Diving Walchsee

Site Overview

Walchsee is a recreational lake dive site in Tyrol, Austria, set among the country’s varied freshwater landscapes. Walchsee is a warm, shallow Tyrolean lake, excellent for training and night dives with abundant fish. The sheltered water warms up nicely in summer, making it comfortable in a wetsuit for shallow dives. Perch, roach and the occasional pike patrol the weed beds, and the clear shallows suit macro practice. Easy shore entries and a lakeside setting make it a friendly place for courses and family fun. Night dives are popular here, with the calm water and easy access making after-dark diving relaxing. It is the gentle, warm face of Tyrolean freshwater diving. Conditions are typical of Austrian inland water: visibility generally runs from 4 to 12 metres, the current is low and the water temperature ranges between 6 and 23 degrees Celsius depending on season and depth. The marine life is freshwater and centred on european perch, roach, northern pike, with the full community described below for those planning a dive. Because of its beginner rating and the need for Open Water certification, Walchsee is best approached with the right thermal protection and, where relevant, altitude or overhead training. It is a representative example of why Austrian lake diving, with its cold clarity, submerged forests and wrecks, attracts divers who want something different from tropical reefs.