He was the first person to reach the deepest spot in Lake Superior, a depth of 1333 feet (733 feet below sea level), the second lowest point in the United States after Iliamna Lake, on July 30, 1985 while aboard the R/V Seward Johnson with the Johnson Sea Link-II submersible.
Klump was also the first person to reach to the deepest point in Lake Michigan as part of the same expedition.
He is currently a professor and dean at the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.