I have read through the few threads on the inland lakes of Wisconsin, but I have not seen any information on the lakes of South East Wisconsin besides Racine Quarry. Has anyone dove Lake Geneva, Beulah, Nabobin, Neshota, lakes around that area?
Diving South East Wisconsin Inland Lakes
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KJackson60
Contributor
I have been diving in Lake Geneva. Not the best experience I ever had. There is a LOT of boat traffic and they don't seem to know what a dive flag means (the boaters like to use your dive flag as a mooring!). You will need to use a boat as all of the land around the lake is privately owned. There are some OK sites but in my opinion not worth the aggravation and danger. If you must dive Lake Geneva I would suggest hooking up with Loves Park Scuba as he runs charters out onto the lake periodically, usually during mid week mornings to avoid the previously mentioned boat traffic.
I have also been diving in Devils Lake in Devils Lake State Park. All sites are shore accessible or you can use a non powered boat. A very enjoyable place to dive, very laid back. Viz. can be limited late in the season from the algae bloom though so don't expect Pacific ocean clarity, it is Wisconsin after all!
I have also been diving in Devils Lake in Devils Lake State Park. All sites are shore accessible or you can use a non powered boat. A very enjoyable place to dive, very laid back. Viz. can be limited late in the season from the algae bloom though so don't expect Pacific ocean clarity, it is Wisconsin after all!
JIsgren
Registered
September and October are better for Lake Geneva as the water is still warm-ish but not as many weekend warriors on the surface.
jewelofnile69
Contributor
Devil's Lake last weekend was super busy with dive classes. The two groups of non-class divers said the clarity was pretty bad because of all the classes. There are classes up there almost every weekend between now and the end of summer.
Have you tried Big Cedar Lake up in West Bend? My parents live on the lake and I've heard some good things about diving there (and you can go pretty deep). I was considering diving on Father's Day but we've opted to be out doing something else on Father's Day instead of being on the water...not sure why.
Lannon Quarry is supposed to have good diving....supposed to be pretty clear as well. Lannon is by Lannon/Sussex (which is close to Milwaukee).
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Here's the Lannon Quarry dive info: http://www.dtmag.com/dive-usa/locations/LannonQuarryWI.html
Have you tried Big Cedar Lake up in West Bend? My parents live on the lake and I've heard some good things about diving there (and you can go pretty deep). I was considering diving on Father's Day but we've opted to be out doing something else on Father's Day instead of being on the water...not sure why.
Lannon Quarry is supposed to have good diving....supposed to be pretty clear as well. Lannon is by Lannon/Sussex (which is close to Milwaukee).
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Here's the Lannon Quarry dive info: http://www.dtmag.com/dive-usa/locations/LannonQuarryWI.html
Lannon is so full of goose poo you could walk across it now. Big Cedar has possibilities. I have dove it in spring and fall when the clarity is a little better. Inland lakes in summer tend to get pea green though. Lots of boat traffic too. Harrington Beach state park has a decent shore dive if you have a wheel barrow for your gear and you catch it on the right day. There's a pier crib that extends about 1000 feet out into the lake. It's around 12 feet deep at the end. There is usually fish on it and if you look on the south side of it there some neat junk laying in the rocks there.
Jim
Jim
vapourinthesea
Contributor
I've heard good stuff about lake Geneva (sometimes) and big cedar lake.
jewelofnile69
Contributor
Good to know. I haven't been to Lannon since I was a pre-teen (24 or so years ago) and definitely never dove there.
My step-mom said boat traffic is already pretty bad on Big Cedar because of the weather.
We are hitting Pearl Lake in South Beloit, IL this weekend. I'll let you know the clarity after the dive.
FiremanIRFD
Registered
Dived Lannon Quarry and Fox Brook yesterday late afternoon.
Lannon was surrounded by people fishing, 5ft max viz very green and could not find a drop to get below about 14ft
Fox Brook was a little better, better access and closer parking, viz 10+, hit a refreshing thermocline about 20 feet, but cut the dive short at that time due to my buddy having ear issues, will explore again at a later time seeing as I already bought the permit.
Lannon was surrounded by people fishing, 5ft max viz very green and could not find a drop to get below about 14ft
Fox Brook was a little better, better access and closer parking, viz 10+, hit a refreshing thermocline about 20 feet, but cut the dive short at that time due to my buddy having ear issues, will explore again at a later time seeing as I already bought the permit.
Wisco_Diver
New
Some FYI on Lannon Quarry,
When to Go there
If you go in the spring before most of the non-diving public use the quarry for recreational purposes and before the algae goes into bloom, it's not too bad... In early June the vis was about 15ft. Some open water classes are done there on a regular basis, so if you wan't good vis make sure you get there early enough to beat the other divers or go on a weekday.
When Not to Go There
After it warms up and all of the people and animals are frequenting the quarry, it's a cesspool of disgusting things you don't really want to swim in. The vis will drop to 3ft and you will smell terrible when you get out.
Other Stuff
- Do not dive from the beach. The whole west side of the quarry (beach side) is 15ft with nothing to see and stays that way for a while. Instead drive past the beach and around to the east side of the quarry. They now have some small road signs denoting where the dive site is to help.
- Stay off the bottom. This quarry suffers from having a pretty thick layer of muck on the bottom. It's really soft and suspends very well in the water. Stirring the muck up here will quickly destroy visibility.
- There are a few things to see on the diving side of the quarry. There is a dive platform around 30 ft, a mirror, picnic tables, an old steel rock sled they used to pull rock out of the quarry, some steel cable, a rock cart, and an old wooden shack a little ways out (pretty much a big pile of wood now). I know I'm forgetting a few little knick knacks the nearby dive shop has put in there, but you get the point. Nothing really impressive, but it's still borderline entertaining and you don't have to deal with boaters that don't know what a dive flag is.
When to Go there
If you go in the spring before most of the non-diving public use the quarry for recreational purposes and before the algae goes into bloom, it's not too bad... In early June the vis was about 15ft. Some open water classes are done there on a regular basis, so if you wan't good vis make sure you get there early enough to beat the other divers or go on a weekday.
When Not to Go There
After it warms up and all of the people and animals are frequenting the quarry, it's a cesspool of disgusting things you don't really want to swim in. The vis will drop to 3ft and you will smell terrible when you get out.
Other Stuff
- Do not dive from the beach. The whole west side of the quarry (beach side) is 15ft with nothing to see and stays that way for a while. Instead drive past the beach and around to the east side of the quarry. They now have some small road signs denoting where the dive site is to help.
- Stay off the bottom. This quarry suffers from having a pretty thick layer of muck on the bottom. It's really soft and suspends very well in the water. Stirring the muck up here will quickly destroy visibility.
- There are a few things to see on the diving side of the quarry. There is a dive platform around 30 ft, a mirror, picnic tables, an old steel rock sled they used to pull rock out of the quarry, some steel cable, a rock cart, and an old wooden shack a little ways out (pretty much a big pile of wood now). I know I'm forgetting a few little knick knacks the nearby dive shop has put in there, but you get the point. Nothing really impressive, but it's still borderline entertaining and you don't have to deal with boaters that don't know what a dive flag is.
Great info, everyone. Seems like not many good things are being said about Lannon Quarry...
I've not heard anything at all about Fox Brook other than what FiremanIRFD said. I'm interested in more information about the diving there and at Lake Nagawicka; I'm hoping to go out next weekend. What do you know? What do you recommend?
I've not heard anything at all about Fox Brook other than what FiremanIRFD said. I'm interested in more information about the diving there and at Lake Nagawicka; I'm hoping to go out next weekend. What do you know? What do you recommend?
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