NBM Dive Site Resource
Bay State
Lake Ontario, New York, United States
TECHNICAL DIVE ONLY — Bay State is a Lake Ontario wooden screw steamer in approximately 200 ft / 61 m of water. NOAA classifies the site as technical diving; it requires appropriate technical and decompression training.
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Aquatic life at this dive site
What divers may encounter
Three reviewed connections are featured here. Sightings vary by season, conditions, and chance, so they are never guaranteed.
Lake Trout
Salvelinus namaycushBay State lies upright in roughly 200 feet of Lake Ontario water. New York DEC documents native lake trout as a cold-water species, making a passing encounter around this deep wreck plausible though never guaranteed.
Knepp Timothy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceOpen Aquatic Life Profile →
Lake Whitefish
Coregonus clupeaformisLake whitefish are documented in Lake Ontario and feed close to bottom habitat. Divers may encounter one along Bay State's hull or debris field, with visibility and seasonal movement affecting the chance.
Seb951Open Aquatic Life Profile →
Burbot
Lota lotaThe wreck's 200-foot depth provides cold, dim structure consistent with burbot habitat in Lake Ontario. A sighting is most plausible close to the hull or lakebed and remains condition-dependent.
USFWS Mountain-PrairieOpen Aquatic Life Profile →
Site media
Photographs
Three views rotate from the published gallery on each visit.
Contributor media
Dive videos
Three featured video positions are reserved on every profile.Recent field observations
Diver-reported temperatures
Automatically checked observations from dives during the past 14 days. Three reports are visible at a time; scroll for more.A report that passes the automatic checks will appear here with the dive date, diver’s display name, and temperatures at each depth.
Reports are automatically checked for plausible dates, depths, and temperatures. They are observations, not forecasts; confirm conditions before diving.
Seasonal planning reference
Typical monthly conditions
Long-term averages, not a forecast. Actual air and water conditions can change quickly and may vary across the site.Moderate-confidence match — Matched by documented Great Lakes port/area. Air and surface-water values are regional planning averages. No bottom-water line is published because a comparable depth-specific record has not yet been verified.
| Month | Average air | Surface water | Bottom water | Bottom measurement depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26.2°F / -3.2°C | 34.9°F / 1.6°C | No reliable record | — |
| Feb | 27.4°F / -2.6°C | 34.0°F / 1.1°C | No reliable record | — |
| Mar | 35.2°F / 1.8°C | 43.6°F / 6.4°C | No reliable record | — |
| Apr | 46.8°F / 8.2°C | 39.0°F / 3.9°C | No reliable record | — |
| May | 58.8°F / 14.9°C | 44.0°F / 6.7°C | No reliable record | — |
| Jun | 67.6°F / 19.8°C | 56.0°F / 13.3°C | No reliable record | — |
| Jul | 72.3°F / 22.4°C | 69.8°F / 21.0°C | No reliable record | — |
| Aug | 70.7°F / 21.5°C | 72.6°F / 22.6°C | No reliable record | — |
| Sep | 63.6°F / 17.6°C | 68.4°F / 20.2°C | No reliable record | — |
| Oct | 52.2°F / 11.2°C | 59.0°F / 15.0°C | No reliable record | — |
| Nov | 41.5°F / 5.3°C | 50.3°F / 10.2°C | No reliable record | — |
| Dec | 32.0°F / 0.0°C | 44.5°F / 6.9°C | No reliable record | — |
NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals — Rochester, NY
1991–2020 climate normalsReview source ↗NOAA NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide — East Lake Ontario
Historical monthly station averagesReview source ↗Bottom temperature is never inferred from surface temperature. A blank month means no reliable depth-specific average is available. Data reviewed 2026-08-26.
Why divers know this place
Highlights
Early wooden screw steamer, approximately 137 ft long, resting upright with a long debris field.
Shipwreck-only module
The wreck
This section appears only on shipwreck records and brings the vessel, its loss, present condition, access, and responsible wreck-diving considerations into one place.
- Vessel type
- Wooden screw steamer
- Vessel length
- 137 feet
Regional context
Located within
Before you arrive
Access notes
Technical dive only. Confirm current conditions, access, gas plan, decompression plan and operator requirements before departure. Published coordinates are research references, not navigation instructions.
Plan within your training
Conditions and hazards
Depth beyond recreational limits, decompression obligations, cold water, limited light, changing visibility, entanglement and unstable wreckage. Penetration requires separate wreck-penetration training and planning.
Independent resource notice
This record is a starting point for independent verification. Access, closures, moorings, weather, currents, depth, visibility, operator availability, and site conditions can change without notice. Confirm current information with the responsible operator, property owner, managing authority, or another qualified local source before planning or attempting a dive.