We couldn’t get out of the Little Shark River fast enough. We got a good hook, but the currents are swift and the tidal range is extreme. A catamaran that came in behind us had a lot of trouble getting an anchor to set due to a hard bottom. We set one anchor and used an anchor alarm, but probably should have set two because of the tidal current changes. The water is just plain nasty and make sure you have plenty of bug spray when the sun starts to set. Next time we’ll pass this one up unless weather dictates otherwise.
Swing Set

When we anchored in Little Shark River, near the southeast shore between G”3″ and R”4″, the anchor was in ~7 feet of water at high tide. Strong SE wind predicted, so we put out plenty of scope. The next morning, when we got ready to leave, the anchor was in ~3 feet of water (low tide) and we draw ~4. Fortunately, that scope and the wind had us in deeper water. The tide didn’t get high enough for us to retrieve the anchor until after mid-day. We decided to re-anchor and enjoy the area for another day. I was used to 1-2 foot tides in the Gulf and didn’t pay attention.
The point is, don’t rely on charted depths and do check the tide predictions. There is plenty of water in Little Shark River, but not near the southeast bank at low tide.
Great anchorage!
Bill

Spent three days anchored in Little Shark River in Everglades National Park with Bob and Stephanie aboard September Song and Rick and Lynnie aboard Rickshaw. Very remote area – it’s just us, the birds, the mangroves, and the river running about 4 knots. (No kayaking in that current.) Spectacular stars. We anchored upriver a bit away from where other boats typically anchor. It was remote enough to give us a tiny feel of unease. We saw the occasional fishing boat and a herd of teenage Outward Bound canoeists who were on the 14th day of a 20 day journey. Yikes! Bob and Stephanie led us on a dingy expedition. We explored some of the inner-reaches of the rivers and streams in this Everglades paradise. Did not see any alligators, but did see tons of birds.
Norm decided to try his luck fishing. He caught several small catfish with the squid from the freezer. (It’s there for bait – we don’t actually dine on squid.) He was trying to hook mangrove snapper, or river trout, or the little black shark that sister Joyce and Steve used to catch here. Released the catfish. Decided to try a different bait. Tried meatballs and pepperoni, but either the fish are vegetarian or they don’t like Italian food.
Norm Naughton
Aboard M/V Tide Hiker