From the very first Native American occupation of this region, people have been using Lake Champlain for sustenance, warfare, commerce, transportation, and now recreation. It lies between the Adirondacks to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. Military control of the lake meant control of the surrounding regions. Later the lake was used for commercial purposes, shipping goods and products north into Canada and south to the Hudson River. Learn more about these key moments in Lake Champlain History.
With such active use of the lake, accidents were inevitable. Boats from every time period in history have been sunk, and not all of them unintentionally. The list of shipwrecks below is by no means exhaustive. These represent only a sampling of the sites we know about in the lake.
* Sites with an asterisk are a part of the Vermont Underwater Historic Preserves. They are open to the public during the diving season (May to October), and accessible to any certified SCUBA diver. Season registration is required for all divers.
18th Century Vessels
19th Century Vessels
- Lake Schooner (Wreck SSS)
- Lake Sloop (Wreck QQQ)
- Lake Schooner Excelsior
- Lake Schooner Sarah Ellen
- Lake Schooner Water Witch*
- Sailing Canal Boat General Butler *
- Sailing Canal Boat O.J. Walker *
- Sailing Canal Boat Troy (Wreck SS)
- Sailing Canal Boat in Shoreham
- Sailing Canal Boat (Wreck C)
- Sailing Canal Boat (Wreck UU)
- Sailing Canal Boat (Wreck TTT)
- Sailing Canal Boat (Wreck UUU)
- Sailing Canal Boat (Wreck WWW)
- Standard Canal Boat, “Coal Barge” *
- Standard Canal Boat L.A. Hall (Wreck II)
- Standard Canal Boat near Diamond Island, “Stone Boat”*
- Standard Canal Boat near Sloop Island (Wreck Z)*
- Standard Canal Boat Vergennes “Stove Boat”
- Standard Canal Boat “Mule Wreck” (Wreck EE)
- Standard Canal Boats at Gourlie Point (Wrecks I4, J4, K4)
- Standard Canal Boat (Wreck A4 & B4)
- Standard Canal Boat (Wreck F4)
- Standard Canal Boat (Wreck K7)
- Standard Canal Boat (Wreck P4)
- Standard Canal Boat (Wreck Q7)
- Standard Canal Boat (Wreck GG)
- Standard Canal Boat (Wreck JJ)
- Standard Canal Boat (Wreck LL)
- Standard Canal Boat (Wreck YYY)
- Standard Canal Boat (Wreck ZZZ)
20th Century Vessels
- Modern Powerboat (Wreck EEE)
- Modern Powerboat Boat (Wreck JJJ)
- Modern Powerboat (Wreck KKK)
- Modern Powerboat (Wreck NNN)
- Modern Sailboat (Wreck DDD)
- Modern Sailboat (Wreck MMM)