Detroit River – Wrecks, Structures & Working Waterway
Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes & Rivers
The Detroit River is one of the busiest and most historically significant waterways
in North America. Forming the international border between Canada and the United States, it has
seen over two centuries of shipbuilding, commercial transport, ferry traffic, smuggling operations,
wartime industry, and dense navigation.
Strong currents, traffic separation schemes, and restricted areas mean much of the river is not
suitable for casual recreational diving. However, it contains documented wreck sites, submerged
industrial remains, and navigation structures tied directly to the region’s commercial boom.
The underwater archaeology reflects its long role as a shipping gateway between
Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie.
Regional Map & Planning Tools
Use the Detroit River layer on the Shotline map together with the Master Wreck Index:
the map for visualising currents, structures and crossings, and the index for depths, notes,
and links into full Shotline site records.
Detroit River – Shotline Map Layer
Interactive Shotline Diving map for the Detroit River corridor, showing known wrecks,
structures and key navigation features between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie.
Click markers for short descriptions and links to detailed pages.
Master Wreck Index – Detroit River
Filtered view of Detroit River entries in the Shotline Master Wreck Index, including depth,
body-of-water tag, GPS where available, and links into individual wreck or incident pages.
Featured “Must Dive” Sites – Detroit River
Select sites in this corridor tagged as Must Dive in the Shotline archive.
Many Detroit River locations involve current, traffic and restricted zones – always read the full
site record, confirm local regulations, and dive within your training and experience.
[sld_must_dive_grid body_of_water=”Detroit River” posts_per_page=”4″]
Weather & Conditions
Emergency Information
Emergency: 911
US Coast Guard Sector Detroit: VHF 16
Canadian Coast Guard (Windsor): VHF 16
JRCC Trenton (Canadian waters): 1-800-267-7270
Nearest Hyperbaric Chambers: Detroit Medical Center / Windsor Regional Hospital
Preservation & Regional Organizations
References & Links
- Michigan Underwater Preserves
- NOAA & CCG charts – Detroit River
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Shotline Diving Master Index