Water Temple Guide

Quick Answer

To beat the Water Temple, change the water level by playing Zelda's Lullaby on the three Triforce-marked triggers (basement = low, middle = mid, top = high), grab the Longshot from the Dark Link mini-boss room, then defeat Morpha by snagging its red nucleus with the Longshot and slashing it. The reward is the Water Medallion.

The #1 thing to watch: spend your six small keys in the right order or you can softlock — see the warning below before you open any locked door.

Jump to: Longshot · Morpha strategy · Zelda's Lullaby

6 Small Keys
3 Water Levels
Longshot Key Item
Morpha Boss
Hard Difficulty

How the water levels work

The whole dungeon is built around three water-level triggers — small platforms with a Triforce crest that respond to Zelda's Lullaby. Each one sets a different height, and almost every room only makes sense at one specific level.

💡 Read the level before you move

Lost? Nine times out of ten the path you need is at a different water level. Before backtracking, ask which of the three heights opens the door in front of you, then go play the matching trigger.

Full route

  1. 1

    Enter via Lake Hylia

    Lake Hylia is drained as an adult. Equip the Iron Boots to sink to the locked entrance at the bottom, then swap them off once inside the central tower.

  2. 2

    Raise the water to the top

    From the central pillar, play Zelda’s Lullaby on the highest trigger first to reach the upper-level rooms and start collecting the Map, Compass, and early small keys.

  3. 3

    Work the middle level

    Drop the water to the middle trigger to open the east and west wings. The Longshot and the dragon-statue eye-switch puzzles live around here.

    💡 Shoot the in-room eye switches with the Bow/Longshot to spin the central pillar gates.

  4. 4

    Beat Dark Link, claim the Longshot

    Cross the misty room and fight your shadow, Dark Link. Lock on, bait his counters, or stun him with the Megaton Hammer / Din’s Fire. Past him is the Longshot chest.

  5. 5

    Lower the water and grab the Boss Key

    Drop to the basement level to flood the lowest rooms with currents, ride them with the Longshot anchor points, and open the locked path to the Boss Key.

  6. 6

    Fight Morpha

    Return to the central tower, Longshot up to the boss door, and enter to face Morpha.

⚠️ Small-key softlock — read before opening doors

The Water Temple has 6 small keys but several locked doors you can reach in the wrong order. Opening a "convenience" door early can leave you one key short for a mandatory door — a true softlock on older versions.

Rule of thumb: only spend a key when the door is on the route to the Map, Compass, Longshot, or Boss Key. If a locked door just shortcuts back to the lobby, skip it.

📝 Iron Boots swapping

You'll toggle the Iron Boots constantly to sink and rise. On the N64 release this means pausing into the menu every time, which is the dungeon's other big pain point — the 3DS remake maps them to a touch-screen button. See the version comparison for details.

Boss: Morpha

Morpha, the amorphous water boss of the Water Temple
Morpha attacks through water tentacles, but only the red nucleus can be hurt.

Morpha hides its vulnerable red nucleus inside a roaming water tentacle. The fight is won the moment you control the corners.

  1. 1

    Back into a corner

    Stand in a corner so Morpha can only attack you from limited angles and the nucleus stays in view.

  2. 2

    Longshot the nucleus

    Wait for the red nucleus to surface, then Longshot it to yank it onto the floor.

  3. 3

    Slash and repeat

    Spam sword slashes before it slips back into the water, then repeat. A few cycles ends the fight.

    💡 Required item: the Longshot. The shorter Hookshot is just out of reach.

Water Temple Full Walkthrough

Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I stuck in the Water Temple?
Almost always because the water is at the wrong height. Each room is designed for one of the three levels — go to the nearest Triforce trigger and play Zelda’s Lullaby to switch, then re-check the door you were stuck at.
Can I softlock the Water Temple?
Yes, on older versions. There are 6 small keys but extra locked doors. Spend keys only on doors leading to the Map, Compass, Longshot, or Boss Key; if you waste keys on shortcut doors you can come up short for a mandatory one.
Where is the Boss Key?
In the lowest (basement) water level. Drop the water to the bottom trigger, ride the currents using the Longshot anchor points, and open the locked basement path to reach it.
Where are the small keys?
Spread across all three levels — several at the top level, more in the east/west middle-level wings, and the last on the route through Dark Link. Clear each level fully before lowering the water.
How do I lower the water level?
Play Zelda’s Lullaby on the Triforce-marked triggers: the top trigger raises it high, the middle one sets it mid, and the basement trigger drops it to the bottom.

Where to go next

Morpha Strategy

The full Longshot-the-nucleus boss breakdown.

Water Medallion

Your reward and Sage Ruto’s power.

Shadow Temple

The next adult temple on the route.