Possum Kingdom Lake

[EMTPDiver]

I hear the diving at Possum Kingdom Lake is worth checking out. How is the water clarity? What is the best time of year for good visibility? Where are the best spots in the lake both for interesting terrain and for good water clarity? Anyone have any underwater pics they can share? Thanks a bunch.

 

[richerso]

Ha! What you hear is a rumor! That information is about 20 years old!
But then again, this is just my opinion. I still get into arguments with people about this.

 

[TxIceDiver]

Well this is an interesting question. I have dove PK quite a bit. Most of the time visibility is pretty poor. 3-6ft.

On the other hand, there have been some rare times where I have caught it with 20-25ft visibility. Usually in the colder seasons when there hasn't been much rain. About 3yrs ago I went out the weekend after thanksgiving and had 20ft vis at 50ft depth.

The last time I was out there we didn't even bother getting in the water, it was right after a big rain and they had opened up the spill way and the water was brown. I stood in knee deep water and couldn't see my feet. Since then Scuba Point has moved so we lost shore access to the water at that location, I haven't been back since.

All of the other places that I have dove other than Scuba Point, have been from a boat. I like to catch it in the late winter/early spring before we get all of the torrential spring rains. Even then it is very hit and miss.

 

[kobewan]

I dove this lake back in the 80's and enjoyed tremendous vis...I would say 25-35' in most places,it was great...used to be able to dive 60 to 70 ft on ambient light. I did a short dive in nov. down to 67' and the vis was crap...maybe 2'. very depressing

 

[richerso]

I stand by my statement. Thanks guys for confirming.

A couple of years ago, I had several older divers approach me and just scream at me that I had to go dive PK because the vis' at PK is so great! Go do it! I made several (I think 6) trips out to PK, some from shore, some from a boat. In all cases, vis' just sucked. At best it was 6' vis'. I can get that from places closer to my house.

Anyway, after completing my excursions and visiting with the old divers, I started screaming at them! It was only at that moment, without exception, that each one of them said "Well, that was 20 years ago". I was ready to kill all of them for giving me information that was 20 years old!

 

[TxIceDiver]

That doesn't surprise me, thanks for the info, you should post that on the local lake conditions sticky thread. I checked my log book, I was at PK on 11/24/06 and had 20ft+ vis, I dove it again on 1/1/07 and had 6ft and again on 1/21/07 and had 8ft of vis.

I went back in the summer of '07 after the big rain and couldn't see me feet in knee deep water. Then Scuba Point sold the land and moved off the lake so I lost my usual shore diving lake access. I have not been back since and i have not gotten a good report that the vis coming back either.

When conditions at PK are good there are a bunch of cool dive locations (mostly by boat). I always liked heading out to PK, but until conditions consistently improve, I have no plans to make the trip.

Randy

 

[ZzzKing]

A distiguished statesman once said, "Great visibility is overrated."

 

[Joe-Diver]

I have not been to PK since just before the floods of 2007, but I've been snorkeling that lake since the mid 70's and diving it since the early 80's. From what I've seen over the years and the steady degradation of consistent vis, I'd say the lake has passed it's prime. Its very heavily silted now and is easily stirred.

Back in the 70's the vis was stunning...I can remember snorkeling the island around Hell's Gate and it was amazing. Back in the early 80's it was pretty consistent at Scuba Point: always hazy from shore until you dropped over the cliff where it would be 10 to 15 feet...sometimes a little worse sometimes a little better but pretty predictable down to the second shelf. Drop over that and into the dark down at the bottom (back then 80') and it always opened way up, 25' +.....I've seen 40+ down there before with a strong light.

Last dive there it was maybe 8' down to the second shelf at 45. We had some deep students and while assembling on the one platform tied to the side of the cliff, we could barely see each other across the platform. Dropping under it to about 50 we got under the haze and it opened up. I could see the bottom down at 75 with my light, looking down the cliff face...so that's 25' at least. Stay at 70 just off the bottom (now 75) and poke along the cliff for a decent dive.

That's from more than a year ago...and I have yet to hear of anyone report great vis again...and folks have gone to Governors Cove, Neely Slough, The Caves, and Scuba Point.

 

[RumBum]

I'd deal with the bad viz to search for some fresh water crabs. PK is definately on my To Dive list.

 

[ZzzKing]

Last dive there it was maybe 8' down to the second shelf at 45. We had some deep students and while assembling on the one platform tied to the side of the cliff, we could barely see each other across the platform. Dropping under it to about 50 we got under the haze and it opened up. I could see the bottom down at 75 with my light, looking down the cliff face...so that's 25' at least. Stay at 70 just off the bottom (now 75) and poke along the cliff for a decent dive.

That's from more than a year ago...and I have yet to hear of anyone report great vis again...and folks have gone to Governors Cove, Neely Slough, The Caves, and Scuba Point.

I have 2 dives at PK. What you described here is pretty much what I had too. It was Spring of '07. I really enjoyed diving along the limestone cliff face.