NBM Dive Site Resource
Robert C. Pringle
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, United States
TECHNICAL DIVE ONLY — Deep tugboat steamer wreck near Sheboygan accessible as a specialized technical expedition.
Save this dive site to your free member profile.
Historic Photograph
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 namaycushRobert C. Pringle lies in approximately 270 to 290 feet of Lake Michigan water. NOAA identifies lake trout in Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast waters and notes that submerged structures provide foraging habitat for predatory fish.
Knepp Timothy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceOpen Aquatic Life Profile →
Burbot
Lota lotaNOAA reports that burbot often appear at deeper Great Lakes wrecks. Divers may encounter one close to the intact tug or lakebed, but sightings are never assured.
USFWS Mountain-PrairieOpen Aquatic Life Profile →
Round Goby
Neogobius melanostomusNOAA identifies round goby among Lake Michigan bottom-habitat fishes. At this exceptionally deep wreck, any encounter would be most plausible close to hard structure and the bottom.
Peter van der SluijsOpen 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 | 24.0°F / -4.4°C | 35.2°F / 1.8°C | No reliable record | — |
| Feb | 27.1°F / -2.7°C | 36.6°F / 2.6°C | No reliable record | — |
| Mar | 36.4°F / 2.4°C | 37.8°F / 3.2°C | No reliable record | — |
| Apr | 46.3°F / 7.9°C | 38.3°F / 3.5°C | No reliable record | — |
| May | 57.1°F / 13.9°C | 42.5°F / 5.8°C | No reliable record | — |
| Jun | 67.6°F / 19.8°C | 53.7°F / 12.1°C | No reliable record | — |
| Jul | 73.3°F / 22.9°C | 68.2°F / 20.1°C | No reliable record | — |
| Aug | 72.3°F / 22.4°C | 72.2°F / 22.3°C | No reliable record | — |
| Sep | 65.0°F / 18.3°C | 68.4°F / 20.2°C | No reliable record | — |
| Oct | 53.0°F / 11.7°C | 58.5°F / 14.7°C | No reliable record | — |
| Nov | 40.4°F / 4.7°C | 49.0°F / 9.4°C | No reliable record | — |
| Dec | 29.5°F / -1.4°C | 43.7°F / 6.5°C | No reliable record | — |
Wisconsin State Climatology Office — Milwaukee Climate Data
1991–2020 climate normalsReview source ↗NOAA NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide — Station 45007
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
Deep-water preserved tugboat steamer and working-vessel history.
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 tugboat steamer
- Year built
- 1903
- Year sunk
- 1922
- Vessel length
- 101 ft
- Cause of loss
- Flooding and foundering, July 19, 1922
- Present condition
- Hull, pilothouse, quarters and machinery are unusually well preserved.
- Penetration guidance
- Interior spaces are overhead environments. Entry requires appropriate wreck training, equipment and a planned exit; depth alone does not establish suitability.
History and significance
Built at Manitowoc as passenger steamer Chequamegon, the vessel became Pere Marquette 7 in 1910 and Robert C. Pringle in 1911. Its later career involved towing. Flooding ended its service off Sheboygan in 1922. Surviving deckhouse and machinery details make it an important deep-water working-vessel site.
Plan the trip
Dive boats that visit this wreck
Regional context
Located within
Before you arrive
Access notes
Special expedition access; verify logistics, sanctuary requirements and current conditions.
Plan within your training
Conditions and hazards
Extreme depth, hypothermia, major decompression obligation, gas-planning, entanglement and overhead hazards.
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.