How deep is Kate Kelly Wreck?

Kate Kelly Wreck reaches a maximum depth of 16.8 metres (55 feet). It is a freshwater site rated as intermediate difficulty. Depths vary across the site, so plan your profile to your training and verify conditions locally.

Is Kate Kelly Wreck a shore dive or a boat dive?

Kate Kelly Wreck is a boat dive — access is by boat rather than from shore. The entry area is recorded as exposed to surge. No facilities are recorded at the site, and cell service is recorded as good. Entry details and parking notes, where known, are listed in the access section of this page.

Can beginners dive Kate Kelly Wreck?

Kate Kelly Wreck is rated as intermediate difficulty, which may not suit new divers. Listed maximum depth is 16.8 metres (55 feet). Access is by boat. Consider your experience level, conditions, and local guidance before planning.

When is the best time to dive Kate Kelly Wreck?

The best time to dive Kate Kelly Wreck is typically June-September. Seasonal closures are recorded: Mooring buoy is seasonal. Conditions vary, so check the latest reports and forecasts on the dive site page before your trip.

What will I see at Kate Kelly Wreck?

Divers at Kate Kelly Wreck in United States commonly report sightings of Round goby and Zebra/quagga mussel. Round goby and Zebra/quagga mussel are recorded as common sightings. Marine life varies by season and conditions—check the site page for recent diver observations and photos.

Add the first photo

IntermediateBoat entry

Kate Kelly Wreck

Wisconsin, United States

Open Water suggestedCold fresh water and thermoclines17 m depthBoat entry

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

Kate Kelly Wreck at a glance

Kate Kelly Wreck is an intermediate boat dive site in Wisconsin, United States with depths of up to 16.8 m (55 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Round goby and Zebra/quagga mussel. Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Wind model · graded 14h ago

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Tap a factor for its source and model point

Site hazards: Cold fresh water and thermoclines · Variable visibility (20-40 ft typical) · Open-lake exposure two miles offshore

All 4 hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Thu

Fri7:00–17:00

Sat7:00–20:00

Sun7:00–20:00

Mon7:00–13:00

Tue7:00–9:00

Wed7:00–19:00

Thu7:00–19:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:58 · Sunrise 6:26 · Sunset 19:08

Source: Open-Meteo wind · graded 14h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

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: Round goby, Zebra/quagga mussel

Best time: June-September

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.

Jan14% 20 kn
Feb13% 20 kn
Mar12% 20 kn
Apr19% 19 kn
May30% 16 kn
Jun36% 16 kn
Jul57% 14 kn
Aug39% 15 kn
Sep48% 15 kn
Oct12% 19 kn
Nov9% 20 kn
Dec8% 20 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

Fills & rentals nearby

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

Data updated June 2026

Site details

The three-masted schooner Kate Kelly sank in a violent spring storm on May 13, 1895, while carrying hemlock railroad ties from Alpena to Chicago. The wreck lies broken and scattered in 55 ft of water about two miles off Wind Point near Racine, marked by a seasonal WHS mooring buoy. A popular sport-diver site served by local charters and documented with a high-resolution 3D photogrammetry model.

boatwreck

Cold fresh water and thermoclines

Variable visibility (20-40 ft typical)

Open-lake exposure two miles offshore

Scattered debris field — easy to lose orientation

Reviews

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