| Site Info | |
|---|---|
| Type | Lake |
| Coordinates | 35.787056, -78.343667 |
| Region | Eastern US |
| Access via | Shore |
| Depth range | 10-100ft |
Mystery Lake[1] is a privately owned freshwater lake formed from a flooded quarry. It is located in the town of Wendell, NC in the United States.
It is sometimes used for diver training. DAN, which maintains its global headquarters in Durham about 45 minutes away, conducts research here as well.
This site is much less frequently visited than nearby Fantasy Lake, primarily due to its poor visibility, challenging training conditions, colder temperatures and increased depths.
Details[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Mystery Lake was once a rock quarry.
Location[edit | edit source]
536 Old Quarry Rd Wendell, NC 27591
Depth[edit | edit source]
Mystery Lake is a deep quarry. There is a shallow bank around the eastern half of the lake with depths between 15-20 ft. Elsewhere depths are typically in the 70-80ft range. The deepest point in the quarry is 100ft; there is a training platform at this location.
Topography[edit | edit source]
The bottom is silty. There are a variety of submerged features with lines running between most of them.
Aerators have been installed in an attempt to improve visibility and to eliminate the thermocline.
Conditions[edit | edit source]
Visibility varies with depth but is typically in the 5-10ft range. Occasionally it may extend up to 30ft but this is rare. Visibility tends to be best in the 40-60ft range.
Conditions are sporadically reported on the site's Facebook page.
Facilities[edit | edit source]
- One changing room at the southeastern beach entry
- Two portable restrooms
- Two covered awnings with picnic tables and gear benches, one at each access
Access[edit | edit source]
The property is gated and access is restricted to holders of annual passes, which can be purchased from the owners. Passholders receive a gate code that may be used to access the site at any time. The owners reside on the property.
For information on how to get a pass refer to the website.
There is ample parking at both entry sites.
Do[edit | edit source]
See[edit | edit source]
There are many submerged features in the quarry ranging from abandoned quarrying equipment to intentionally sunken vehicles. There are also two training platforms.
Life[edit | edit source]
A small population of freshwater paddlefish reside in the quarry. It is very rare to see them.
Safety[edit | edit source]
Hazards[edit | edit source]
Equipment[edit | edit source]
Nearby[edit | edit source]
Fantasy Lake is located 13 miles away.
References[edit | edit source]