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AdvancedShore entry

Blue Water Lake

Missouri, United States
SITE CLOSED70 m depthShore entry

Blue Water Lake at a glance

Blue Water Lake is a advanced shore dive site in Missouri, United States with depths of up to 70.1 m (230 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Largemouth bass, Bluegill, and Channel catfish. Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Wind model · graded 14h ago

Tap a factor for its source and model point

Site hazards: SITE CLOSED

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Sun
Tue7:00–21:00
Wed7:00–21:00
Thu7:00–21:00
Fri12:00–21:00
Sat7:00–21:00
Sun7:00–21:00
Mon7:00–21:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:50 · Sunrise 6:19 · Sunset 20:29

Source: Open-Meteo wind · graded 14h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

What Divers Say

Known for: Largemouth bass, Bluegill
Best time: Not divable at present.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. Jan87% 10 kn
  2. Feb86% 11 kn
  3. Mar72% 12 kn
  4. Apr61% 12 kn
  5. May84% 9 kn
  6. Jun90% 9 kn
  7. Jul99% 8 kn
  8. Aug97% 8 kn
  9. Sep98% 7 kn
  10. Oct89% 10 kn
  11. Nov86% 10 kn
  12. Dec83% 11 kn

July hastypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life seen at this site

Species noted at this site — not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

  • Largemouth bassCommonly seen
  • BluegillCommonly seen
  • Channel catfishOccasionally seen

Fills & rentals nearby

No dive shops mapped within 25 km. Know one? Add it to the map.

Site details

A flooded lead-and-zinc mine pit in Oronogo, Missouri, minutes from Joplin, that filled with water after mining ceased in the 1950s. As 'Bluewater Lake,' its 14 acres of clear water reached depths of 200-230 ft — among the deepest inland dives in the Midwest — with training platforms, sunken attractions, flooded mine roads, and caves, run for decades by Captain John's Sports & Scuba. The site closed to diving around 2012 during EPA Superfund remediation of the surrounding mining district, with the pit used to receive lead-contaminated waste.

caveshore

SITE CLOSEDformer EPA Superfund repository for lead-contaminated mine waste; historically: extreme depth (200+ ft), cold dark water, overhead environments in flooded mine workings and caves, entanglement on submerged structures.


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