Information on the sport of Scuba Diving in Oregon.
Lake of the Woods - Overview
Lake of the Woods is located just 37 miles east of Ashland in Southern Oregon. It's 5,000 ft. elevation means definite altitude adjustments on the dive tables, but offers some good diving, camping, fishing, and mountain biking.
The deepest the lake gets is about 60 feet, and temperature ranges from a high of about 70 degrees in mid-summer, to ice diving conditions in the winter. There's not a lot to see in the lake, except a few nice Bass and Trout (and fishing lures). Some divers have fun collecting crawdads and having them for dinner. A nice comfortable dive for new divers and those who want to practice their skills. Watch for boats in the summer season, but in the off-season, diving from the docks makes it real easy to get in and out. Also a great place to camp out in the summer!
Lake of the Woods, as seen from the boat docks near the marina.
Water Temperature
In the winter, the lake freezes over and snowmobilers ski on top of it. A few brave souls ice dive Lake of the Woods during the winter months.
In the summer, the water will reach to the low 70's in the shallows and you can dive with just a shorty. There is a thermocline however, and anything deeper than 30 feet or so will require a full wetsuit.
Skill Level and Special Skills
The lake is calm enough for beginners, and a great place for newer divers to get started. Keep in mind this is an altitude dive, so you'll have to know how to work altitude tables. Many classes have used this as a training location.
Hazards
Heavy boat traffic in summer months, especially near the docks. Always have a dive flag and/or safety float nearby. Even so, plan your dive around the boat traffic. I once had a boater pull a water skiier through a series of dive floats I had set up!
Visibility
Varies, but generally pretty good. Look for vis in the 20-40 feet range most of the time, but like most locations, it will vary. The good thing about this lake is that it's spring-fed, so it's generally not affected by heavy rains and river runoff like other locations.
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