South Dakota

Pennington County

Divers will travel far and wide to find the best diving. But those who live in the United States have plenty of great diving on their doorstep as well, with plentiful access to the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. From warm-water reefs to temperate seas, here are some of the top places to scuba dive in the United States.

United States



Old Pontiac station wagon sits in 95' of water in Pactola Reservoir. You will need a flashlight and visibility is usually less than 20 feet. Access can be by boat or shore. There is a white arrow pointing down and attached to a tree on the north bank just left of a large rock formation in the water know locally as Alcatraz. No local dive shop currently so will have to bring filled tanks with you.

Silver City

Pontiac Wagon

Handsome fast current dive.  Water is about 55 to 60 degrees in summer.  Many fish.  Talk with local dive shop they can hook you up.  If travelling past Pierre, SD I would highly recommend this dive.  Once in a lifetime.

From Boat is recomended.  Local dive shop is great.

Oahe Dam Tail Race

Many freshwater fish (trout, walleye, carp, sunfish) and crawfish inhabit this rocky bottom.  The dam area and Sandy Beach usually has the best visibility on the lake from June through August.

Alcova Lake is a short drive 30 minute drive from Casper, WY south on highway 220. Site is best accessed by boat, however access by vehicle is possible by a short walk (100ft/30M) with gear to dive location.

Alcova Lake Dam

Lake McConaughy is a 5.0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Nebraska, USA Mid which is accessible from shore based on 1 ratings.

Lake McConaughy



Horsetooth Reservoir, Fort Collins, Colorado

Horsetooth Reservoir

In southeast South Dakota, not far from the Nebraska border, visitors come to this Midwest site for its variety of recreational opportunities. The lake, formed behind the Fort Randall Dam on the Missouri River, covers 100,000 square acres (40,000 hectares). Dive shops use the lake for open-water training, and an annual spearfishing tournament is held there as well. Many divers prefer the east side of the lake where boat ramps are plentiful and the bottom is more rocky and less muddy than on the west side. The lake is named after Francis H. Case, a Republican Congressman from South Dakota, whose main goals were to expand America’s road and waterway infrastructure.

Lake Francis Case

Ft. Randall Reservoir, Kearney is a 5.0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Nebraska, USA Mid which is accessible from shore based on 1 ratings.

Ft. Randall Reservoir, Kearney

Lake Sakakawea, Bismark is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in North Dakota, USA East which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Lake Sakakawea, Bismark

Almost 200 feet deep, 3x1 miles; trout and salmon; 50DegF; dive flags required; campground, marina.  See www.co.larimer.co.us/parks/carter_map.htm

From Denver, take interstate 25 north to hiway 56 west(Berthoud exit)-- then follow the signs to Carter Lake.

Carter Reservoir

This site is excellent to introduce people to diving.  You are guaranteed to see fish.  It is weather proof, extremely safe and exciting to almost all divers.  It is possible to dive with sharks or if that is not what you want you can dive with fish.

Downtown Denver Colorado.  

Downtown Aquarium

Aurora Resevior is over what was formerly a U.S. Air Force gunnery range, so there is the *very* occassional ordinance to be found.  This is not even remotely likely, but keep an eye on your compass while down there.  The vis is ok if you're the first ones in after some time.  The bottom is mud, loaded with crayfish, and a lot of large, planted fish.  Watching the Walleye go after the crayfish is fun (I've had them taken right out from in front of the camera).  There is a dual-engine plane sunken about 130 yards/35 feet out that you can swim-through.  There is no night-diving here.

Park pass and SCUBA permit required.  Go to the main office to get these.  Ask for the "SCUBA KEY" so you can go through the gate to drop and pick-up your equipment, otherwise you have to haul it about 1/3 mile over the top of a dam.  The office will instruct you as to how to best access the scuba egress.

Pontiac Wagon

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Pontiac Wagon