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Isle Royale National Park
 Keweenaw County, MI
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Entry Type: Shore
Bottom Composition: Sand
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Isle Royale National Park is a shore accessible fresh water dive site, located in Keweenaw County, MI.
Isle Royale offers exciting scuba diving opportunities. Here the cold waters of Lake Superior maintains a variety of shipwrecks in outstanding condition for exploration and photography. These sunken vessels are protected by the National Park Service as cultural treasures to be enjoyed by you, the experienced scuba diver.
Water is cold at all times. At the surface, water temperature rarely reaches 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Below 50 feet, divers can expect 34-37 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures. A full wet suit is necessary, and a dry suit is recommended. There are no facilities for filling dive cylinders at Isle Royale.
Divers must register at Houghton, Rock Harbor or Windigo Visitor Centers before diving, and return your completed copy of the registration form after your trip to a visitor center or by mail. Your diving registration helps us manage underwater sites. Canadian vessels and divers must clear customs when they enter the park.
Algoma
(Passenger Steamer)
262 feet in length; built in 1813; sunk in 1885. Southeast shore of Mott Island. Depth of Stern: Minimum 10 feet; maximum 100+ feet. The ship broke in half, and parts of the stern are all that remain. Wreckage is widely scattered with no major sections intact. Bow section not yet located. Buoy on a sinker in 50 feet.
Cumberland
(Passenger Steamer)
204 feet in length; built in 1871; sunk in 1877. Near Rock of Ages Light. Depth: Minimum 20 feet; maximum 80 feet. Large sections of wooden hull, side-wheel and boiler remain. Wreckage is intermingled with wooden remains of Chisholm hull. Buoy on a sinker in 35 feet.
Glenlyon
(Bulk Freighter)
328 feet in length; built in 1893; sunk in 1924. Location: Glenlyon Shoals off Menagerie Island in Siskiwit Bay. Minimum 15 feet; maximum 60 feet. The wreck is scattered over the reef with a few large sections still intact. The drive shaft, propeller, engine, boilers, and some cabin wreckage offer easy exploring. Buoy attached to a piece of wreckage at 40 feet.
America
(Package Freighter)
183 feet in length; built in 1898; sunk in 1928. Location: North Gap of Washington Harbor. Minimum 2 feet; maximum 80 feet. Features: The forward part of the superstructure has been removed by ice, wave action, and a past salvage operation. The midship and stern are intact, including engine room, galley, and numerous cabins. Watch out for silt entanglement, and visibility problems inside the America. Two point mooring with a buoy on a sinker in 20 feet and a marker buoy on the bow in 2 feet. The shipwreck America is closed for diving between 12 noon and 2:00pm EDT, to allow ferry passengers to view the wreck.
Chester Congdon
(Bulk Freighter)
532 feet in length; built in 1907; sunk in 1918. Congdon Shoals on northeast end of Isle Royale. Depth: 60-200 feet on stern, 50-120- feet on bow, minimum 10 feet on reef. Wreckage consists of intact pilot house and bow section on south side of reef and an intact stern on north side. Much scattered wreckage is found on the reef between these major sections. Buoy on bow, attached at stern in 65 feet.
Emperor
(Bulk Freighter)
525 feet in length; built in 1910; sunk in 1947. North side of Canoe Rocks, on the northeast end of Isle Royale. Minimum 25 feet; maximum 175 feet. The wreck is basically intact, with the bow area showing most damage. Stern area features an intact mast rudder/prop, engine room, and numerous cabins. Buoy on bow attached at stern in 25 feet; buoy on stern attached on deck at 100 feet.
George M. Cox
(Passenger Steamer)
259 feet in length; built in 1901; sunk in 1933. Near Rock of Ages Light. Minimum 10 feet; maximum 100 feet. Scattered wreckage, twisted steel plating, and exposed machinery and prop. Buoy attached to boiler in 45 feet.
Henry Chisholm
(Bulk Freighter)
265 feet in length; built in 1880; sunk in 1898. Near Rock of Ages Lighthouse. Minimum 125 feet; maximum 150+ feet. A large intact steam engine with drive shaft and prop dominate the scene. Buoy attached to engine at 125 feet. Large sections of wooden hull are scattered amongst the remains of Cumberland.
Kamloops
(Package Freighter)
250 feet in length; built in 1924; sunk in 1927. Kamloops Point. Minimum 175 feet; maximum 260 feet. Intact and undisturbed. Diving not advised because of extreme depth. Not buoyed.
Monarch
(Package Freighter)
240 feet long; built in 1890; sunk in 1906. Palisade area on the north side of Blake Point. Minimum 10 feet; maximum 80+ feet. Large sections of wooden wreckage scattered on the bottom. Noted for heavy construction. Buoy on a sinker in 65 feet.