How deep is SS Onoko Wreck?

SS Onoko Wreck ranges from 55 to 67 metres deep (180–220 feet) — a deep dive at its limit. It is a freshwater site rated as expert difficulty. Depths vary across the site, so plan your profile to your training and verify conditions locally.

Is SS Onoko Wreck a shore dive or a boat dive?

SS Onoko 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 SS Onoko Wreck?

SS Onoko Wreck is rated as expert difficulty, which may not suit new divers. Listed depths run from 55 to 67 metres (180–220 feet). Access is by boat. Consider your experience level, conditions, and local guidance before planning.

When is the best time to dive SS Onoko Wreck?

Mid-summer to early fall on flat-calm forecasts. None official; open-water season only. Conditions vary, so check the latest reports and forecasts on the dive site page before your trip.

What will I see at SS Onoko Wreck?

Divers at SS Onoko Wreck in United States commonly report sightings of Burbot. Burbot is reported only occasionally. Marine life varies by season and conditions—check the site page for recent diver observations and photos.

Add the first photo

ExpertBoat entry

SS Onoko Wreck

Minnesota, United States

Extreme depth (~220 ft)55–67 m depthBoat entry

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

SS Onoko Wreck at a glance

SS Onoko Wreck is an expert boat dive site in Minnesota, United States with depths of 55–67 m (180–220 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Burbot. Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Wind model · graded 13h ago

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Tap a factor for its source and model point

Site hazards: Extreme depth (~220 ft) · Very cold water (~2-4 C) at depth · Inverted, broken hull

All 6 hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Wed

Fri12:00–15:00

Sat19:00–20:00

Sun7:00–20:00

Mon7:00–10:00

Tue12:00–20:00

Wed7:00–20:00

Thu7:00–20:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 6:09 · Sunrise 6:40 · Sunset 19:27

Source: Open-Meteo wind · graded 13h 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

Best time: Mid-summer to early fall on flat-calm forecasts.

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.

Jan87% 10 kn
Feb86% 11 kn
Mar84% 11 kn
Apr80% 11 kn
May88% 10 kn
Jun92% 9 kn
Jul99% 8 kn
Aug96% 9 kn
Sep93% 9 kn
Oct96% 10 kn
Nov82% 11 kn
Dec78% 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

BurbotOccasionally seen

Fills & rentals nearby

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

Data updated June 2026

Site details

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.

boatwreck

Extreme depth (~220 ft) — trimix/CCR technical dive only

Very cold water (~2-4 C) at depth

Low visibility and heavy silt over the mud bottom

Inverted, broken hull — disorientation and entanglement risk

Open-lake location 13.5 nm east of Duluth, weather-dependent

Mandatory staged decompression

Reviews

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