Northern Lakes offers a freshwater diving experience built around three distinct sub-areas: Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore, and Lake Como. Lake Garda holds the largest share of sites and the widest variety, from beginner-friendly artificial reefs at Porto San Nicolò and Assenza to the advanced wreck of Relitto Draga and the technical cave at Elefante Bianco. Lake Maggiore contributes canyon dives such as Orrido di Sant Anna and the deep reef at Genesio Point. Lake Como rounds out the region with shore-accessible dives. Underwater, Common Carp, Sun Perch, Pike, and occasionally Trout and Burbot are regularly observed across the lakes.
3 areas
33Freshwater diving in a lake with flooded mines, century-old wrecks, steep walls, and a resident population of Pike and Perch.
15Freshwater diving in Northern Italy with canyons, wrecks, walls and accessible shore entries suiting all levels.
10A freshwater lake with shore-entry wrecks, walls and reefs across a wide range of depths and skill levels.
84 operators
Fin maps 58 sites in Northern Lakes (55 scuba diving sites and 5 snorkelling spots, with some suited to both), organised into 3 areas.
Across Northern Lakes's dive sites, May, June, July, August, September and October are most often reported as the best months to visit.
The lakes hold a varied freshwater fauna. Common Carp, Sun Perch, Pike Perch, Perch, and Pike are all regularly observed across the sites. Trout and Burbot appear occasionally, and less frequent sightings include Freshwater Blenny, Chub, Brown Trout, and Bullhead. Freshwater Sponge has also been recorded, making the underwater ecology truly distinct from coastal diving.
Yes, several sites are well-suited to beginners. Porto San Nicolò and Assenza in Lake Garda both offer shore entry, artificial reef structures, and shallow starting depths ideal for training and refresher dives. Baita al Lago is another beginner-rated site with a broad depth range that accommodates skill progression. More advanced and technical sites exist alongside these, so the region caters to a wide range of experience levels.
Lake Garda has the greatest number of sites and the most varied profile, covering everything from beginner artificial reefs to advanced wrecks like Viking wreck and Relitto Draga, plus the extreme-depth cave at Elefante Bianco. Lake Maggiore offers canyon diving at Orrido di Sant Anna and a notable reef descent at Genesio Point. Lake Como contributes a smaller cluster of sites, rounding out the region for those looking to explore multiple lakes on a single trip.
Shore entry is the dominant format across Northern Lakes, covering the majority of sites in all three sub-areas. Boat access is required for a select group of sites, including Relitto Draga, Viking wreck, Secca del Trimelone, and Isola dell'Olivo, all of which sit in Lake Garda. Operators such as Scubacademy, Poseidon Diving Team, and New Diving Torri are among those active in the region who can assist with boat-access dives.
