Illinois Diving | Do Dive In

Located in Kankakee, Illinois, two hours from Peoria, Haigh Quarry is one of our favorite dive destinations in the Midwest. Haigh is an old limestone quarry with sheer rock walls, rock piles depths of up to 85 feet, and a healthy and diverse fish population that include sunfish, bass, northern pike, catfish, & spoon bill catfish. The north end of the lake is relatively shallow with depths of between 20 – 30 feet deep, and is a favorite location for northern Illinois dive stores to conduct their training dives. [Read more]

Located in southern Illinois, Mermet Springs is approximately a 5 hour drive from Peoria. An old stone quarry, Mermet Springs most prominent natural feature is its sheer rock walls which plunge to a maximum depth in excess of 120 feet in areas. [Read more]

Located in Canton Illinois, Strode Lake is one of several old coal strip mine lakes which were donated to the Canton Park District. Maximum depth is approximately 60 feet, but the best diving is between 20 & 30 feet along the weed line or on the various man-made objects which have been sunk in the lake which include a bus, coffin, two boats, a step van, and a semi tractor flat bed. [Read more]

Close to home, the Chillicothe Recreational Area actually consists of three gravel pits, one of which is open for scuba divers. Depths range from 10 feet to 26 feet. Fish life is varied, and includes sun fish, bass, crappie, cat fish & carp. If you swim slowly, you may spot turtles in the shallows or along the bank at the east end of the lake. [Read more]

Pearl Lake is one of the oldest private diving lakes in Illinois and offers fishing, swimming and diving. An old gravel pit, average depth is between 30 & 40 feet with a maximum depth of 85 feet. Many man made objects have been sunk in the lake to keep divers amused. [Read more]