Scuba Diving in Michigan, United States
Destination guide
Scuba diving in Michigan, United States
Michigan, United States has 33 public dive sites on PickADive. Use the list below to compare mapped sites by depth, access, difficulty, ratings, and reviews before opening a site page.
- Public sites
- 33
- Indexed destination pages
- Reviews
- 0
- Catalog review count
- Rating
- Building
- Reviews are still growing
- Common access
- Boat
- 29 dive sites
Seasonal patterns
Best months, historically in Michigan, United States
Typical conditions by month across dive sites in Michigan, United States— historical patterns, not a forecast.
- Jan53%
- Feb44%
- Mar51%
- Apr51%
- May73%
- Jun73%
- Jul88%
- Aug81%
- Sep88%
- Oct54%
- Nov37%
- Dec45%
From 33 sites’ typical conditions · historical typicals, not a forecast
Best dive sites in Michigan, United States
Showing 1–12 of 33
Nordmeer Wreck (Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary)
Michigan · Up to 12.2 m
The Nordmeer was a 471-ft German steel freighter that ran onto Thunder Bay Shoal in November 1966 after turning the wrong side of the marker buoy. Once partially above water, the wreck has collapsed and now lies fully submerged in about 40 ft of Lake Huron roughly seven miles north of Thunder Bay Island, with the large diesel engine and big steel hull sections to explore. It is one of the most visited dive sites in Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and suits newer wreck divers in calm conditions.
IntermediateBoat entry
Sport Wreck (Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve)
Michigan · 7.6–13.7 m
The Sport, launched in 1873, was the first steel-hulled tug on the Great Lakes and sank in a December 1920 gale off Lexington; the crew washed ashore alive. Rediscovered in 1987, she rests upright with a slight starboard list in about 45 ft of water roughly three miles off Lexington in the Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve, rising about 20 ft off the bottom with tools and relics scattered around the site. In 1992 she became the first Michigan shipwreck to receive its own Michigan Historical Marker, and her shallow depth makes her a favorite first Great Lakes wreck dive.
Boat entry
Mary Alice B Wreck (Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve)
Michigan · 25.9–29 m
The Mary Alice B is a 62-ft steel tug built in 1931 for the Army Corps of Engineers (originally named Quintus) that foundered off Port Sanilac in September 1975 and was located in 1992. She sits upright and remarkably intact in about 92-95 ft of Lake Huron within the Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve. The pilothouse, with the wheel still in place, offers a swim-through for trained divers, though silt is easily disturbed inside.
AdvancedBoat entry
Francisco Morazan Wreck (Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve)
Michigan · 0–4.6 m
The Francisco Morazan is a 246-ft steel package freighter that ran aground in a November 1960 snowstorm about 300 yards off the south shore of South Manitou Island, partly atop the older wreck of the Walter L. Frost. Part of the superstructure still breaks the surface, making it the most visible wreck in the Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve, snorkelable and divable in roughly 0-15 ft of water within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Strong swimmers reach it from the island beach; most visitors come by kayak or boat, and the collapsing steel demands care.
Shore + boat
Eber Ward Wreck (Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve)
Michigan · Up to 44.2 m
The Eber Ward was a 213-ft wooden steamer built in 1888 that was holed by ice and sank in April 1909 about five miles west of where the Mackinac Bridge now stands. She sits upright and intact in roughly 145 ft of Lake Michigan with her cabin and wheel in place, the fatal ice gash visible in the bow, and her yawl boat flattened off the stern. Depth puts this dive at the edge of recreational limits, and it is one of the signature advanced/technical dives of the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve, with two seasonal moorings.
ExpertBoat entry
SS Algoma Wreck
Michigan · 4.6–30.5 m
The Algoma was a steel passenger steamer that broke apart on the rocks of Isle Royale's southeast shore in a November 1885 storm, killing around 46 people — the worst loss of life in Lake Superior history. The ship broke in half during salvage-era storms and today only scattered stern wreckage, plating, and machinery remain, spread down the rocky slope near Mott Island. It is the shallowest and most broken of Isle Royale's major wrecks, divable at moderate depths but in a very exposed location.
