach the Boss Key
Press the next switch and cross the three temporary water platforms. Wait for the rolling boulder to pass, walk through the waterfall and enter the left opening. Clear the Shell Blade or pass it carefully, then open the Boss Key chest beyond the door.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Restore high water for Morpha
Return to the high crest and raise the water fully. Longshot to the northern target in the main room. Wear the Iron Boots on the final current-swept slope, wait for the blade traps to pass and enter with the Boss Key.
References: Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple Dungeon
Shoot into the sunrise
After Morpha, take the heart and the blue warp for the Water Medallion. Lake Hylia refills. On the lakeside platform with the inscription, face the rising sun and shoot a normal arrow into it. Swim to the little island where the Fire Arrows land and collect them for Ganon's Castle.
References: RPG Site · verified remake item locations
Dark Link · Morpha
Against Dark Link, let the combination, jump or spin finish before countering. His raised shield punishes repeated direct attacks.
Against Morpha, wait for the nucleus-bearing tentacle to finish its slam, pull the core with the Longshot and strike.
Run around the perimeter during spinning attacks. Among decoy tentacles, track the real nucleus; wall targets help you cross the arena.
Later groups and walls of tentacles still contain only one real core. Keep targeting that core rather than attacking water.
Track this chapter
Check steps as you complete them in the game. You can undo any check.
Sources and edition changes
Switch 2 edition · sources checked November 5, 2026
This guide follows the 2026 Nintendo Switch 2 remake. Routes were checked against edition-specific walkthroughs and Nintendo documentation. We have not personally completed a console playthrough.
The N64 guide and its saved progress remain separate. Checklist totals measure this guide, not the game's completion percentage. New features are documented where the available evidence supports them.
Changes to keep in mind
- Four Small Keys are required, rather than the original N64 route’s six.
- The central-pillar basement and Ruto’s cracked-wall room now hold optional Skulltulas.
- Dark Link and Morpha have expanded attacks.
- Edition-specific guides checked on 5 November 2026. This is documentary verification; HyruleAtlas has not replayed these steps on a Switch 2 console.
- The key numbers here count pickups, not the number currently in your inventory.
- Follow the map’s east/west directions; do not substitute the original N64 key checklist.
- Polygon · Johnny Yu · Water Temple DungeonEdition-specific guide ·
- G2A · four-key remake Water Temple routeEdition-specific guide ·
- RPG Site · verified remake item locationsEdition-specific guide ·