Skip to content
Map of Wilson Lake (Hell Creek dive area)
Add the first photo
Both

Wilson Lake (Hell Creek dive area)

Kansas, United StatesDirections
Open Water suggested2–20 m (5–65 ft) depthBoth entry

Wilson Lake (Hell Creek dive area) at a glance

Wilson Lake (Hell Creek dive area) is a both dive site in Kansas, United States with depths of 1.5–19.8 m (5–65 ft). Typically most favorable Dec · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Striped bass, Smallmouth bass, and White bass. Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Next window today· 8:00–11:00 · favorable & moderate

Wind forecast for this hour · 2:00 · run 2 h ago
—

Tap a factor for its source and model point

Site hazards: Low visibility in summer, boat traffic, wind chop, rocky entries

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Mon8:00–9:00 favorable, 9:00–11:00 moderate, 12:00–18:00 moderate, 18:00–19:00 favorable

9 kn wind (9 kn wind)

Tue8:00–17:00 favorable, 17:00–19:00 moderate

4 kn wind (4 kn wind)

Wed16:00–18:00 moderate, 18:00–19:00 favorable

16 kn wind (16 kn wind)

Thu8:00–19:00 favorable

5 kn wind (5 kn wind)

Fri8:00–19:00 moderate

10 kn wind (10 kn wind)

Sat9:00–10:00 favorable, 10:00–13:00 moderate, 13:00–19:00 favorable

8 kn wind (8 kn wind)

Sun9:00–12:00 favorable, 12:00–18:00 moderate, 18:00–19:00 favorable

10 kn wind (10 kn wind)

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 7:27 · Sunrise 7:55 · Sunset 18:40 · some windows run past sunset

Source: Open-Meteo wind · updated 26 Oct, 00:28 GMT-5

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near Wilson Lake (Hell Creek dive area)

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: Smallmouth bass, White bass, Crayfish
Best time: Late May to early June and fall, when visibility peaks

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, 77% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 11 knots
  2. February, 69% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 12 knots
  3. March, 56% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 14 knots
  4. April, 38% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 15 knots
  5. May, 73% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 12 knots
  6. June, 58% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 13 knots
  7. July, 73% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 11 knots
  8. August, 80% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 11 knots
  9. September, 78% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 11 knots
  10. October, 60% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 13 knots
  11. November, 70% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 12 knots
  12. December, 83% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 11 knots, historically most favorable

December 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

Wilson Lake, a 9,000-acre reservoir on the Saline River in the Smoky Hills, is widely regarded as the clearest lake in Kansas and is the state's most-used open-water dive site. Most divers use the area just past the Hell Creek bridge in Wilson State Park, where there are small underwater ledges, rocky cliffs and a sunken dive platform. Visibility typically runs 1-5 ft in summer algae blooms but improves to 10-15 ft in late May to early June and in fall.

boatshorewall

Low visibility in summer, boat traffic, wind chop, rocky entries

Reviews

No reviews yet — this site is waiting for its first. Dived here? Your rating and a few lines help the next diver.

Spot something off?

Help keep this listing accurate for the next diver.