Its 500 feet in the middle of the Whirlpool. (So the legend says.. lol)
Down in the Glen, theres a spot that goes to 160 feet, then a nice shelf of 30. Thats where we hammer fish all day long 
*SMILES* I heard that as well (500ft) .... However all the literture (Both US & Canadian Govt states this)
How deep is the water at the Niagara Whirlpool? The Niagara River reaches depths of 125 ft (38 m) as it passes through the Niagara Whirlpool.
How did the Niagara Whirlpool form? The Niagara Whirlpool formed nearly 4,200 years ago when the erosion and
recession of Niagara Falls, which up to this point was a sluggish process, reached a soft spot in the landscape.
Saint David's Buried Gorge was an ancient, pre-glacial river valley filled in with soft glacial silt and stone. When Niagara Falls eroded its way into this hidden gorge, it rapidly began washing away the gorge's soft filling. It is speculated that when the Falls hit the buried gorge, it was just a matter of weeks, perhaps even days of violent erosion while it carved out the Whirlpool basin. It was a swift and powerful geological event considering the Falls had taken nearly 8000 years to get to this point.
Saint David's Buried Gorge ran perpendicular to the current path of the Fall's erosion, and resulted in a 90 degree turn in the river. Just upstream the narrow Niagara Gorge at the
Whirlpool rapids sends water jetting into the Whirlpool basin. It hits the solid rock basin across the Whirlpool at Niagara Glen. Thousand of years of these forces has resulted in a dimpling of the basin; giving it an oval shape that juts past the turn in the river.
In what direction does the Niagara Whirlpool flow? When the Niagara River is at full flow the Whirlpool will flow in a counterclockwise direction. When the river flow drops, usually when more flow is diverted to the power plants, the flow of the whirlpool reverses (clockwise). This usually happens during the tourist off-season (November 1 through April 1).
Just upstream from the Whirlpool is the narrowest section of the Niagara: the Eddy Basin. This pinch in the gorge is not sufficient for the normal flow of the river to pass through, so some of the water is pushed backward. The water at the shore actually flows backward at this location.
What is Devil's Hole? The Devil's Hole is the name given to a small ravine cut into the American side of the Niagara Gorge by an ancient post-glacial tributary, Bloody Run. The tributary is now virtually developed away, but 12,000 or so years ago is was a much larger torrent into the Niagara Glen. During the events outlined below it was a seasonal creek.
The Hole and stream got their modern names from the
Devil's Hole Massacre that occurred her on September 14 1763, during the French and Indian War. A force of 300 to 500 Seneca warriors ambushed a British supply (led by Porter Master John Stedman) convoy and drove them, their wagon, supplies and horses off the cliff here. 102 members of the convoy died, including several civilians. Only a few people escaped, including one drummer boy and John Stedman. When reinforcements arrived they found only 80 bodies in the ravine, and the creek was flowing red with blood.
There is a limestone cave at Devil's Hole, which is commonly thought to be the "Devil's Hole" itself. It's not. Devil's Hole is the ravine, the
State Park is the 42 acres surrounding it, and the cave is often referred to as the
Cave of Evil Spirits.
See our page on
Devil's Hole State Park for more information.
Where are the Niagara River Gorge walls the tallest?The Niagara River Gorge's massive cliffs reach maximum height at the
escarpment itself near Queenston, ON. Here the Gorge walls are nearly 322 ft (98 m) high. The height of cliffs decline as you move further south, eventually reaching their lowest
height at Niagara Falls.
