The Kate Kelly wreck site is marked seasonally by an official state shipwreck buoy placed by the Wisconsin Historical Society at 42° 46.684' N, 087° 43.509' W.

The lower hull (bilge) is the largest hull section. The hull contains 52 double frame sets extant to the turn of the bilge . Two planks from the base of the centerboard trunk remain attached to the keelson, but the remaining trunk box lies intact 12 feet off the lower hull’s port side. A fragment of the centerboard is visible within the keelson's centerboard slot. The remainder of the centerboard lies adjacent to the lower hull’s starboard side. The centerboard is broken cleanly in two, with the upper half lodged in the keelson and the lower half laying to starboard of the hull. This suggests that Captain Hatch had the centerboard fully deployed at the time of her loss, and it was snapped off when the Kate Kelly came to rest on the bottom.

A fragment of the centerboard is visible within the keelson’s centerboard slot. (Photo: Tamara Thomsen)

The Kate Kelly’s anchor chains remain entangled around the lower hull section’s bow and stretch 46 feet across the lakebed to the windlass . As the forward hull broke up, the windlass spun 180 degrees to where it lies in its present location. The anchor chain still takes several turns about the windlass, which lies atop the port side bow. A pinion gear and hand lever remain secured to the windlass’ purchase rim , indicating the windlass was steam powered. Even with steam power, though, the anchors could be raised by hand in the traditional method if necessary, and one of the hand levers for the windlass’ crosshead lies nearby on the lower hull section. From the windlass, the anchor chain continues through the dislodged port hawsepipe , which was torn from the hull and lies beneath the windlass. From the hawse pipe, the anchor chain runs through the port hawse hole and beneath the wreckage into the sand.