Pearl Lake

• Privately owned and operated and under new management (as of 2023).
• Scuba diving is NOT the primary activity at this location and information can be difficult to come by because of that.
• Generally open for diving from Mid April to Mid October from Sat/Sun 8am to 5pm for $30/day
• You must dive with a buddy / no solo diving allowed even with certification
• Considered by many to be the best local dive location in the Chicagoland area. Better than Haigh (because of water clarity) and better than Three Oaks (because of attractions)
• There are several different dive 'starting points' and the best ones get picked first so check-in early
• Temps in the high 50s in the heat of summer at ~50ft, with most people wearing at least a 5mm. 7mm or Drysuit is highly recommended.
• No scuba shop on site, no air fills, no nothing. Unlikely to have O2 or other scuba specific rescue equipment so bring your own.

• Many local dive shops use Pearl Lake for training
• Many groups and shops setup local day trips as well. Get on their mailing lists and Facebook pages to monitor when. At least the following...
  • Crystal Blue Diving
  • Illinois Institute of Diving
• Average depth is going to be around 30-40ft, but has a "deep hole" of ~85ft but not located in a normal diving area

Step 00: As of 2025, they require Electronic Registration PRIOR to checkin. Do it from home!
Step 0: The gate DOES NOT open until 10min before the Lake opens. DO NOT BLOCK THE GATE by lining up early.
Step 1: Exit onto Dearborn Ave...which is a frontage road and non-obvious if you are not from the area
Step 2: Turn at the sign. Yes..it looks like you are entering a camp ground or residential area
Step 3: There is a gate. Use the call button if down. DO NOT BLOCK THE GATE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME
Step 4: Keep heading west, no turns, until you get to the parking area and club house
Step 5: Show your Open Water card, pay the entry fee. They will assign you a dive location or if you are early enough you can pick.
Step 6: Drive east out of the parking lot and take the SECOND left, continue around until you get to your assigned dive location
Step 7: Have fun

Dive Map

• The map above does a horrible job depicting where things are...for example. The deep hole is not on the east side of the lake...it's on the west side or middle of the lake and there is no platform. The plane at spot (8)...yeah...not directly across from the Group Pavilion. There are also attractions not on this map. And some attractions on the map no longer exist. Have fun!
• The key thing to note is that what you can dive is generally dependant on what location you are assigned. So most people want to be on the east side of the lake, preferably the east or north east.
• The west side is generally meh, except for the small plane at spot (8)
• The various attractions are NOT well marked so a hunting you will go