Diving Wörthersee

Site Overview

Wörthersee is a alpine lake dive site in Carinthia, Austria, set among the country’s varied freshwater landscapes. Wörthersee is Austria’s warmest large lake, a glamorous Carinthian basin with extensive, varied diving. Its sites include the Pörtschacher Wall, the Maria Wörth reef and the Reifnitzer Platten plateaus. Wrecks are the headline: a sunken small aircraft, a DC-3 / C-47 transport fuselage and several wooden wrecks. Large pike and carp roam the clearer water, and the warm surface makes for comfortable dives. It is one of Austria’s best wreck-diving lakes while still offering easy bays for training. A drysuit is advised below the thermocline, but the warmth makes it forgiving for a big lake. Conditions are typical of Austrian inland water: visibility generally runs from 8 to 22 metres, the current is low and the water temperature ranges between 6 and 27 degrees Celsius depending on season and depth. The marine life is freshwater and centred on northern pike, common carp, european perch, with the full community described below for those planning a dive. Because of its intermediate rating and the need for Advanced Open Water certification, Wörthersee 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.