Recreation Area Information

The lake was the site of the former Jackson County Iron Mine quarry. The mine was in operation from the early sixties until April of 1983. Approximately 850,000 tons of iron-rich taconite pellets were produced at the mine each year, with the bulk of them used for steel production in the mills located in East Chicago, Indiana. A crash of the domestic steel markets in the United States contributed to the decision to close the mine.

While the mine was actively producing ore, several high capacity pumps expelled over 800 gallons of water per minute from the quarry. Once the pumps were removed, the quarry began filling to form this unique lake.

Today Wazee Lake is recognized as the deepest inland lake in the state of Wisconsin, with a maximum depth of 355'.Visibility in the lake averages 30-40 feet during the summer months. Water temperatures run from approximately 70 + degrees at the surface to 50+ degrees below the first thermocline. The thermocline depth varies during the summer, but averages about 30 feet. Divers who venture to greater depths will encounter a second thermocline at approximately 60 feet where the temperature drops to a chilly 34 degrees. Use of a quality dry suit (with proper training) is recommended for deep diving in the lake. Although all the machinery was removed from the quarry upon its closure, remnants of the mining operation still remain visible underwater. A series of circular haul roads wind around the pit where divers often find artifacts including chains, pipes, taconite pellets, And iron shovel teeth. Massive boulders and shear walls create challenging and interesting features for the more experienced recreational diver. Novice divers will enjoy the gradually descending roadways which are found throughout the quarry. Divers may encounter several groups of fish cribs as well as four dive platforms used by instructors for training new divers. Fish species include rainbow, brook and brown trout, blue gills, suckers, catfish, and small mouth bass.

Wazee Lake beach area is accessed from a paved parking area. It is a short walk to the beach from the parking area. There is handicapped access to the beach via a paved walk, and a mat system that extends across the sand to the water. The beach area also has a dressing room, bathroom building. A large picnic area is adjacent to the beach, complete with picnic tables and stationary grills. The picture below is from the parking lot approach. The smaller picture is from the lake side. 

Wazee Lake at sunset