Lake Champlain – Wrecks & Dive Sites
Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes & Rivers
Lake Champlain is one of the most historically significant freshwater lakes in North America —
a strategic waterway used by Indigenous nations, French and British militaries, American revolutionaries,
and commercial steamship lines.
Champlain is home to Revolutionary War gunboats, 19th-century canal schooners, rare horse ferry remains,
and some of the most unique wooden shipwrecks anywhere on the continent. Cold water and low oxygen
levels preserve hulls, masts, and construction details with striking clarity.
For divers, Champlain is a mix of archaeology, adventure, and that signature
“this shouldn’t be this intact” moment.
Regional Map & Planning Tools
Use the Shotline wreck map and the Master Wreck Index together: the map for orientation and visual planning,
the index for depth, GPS, and links into full Shotline site records.
Lake Champlain – Shotline Wreck Map
Interactive Shotline map layer for Lake Champlain showing plotted wrecks, preserve sites, and
project targets. Click markers for at-a-glance details and links to individual records.
Master Wreck Index – Lake Champlain
Filtered view of Champlain wrecks, including depth, GPS (where available), body of water tags,
and links to full Shotline-format pages.
Featured “Must Dive” Sites – Lake Champlain
These sites are tagged as Must Dive in the Shotline archive. Depths are approximate and for
planning context only – always read the full site record and dive within your training and local regulations.
[sld_must_dive_grid body_of_water=”Lake Champlain” posts_per_page=”6″]
Signature Champlain Wreck Types
Horse Ferry
Type: Paddle Ferry (animal-powered)
Depth: 8–10 m / 26–33 ft
Difficulty: Beginner
One of the rarest wreck types in the world — a circular treadmill-powered ferry preserved upright on
the lakebed, offering a direct look at 19th-century transport technology.
Revolutionary War Gunboat “Spitfire”
Type: Military gunboat (1776)
Depth: ~30–34 m / 98–112 ft
Difficulty: Advanced
An exceptionally preserved 18th-century warship and archaeological time capsule.
Access is tightly managed; treat any involvement with this wreck as participation in a protected site,
not a casual fun-dive.
O.J. Walker
Type: Canal schooner
Depth: 18–21 m / 60–70 ft
Difficulty: Intermediate
A fully intact canal schooner lying upright with hull, deck structures, and mast stumps preserved.
A textbook Champlain wreck and an outstanding photography subject.
General Butler
Type: Schooner
Depth: 12–15 m / 40–50 ft
Difficulty: Beginner–Intermediate
A classic Champlain dive with recognizable bow structure, hull framing, and fittings in excellent condition.
Frequently used for training and historical interpretation dives.
Weather & Safety
Emergency Information
Emergency: 911
US Coast Guard (Sector Northern New England): VHF 16 / 22A
Marine Units: Vermont State Police Marine / New York State Police Marine
Nearest Hyperbaric Chambers: Burlington Medical Center / Albany Medical Center
Preservation & Regional Organizations
References & Links
- Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM)
- NOAA & USCG charts
- Champlain Underwater Preserve documentation
- Shotline Diving Master Index
- Historical archives on military and commercial wrecks