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.
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.
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.
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.
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.