IntermediateBoat entry
SS Emperor Wreck
Michigan · 7.6–53.3 m
The Emperor, a 525-ft Canadian bulk freighter, struck Canoe Rocks on June 4, 1947 while her exhausted first mate had the watch, sinking in under an hour with the loss of twelve crew. The wreck is essentially intact apart from the damaged bow area, sloping from about 25 ft at the bow down to 175 ft at the stern, where the engine room and crew quarters draw experienced deep divers. With NPS moorings on both sections, she is widely regarded as the signature wreck dive of Isle Royale alongside the America.
AdvancedBoat entry
Norman Wreck
Michigan · 52–64 m
The Norman, an 1890 Globe Iron Works steel steamer and one of the first propeller-driven steel lakers, sank in a 1895 collision and lies 10.5 miles east-southeast of Presque Isle in Lake Huron. She sits broken in two with a 45-degree port list in 170-210 ft of water, her double-wheeled wheelhouse lying alongside and a yawl boat and massive collision hole on display. Cold water has preserved her superbly, making her one of the marquee technical dives of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary's deep Presque Isle group.
ExpertBoat entry
SS Kamloops Wreck
Michigan · 53–79 m
The Kamloops, a Canada Steamship Lines package freighter, vanished with all 22 hands in a December 1927 storm and was not found until 1977, lying on her starboard side off Twelve O'Clock Point in roughly 175 to 260+ ft of near-freezing water. She is astonishingly intact and undisturbed — cargo still in her holds and crew remains aboard, including the well-preserved body divers call 'Grandpa' in the engine room — making her both Isle Royale's ultimate technical dive and a de facto gravesite that must be treated with respect. Only fully qualified trimix/CCR divers on expedition charters should attempt her, and several divers have died here.
ExpertBoat entry
Monohansett Wreck (Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary)
Michigan · 3–5.5 m
The Monohansett was a wooden bulk freighter that caught fire and sank in the lee of Thunder Bay Island in November 1907 while sheltering from a Lake Huron storm. The wreckage lies broken into three large sections in only about 18 ft of clear water roughly 500 ft west of the Thunder Bay Island lighthouse, with the boiler reaching to within 10 ft of the surface and the propeller upright on the limestone bottom. Its shallow depth makes it popular with divers, snorkelers, paddlers and the local glass-bottom boat.
Boat entry
SS America Wreck
Michigan · 0.6–26 m
The package freighter America ran onto a reef in the North Gap of Washington Harbor in June 1928 and slid down the slope, where she lies on an incline with her bow just 2-4 ft below the surface and her stern at about 85 ft. The midship and stern remain intact, including the engine room, galley, and numerous passenger cabins, making her the most dived and most beloved wreck at Isle Royale — visible even to ferry passengers passing overhead. Her sheltered location makes her divable in most weather.
IntermediateBoat entry
Plan a dive in Michigan, United States
Compare nearby sites
Michigan has 33 public dive sites in the PickADive catalog. Start with the map when coastline, nearby alternatives, and travel distance matter.
Explore sites on the mapMatch depth and difficulty
Current public data shows 11 advanced and 11 intermediate dive sites. Listed depths range from about 0m to 79m where available. Boat is the most common listed access type. Use those signals as a starting point, then confirm the plan against training, equipment, and current local guidance.
Check conditions close to the dive
PickADive can help with research and comparison, but it does not certify that a dive is safe today. Weather, current, visibility, entry, boat traffic, and local rules can change quickly.
How condition context worksCommon questions about diving in Michigan, United States
What are the best dive sites in Michigan, United States?
Use the ranked list on this page to compare 33 public dive sites in Michigan. PickADive highlights ratings, reviews, depth, access type, difficulty, and mapped location so you can move from destination research to a specific site page.
Is Michigan beginner-friendly for scuba diving?
PickADive does not yet have enough beginner-labeled public site data to summarize Michigan confidently. Review difficulty, access, depth, and recent notes on each site page before deciding.
Are there advanced dives in Michigan?
Yes. PickADive currently marks 17 dive sites in Michigan as advanced or expert level. These dives deserve extra attention to depth, access, current, visibility, and local guidance.
What depths can I expect in Michigan?
Listed PickADive depth data for Michigan ranges from about 0m to 79m. Use that as a research starting point, then verify current conditions and site-specific guidance.
Can I see Michigan dive sites on a map?
Yes. Use the map link on this page to compare Michigan dive sites by location, coastline, nearby alternatives, and individual site details.