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Boat entry

General Butler

Vermont, United States
Open Water suggestedHeavy summer boat traffic in Burlington Harbor; cold freshwater year-round; limited visibility after storms; fragile intact wreck10–12 m (33–40 ft) depthBoat entry

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

General Butler at a glance

General Butler is a boat dive site in Vermont, United States with depths of 10–12.2 m (33–40 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Rock bass, Freshwater drum (sheepshead), and Crayfish. Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Favorable window now· until 16:00, then moderate until 18:00 · sunset 17:50

Wind forecast for this hour · 11:00 · run 21 h ago
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Tap a factor for its source and model point

Site hazards: Heavy summer boat traffic in Burlington Harbor; cold freshwater year-round; limited visibility after storms; fragile intact wreck

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Mon8:00–16:00 favorable, 16:00–18:00 moderate

5 kn wind (5 kn wind)

Tue8:00–18:00 favorable

7 kn wind (7 kn wind)

Wed8:00–18:00 favorable

3 kn wind (3 kn wind)

Thu8:00–9:00 favorable, 9:00–12:00 moderate, 12:00–15:00 favorable, 15:00–18:00 moderate

11 kn wind (11 kn wind)

Fri8:00–17:00 favorable, 17:00–18:00 moderate

4 kn wind (4 kn wind)

Sat8:00–18:00 favorable

1 kn wind (1 kn wind)

SunNot in the forecast yet

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

Every forecast dive window each day, site-local time, from wind forecasts. Numbers under each bar are daylight averages.

First light 6:52 · Sunrise 7:22 · Sunset 17:50 · some windows run past sunset

Source: Open-Meteo wind · updated 25 Oct, 13:20 GMT-4

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near General Butler

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.

Dived here today — did the forecast match?

What Divers Say

Known for: Rock bass, Crayfish, Zebra mussel
Best time: June–September during the preserve buoy season; calm mornings before harbor boat traffic builds; late summer for warmest water (60s F above thermocline)

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. January, 89% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  2. February, 91% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  3. March, 85% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 10 knots
  4. April, 84% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 10 knots
  5. May, 91% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  6. June, 90% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 8 knots
  7. July, 97% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 7 knots, historically most favorable
  8. August, 90% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 7 knots
  9. September, 96% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 7 knots
  10. October, 91% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 8 knots
  11. November, 89% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  12. December, 86% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots

July has typically 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

Rough labels: “Commonly seen” usually means two or more recorded sightings near this site in public dive logs (GBIF), “Occasionally seen” one; “Seasonal” and “Rarely seen” come from dive-guide research. Not a measured rate.

Fills & rentals nearby

No dive shops mapped within 25 km (16 mi). Know one? Add it to the map.

Data updated July 2026

Site details

An 88-foot schooner-rigged sailing canal boat built in 1862 that crashed into the Burlington breakwater in a December 1876 gale while hauling marble, her crew leaping to safety onto the icy stones before she sank. She rests upright and remarkably intact on her keel in just 40 feet of water, 75 yards west of the breakwater's southern end, with dead-eyes, windlass, and mast tabernacles still visible. As the shallowest and most popular Vermont Underwater Historic Preserve wreck, it is an ideal first freshwater wreck dive; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

boatwreck

Heavy summer boat traffic in Burlington Harbor; cold freshwater year-round; limited visibility after storms; fragile intact wreck — buoyancy control critical, no penetration; wreck lies ~300 ft north of Burlington's wastewater discharge pipeline; extremely fragile rudder at stern

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