Midwest Regional Dive Sites
The Midwest offers a diverse range of dive sites, from freshwater quarries to Lake Michigan wrecks, serving both recreational and technical divers. This page highlights two proven destinations and provides a regional map for planning. Expect practical notes on access, fills, and training suitability. Use the linked guides for deeper, site-specific details.
Regional map and orientation
Click map for larger image
See the deep dive for the Chicagoland dive sites.
Gilboa Quarry (Ottawa, OH)
Gilboa Quarry is widely regarded as the best Midwest site for visibility, often outperforming Chicago-area quarries even on busy weekends. The quarry has a shallow side with warmer water in mid-summer above 20 feet and a deep side for advanced work. Maximum depths exceed 100 feet, with numerous attractions positioned at varied levels to support training and exploration.
The site is well equipped, with on-site air fills, banked Nitrox, and oxygen for rebreathers and technical divers, plus basic rental gear. Camping for tents and RVs makes weekend trips straightforward. Large docks with submerged platforms support pre and post dive staging and instruction. Fills run on a token system, and it is best to get fills early since weekends become busy after noon.
See the Diver Guide to Gilboa Quarry
Mermet Springs (Belknap, IL)
Mermet Springs is arguably the best site within a day’s drive of the Chicagoland area, with strong infrastructure, deep diving opportunities, and unique underwater attractions. Thermoclines are significant, with temperatures dropping to about 50°F or lower below 40 feet. For deeper dives, a drysuit or a well fitted 7mm wetsuit is recommended.
The fill station is well managed, with custom Nitrox blends via partial pressure filling that require oxygen clean tanks. Navigation is straightforward, with major attractions and training platforms down to 100 feet connected by clearly marked guide lines. Massive catfish are common and unbothered by divers. The gazebo-based setup offers picnic tables, gear storage, and whiteboards for planning. Night diving is allowed on select days and supports advanced training, technical dives, and DPV practice.
See the Diver Guide to Mermet Springs
Other Midwest locations to explore
There are many other regional dive locations I have not visited yet. Here are options to research as you plan.
- Bonne Terre Mine in Bonne Terre, MO
- France Park in Logansport, IN
- Philips Outdoor Center in Muncie, IN
- Penny Royal Scuba in Hopkinsville, KY
- Natural Springs Resort in New Paris, OH
- Gray Quarry in Gray, TN
- Fortune Pond in Crystal Falls, MI
- Canton Lake in Canton, IL
- Lake Wazee, Black River Falls, WI
- White Star Quarry in Gibsonburg, OH
- "Big Blue" in Lester Milligan Park in Mason City, IA
- Turkey Ridge in Janesville, IA
- Lake Okoboji in northwestern IA
- Beaver Lake, Arkansas
- Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas
- Table Rock Lake, MO