Although it has been broken up by fire, ice, salvage, and scavenging by sport divers, the Ottawa wreck still has a great deal of architectural integrity. Its lower hull remains mostly together, and even the smaller parts that have separated from the main wreck offer significant information about the Ottawa's construction. The ship is one of only a few large tow tugs wrecked in Wisconsin waters and virtually the only example of a wrecking tug. The Ottawa wreck was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

The site is frequently visited by sport divers, due to its convenient depth and amount of its visible remains.

Divers should leave artifacts in place and report significant ones to the Wisconsin State Archeologist, phone (608) 264-6495.

The infestation of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes could endanger the Ottawa site. Sitting in relatively shallow water, the Ottawa offers a good habitat for these mollusks.

The Ottawa is owned by the State of Wisconsin and is managed by the Wisconsin Historical Society with the assistance of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources . Like all historic shipwrecks in Wisconsin waters, the Ottawa is protected under Wisconsin law as a state-owned archeological site.

If you visit the Ottawa, please take only pictures and leave only bubbles.

You can get information about diving at the Ottawa site from local dive shops and from the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

Learn more about Protecting Our Heritage in the Diver's Area.