Lake Hylia & Zora's Fountain

1. Dive to Lake Hylia

After winning the diving mini-game in Zora's Domain to claim the Silver Scale, dive through the deep underwater passage to surface in Lake Hylia. Submerged right beneath you on the lake floor at the northeast edge is Ruto’s Letter in a Bottle, which you can claim by diving down with your newly acquired scale. You will see the Lakeside Laboratory and Fishing Pond structures across the lake, as well as scarecrows along the shoreline.

Tip: You can register the custom Scarecrow's Song by playing your ocarina for the scarecrows Bonooru and Pierre on the Lake Hylia shore before returning.

2. Present the Letter to King Zora

Swim back through the submerged shortcut tunnel into Zora's Domain and climb to King Zora XVI's throne room. Show Ruto's Letter to King Zora; he will keep the royal note, clear the way forward, and hand you the Empty Bottle. Walk down to any shallow pool right inside Zora's Domain, equip your newly emptied container, and press ZR to capture a Bottled Fish for free.

Tip: Catching a wild fish directly with your bottle saves you from spending 200 Rupees on one at the Zora Shop.

3. Explore the Fountain Islands

Pass through the passage behind King Zora's throne to enter Zora's Fountain, arriving at the reservoir dock where the guardian deity floats. Walk over to the southern island and roll directly into the lone tree as Child Link to knock down a Gold Skulltula. While exploring the rocky fringes, handle roaming Keese, Gohma Larvae, and Skulltula with sword strikes, your Slingshot, or Deku Sticks.

Tip: You can also scoop up a Bottled Fish from the shallow waters here if you did not catch one in the Domain.

4. Claim Farore's Wind

Head to the southeast rocky islet in Zora's Fountain, where you will spot silver rocks beside a cracked boulder blocking a cave entrance. Plant a Bomb to blow open the Great Fairy Fountain, step onto the Triforce crest inside, and play Zelda’s Lullaby on your ocarina to summon the Great Fairy of Magic. She will bestow the Farore’s Wind spell upon you, allowing you to establish return warp points.

5. Feed Lord Jabu-Jabu

Walk out along the reservoir dock where a signpost warns that offerings must be made before Lord Jabu-Jabu. Stand directly in front of the floating patron deity, release your Bottled Fish, and let him suck you into his open maw to enter Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly. Once this cutscene concludes, Lord Jabu-Jabu's mouth stays open permanently, enabling you to step outside freely to Zora's Fountain without offering another fish.

Tip: If you return at night, you can pull a Gold Skulltula from the perimeter stone wall of Zora's Fountain using the Boomerang.

The short version

What matters

• Diving to the lake bed at Lake Hylia's northeast corner to retrieve Ruto's Letter in a Bottle.
• Scooping a live wild fish in your newly emptied bottle using ZR to make the required offering.
• Bombing the cracked cavern wall on the southeastern islet to secure Farore's Wind from the Great Fairy.

Common mistakes

• Attempting to enter Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly without catching a fish first, which leaves you stranded on the dock.
• Believing you need to catch a replacement fish every time you leave the dungeon; Lord Jabu-Jabu's mouth stays open permanently once fed.

What you can skip

• Purchasing the 200-Rupee fish from the Zora Shop when wild ones can be scooped for free from shallow pools.