Scuba Diving in Minnesota, United States
Destination guide
Scuba diving in Minnesota, United States
Minnesota offers freshwater diving in glacial lakes scattered across the state. The deepest lake entirely within Minnesota is Gabimichigami Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, reaching approximately 69 meters (227 feet). Most Minnesota dive sites are inland quarries and lakes with visibility that varies by season, best in late fall and winter under ice.
- Public sites
- 12
- Indexed destination pages
- Reviews
- 0
- Catalog review count
- Rating
- Building
- Reviews are still growing
- Common access
- Boat
- 6 dive sites
Seasonal patterns
Best months, historically in Minnesota, United States
Typical conditions by month across dive sites in Minnesota, United States— historical patterns, not a forecast.
- Jan87%
- Feb86%
- Mar84%
- Apr73%
- May83%
- Jun82%
- Jul94%
- Aug89%
- Sep92%
- Oct78%
- Nov82%
- Dec78%
From 12 sites’ typical conditions · historical typicals, not a forecast
Best dive sites in Minnesota, United States
Showing 1–12 of 12
SS Robert Wallace Wreck
Minnesota · Up to 73 m
wooden steamship wrecked in Lake Superior in 1902
IntermediateBoat entry
SS Onoko Wreck
Minnesota · 55–67 m
The Onoko, launched in 1882, was the first iron-hulled bulk freighter on the Great Lakes and a direct ancestor of the modern laker. She sprang a leak and sank in 35 minutes on September 14, 1915, about 13.5 nautical miles east of Duluth, and was found in 1988 lying upside down and broken nearly in half in roughly 220 feet of water. It is a serious trimix-level technical dive: dark, silty, very cold and far offshore, visited only by experienced technical teams.
ExpertBoat entry
Hesper Wreck
Minnesota · 5–15 m
The Hesper was a 250-foot wooden bulk freighter that sank in a May 1905 storm and now lies broken alongside the west breakwater of Silver Bay's marina in roughly 15-50 feet of water. Two main hull sections with scattered timbers, framing and machinery make it one of Minnesota's most accessible Lake Superior wrecks, divable from shore off the breakwall or from a boat using the GLSPS mooring. Its shallow depth and easy navigation make it a favorite first Lake Superior wreck, provided divers are equipped for very cold fresh water.
Shore + boat
Square Lake (Square Lake Park)
Minnesota · 1.5–20.7 m
A spring-fed 200-acre lake in Washington County near Stillwater with some of the clearest water in the Twin Cities metro (typically 10-25 ft visibility), making it the metro area's most popular dive site. The county park beach area has underwater training platforms plus sunken boats, canoes and the tail section of a Cessna airplane; maximum depth is about 68 ft. It hosts regular shop-led fun dives, including dusk dives.
Shore entry
Portsmouth Mine Pit Lake
Minnesota · 3–137.2 m
A flooded iron-ore pit on the edge of Crosby in the Cuyuna Range, and at roughly 400-450 ft the deepest lake entirely within Minnesota. Its rock-filtered water gives up to 50 ft of visibility, and divers work the sheer walls, shelves and old mine features; most recreational dives stay in the 30-100 ft range while technical divers go far deeper. The Minnesota School of Diving in Brainerd leads group dives here several days a week from May through October.
IntermediateShore entry
Lake Ore-be-gone
Minnesota · —
A 140-acre lake formed by flooding three open-pit iron mines inside the city limits of Gilbert on the Iron Range. Since the late 1990s local divers have placed an unusual collection of attractions on its shelves at varying depths, including a WWII-era fighter plane, two military helicopters, a school bus, a twin-engine airplane, a car, a boat and train cars. The rock-filtered water is exceptionally clear, and the lake hosts the annual Scuba Palooza gathering each August with camping at the adjacent Sherwood Forest Campground.
IntermediateShore entry
May Flower (shipwreck)
Minnesota · 24–27 m
The May Flower was a 147-foot wooden scow-schooner that capsized and sank on June 2, 1891 while carrying sandstone blocks, drowning two of her crew. Found in 1991, she lies in about 90 feet of water roughly four miles east of the Duluth harbor entry near the Lester River, with an intact bow and stern, two kedge anchors and Minnesota's only known manual ratcheted windlass of its type; the midsection is broken and sand-buried. It is a boat-only dive with typically modest visibility, best in autumn, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
AdvancedBoat entry
Louise Mine Pit (Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area)
Minnesota · 6.1–30.5 m
One of the flooded iron-mine pits in Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area near Crosby-Ironton, with diveable depths from about 20 ft down to roughly 100 ft. Like the other Cuyuna pits it offers clear, rock-filtered water (30-60 ft visibility typical for the area), sheer walls, submerged trees and mine-era artifacts; a life-size Jason Voorhees statue placed by divers is a well-known photo stop at depth. Part of a complex of about 50 mapped dive sites across 27 bodies of water in the recreation area.
IntermediateShore entry
Madeira Wreck
Minnesota · 3–33 m
The Madeira was a 436-foot steel schooner-barge driven onto Gold Rock Point beside Split Rock Lighthouse in the great Mataafa Storm of November 28, 1905. The hull broke into several large sections that now lie from about 10 feet down past 100 feet along the base of the cliff, including the pilothouse, bow and huge hull plates. It is the most famous and most dived shipwreck in Minnesota, reachable as a strenuous shore dive from the beach north of the lighthouse or, more comfortably, by charter boat. Cold water, depth and exposure to northeast seas demand solid cold-water skills.
IntermediateShore + boat
Samuel P. Ely Wreck
Minnesota · 5–11 m
The Samuel P. Ely, a 200-foot three-masted schooner, was driven against the Agate Bay west breakwater at Two Harbors in an October 1896 gale. Her remarkably intact wooden hull now rests in 15-35 feet of water angled off the breakwall, with the stern embedded in the structure. GLSPS volunteers have installed internal bracing to stabilize the hull, and the shallow depth makes it one of Minnesota's most popular and forgiving Lake Superior wreck dives, though it requires a short boat ride across the harbor and visibility is often limited.
Boat entry
Plan a dive in Minnesota, United States
Compare nearby sites
Minnesota has 12 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 7 intermediate and 1 advanced dive sites. Listed depths range from about 2m to 137m 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 Minnesota, United States
What is the deepest lake entirely within Minnesota?
Gabimichigami Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is the deepest lake located entirely within Minnesota, with a maximum depth of approximately 69 meters (227 feet). However, most recreational diving in Minnesota takes place in more accessible quarries and lakes with easier entry points and established dive communities.
Can you scuba dive in Minnesota?
Yes. Minnesota has an active freshwater diving community. Popular dive sites include former quarries and glacial lakes. Visibility varies by season and location — many divers prefer late fall or ice diving in winter when algae is minimal and visibility peaks.
What is the best time to dive in Minnesota?
Late fall and winter typically offer the clearest water in Minnesota lakes, with visibility sometimes exceeding 10 meters. Summer diving is warmer but often has reduced visibility due to algae and thermoclines. Ice diving is popular among trained divers.
Are Minnesota lakes safe for scuba diving?
With proper training and preparation, divers regularly dive Minnesota lakes. Cold water, thermoclines, low visibility, and limited access require planning. Connect with local dive clubs, check current conditions, and dive within your certification limits.