North America · United States
Milwaukee & Port Washington
Historic schooners, steamers and a sunken car ferry off Milwaukee
Lake Michigan wreck diving from Milwaukee, with charter boats running from the Milwaukee River to wrecks off the city and north to Port Washington. Cold fresh water has kept historic schooners and steamers well preserved. The wooden steamer Appomattox lies in 5 m (17 ft), the Lumberman sits intact at 17 m (55 ft), and the car ferry Milwaukee, which sank in 1929 with a cargo of railroad cars, rests at 27–40 m (90–130 ft). The bottom stays near 4 °C all year.
About diving in Milwaukee & Port Washington
AJ Dive Charters keeps its boat at a private dock on the Milwaukee River, with free parking on site, and also picks divers up at public docks in the Port Washington, Racine and Kenosha harbours. Shipwreck Explorers sails mostly from Milwaukee, with some trips from Kenosha, Port Washington, Sheboygan and Manitowoc/Two Rivers depending on the wreck, and Shipwreck Adventures runs its boat Alma full time out of Milwaukee. When weather or waves make diving unsafe, trips are rescheduled or cancelled.
The attraction is the wrecks, and the cold fresh water keeps them: wooden hulls can stay intact after more than a century on the bottom. Charters visit wrecks from 5 m (17 ft) to about 61 m (200 ft), among them schooners, steamers, freighters and working vessels. The car ferry Milwaukee sank with her cargo of railroad cars, bath tubs, automobiles and lumber. The bottom sits at about 4 °C year-round, while in midsummer the surface reaches 24 °C over a thermocline that can reach 30 m (100 ft). Visibility runs from 6 m (20 ft) on a poor day to over 30 m (100 ft), and wrecks closer to the Milwaukee River turn murkier later in summer and after heavy rain.
A drysuit is recommended for most dives. Newly certified divers can start on the Appomattox at 5 m, deep-certified divers can reach the car ferry, and technical divers have wrecks well past recreational limits. State law bans removing artifacts or disturbing a wreck without a permit, and many wrecks between Port Washington and Two Rivers lie inside the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, which moored 24 of them in 2024. Door County to the north has no dive shops or charters.
Best time to dive Milwaukee & Port Washington
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Surface water warms from mid-June and reaches about 24 °C in midsummer; the bottom stays near 4 °C all year.
Dive types & marine life
- Wreck
- Freshwater
- Night
Best dive sites in Milwaukee & Port Washington
- 1
Milwaukee Car Ferry
103 m (338 ft) car ferry sunk in 1929 with railroad cars aboard, lying at 27–40 m (90–130 ft).
- 2
Prins Willem V
Known locally as the Willie, the most popular wreck in the Milwaukee area.
- 3
Appomattox
97 m (319 ft) wreck of the largest wooden steamer on the Great Lakes, in 5 m (17 ft).
- 4
Lumberman
Wreck that sank in 1893 and lies intact at 17 m (55 ft).
- 5
Edward E. Gillen
Small wreck lying fully intact and upright at 20 m (65 ft); a good night dive.
- 6
Northerner
Wreck lying upright and reasonably intact in 43 m (140 ft) of water.
Site guides
Remains of the largest wooden steamer on the Great Lakes, in 5 m
Wreck
Upturned 1956 dredge barge with room to swim beneath it
Wreck
Intact, upright 1981 tug, small enough for a night dive
Largely intact three-masted schooner from 1893 at 16–21 m
A 103 m train ferry that sank in 1929 with railroad cars aboard
Boiler, shaft and propeller of a 1922 steamer at 18 m
Upright schooner in 43 m with her main mast still standing
Wreck
Wheelhouse at 17 m on a steel freighter lying on her side
Wreck
Schooner barge scuttled in 1923, lying in 37 m of water
How to get to Milwaukee & Port Washington
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, on the southern edge of the city, handles the region's commercial flights. AJ Dive Charters docks on the Milwaukee River, and some of its trips pick up at public docks in Port Washington, Racine and Kenosha.
Questions divers ask
What certification does the Milwaukee car ferry need?+
The car ferry lies at 27–40 m (90–130 ft), so it calls for Advanced and Deep certification. The Appomattox at 5 m (17 ft) is where newly certified divers can start.
Do Milwaukee wreck dives need a drysuit?+
A drysuit is recommended for most dives, since the bottom sits at about 4 °C year-round even when the surface reaches 24 °C in midsummer over a thermocline.
Where do Milwaukee dive charters leave from?+
Charter boats leave from the Milwaukee River, and some trips pick up at public docks in the Port Washington, Racine and Kenosha harbours. Weather or waves can reschedule or cancel a trip.
When is visibility best on the Milwaukee wrecks?+
Visibility runs from 6 m (20 ft) on a poor day to over 30 m (100 ft). Wrecks closer to the Milwaukee River turn murkier later in summer and after heavy rain.
Sources
- AJ Dive Charters — AJ Dive Charters
- Shipwreck Explorers FAQ — Shipwreck Explorers
- Shipwreck Explorers wrecks — Shipwreck Explorers
- Shipwreck Adventures — Shipwreck Adventures
- Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary — Wikipedia
- Milwaukee — Wikipedia
- WI Shipwrecks Northerner — Wisconsin Historical Society
- AJ certifications — AJ Dive Charters
- Appomattox shipwreck — AJ Dive Charters
- Milwaukee Car Ferry shipwreck — AJ Dive Charters
- Gillen Tug Boat shipwreck — AJ Dive Charters
- Prins Willem V shipwreck — AJ Dive Charters
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