All St. Johns River Anchorages
PLEASE CAREFULLY READ OUR DISCLAIMER!
Please Note That Anchorages Are Listed Below In A Rough Geographic Format, Moving East to West From Mayport to Jacksonville, and North to South From Ortega River to Lake Monroe
PLEASE CAREFULLY READ OUR DISCLAIMER!
Please Note That Anchorages Are Listed Below In A Rough Geographic Format, Moving East to West From Mayport to Jacksonville, and North to South From Ortega River to Lake Monroe
1. St. Johns Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 23.442 North/081 29.186 West
Location: lies along the southerly banks of the St. Johns River, southwest of flashing buoy #27
Minimum Depth: 10 feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair to poor, sheltered only from southern, southeastern and southwestern winds
Rating:
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2. St. Johns Bluff Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 23.272 North/081 29.654 West
Location: fond along the southern banks of the St. Johns River, hard by the charted location of St. Johns Bluff and between flashing daybeacons #31 and #33
Minimum Depth: 12 feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair to poor, sheltered only from southern, southeastern and southwestern winds
Rating:
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3. Clapboard Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 25.325 North/081 30.155 West
Location: will be discovered on the waters of Clapboard Creek, upstream of the 12 foot fixed bridge
Minimum Depth: 7 feet
Special Comment: Note than entry into this anchorage is greatly restricted by the 12-foot bridge
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 42 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: good, in all but strong southern winds
Rating:
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4. Cedar Point Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 24.604 North/081 30.068 West
Location: lies along the centerline of Cedar Point Creek, which flows off Clapboard Creek (see just above
Minimum Depth: 9 feet, but it is easy to wander into 1-foot soundings – this is a navigationally difficult anchorage
Special Comment: note than entry into this anchorage is greatly restricted by a 12-foot fixed bridge
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 34 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: very good in all but strong northeasterly winds
Rating:
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5. Mill Cove Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 23.004 North/081 32.293 West
Location: found on the waters of the broad stream stretching from the St. Johns to Mill cove, west of flashing buoy #43
Minimum Depth: 8 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair to poor, particularly open to strong southern, northern and northeastern winds
Rating:
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Anchored here last month and again last night in our 54′ motor yacht with 4.5′ draft. We found a spot about 200 yards back from the entrance near the charted 14′ area on the west side. Holding was good in 10-15K winds and one 180 degree tidal swing. Not much small boat traffic or waking from the main river channel, but still pretty exposed. Fun watching the container ships loading/unloading across the river. Could easily accommodate vessels to 60 feet. Anchor came up clean as a whistle in the morning.
6. Trout River Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 23.616 North/081 38.579 West
Location: lies on the mid-width of Trout River between Seafarers Marina and Pier 68 Marina
Minimum Depth: 6 ½ foot depths, but use of a GPS chartplotter will help greatly to avoid nearby shallows
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, but open to eastern winds
Rating:
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Stayed on anchor here March-September of 2011. If you google “trout river bridge” and “death” “murder” “drowning” or any other bad thing there are a lot. This is not a nice neighborhood. beware the tides push through the bridge at 4-7 knots and I have seen several boats get sideways on the pilings. Park your boat far enough out to be beyond swim range (100 yds. +), or the locals will get drunk or high and board your boat. The marina docks have liveaboards that keep an eye out, make friends. There are multiple derelict, sinking vessels and shipwrecks. Now the good: it’s right infront of the zoo and vessels that arrive to the docks get free access to the zoo, and it is my favorite hurricane hole for st johns river, just watch out when the hurricanes come every boat on the river not in protected waters will try to anchor there and usually 1-2 of them end up on the beach due to insufficient bottom gear so “know your surroundings”.
Chris Burnham
7. Exchange Island Northern Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 19.715 North/081 36.789 West
Location: found on the broad ribbon of water running between Exchange Island and the mainland community of “Arlingon,” south and east of flashing buoy #75
Minimum Depth: 8 feet, if you can keep to the unmarked channel
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: very good, from all but strong northern winds
Rating:
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8. Exchange Island Southern Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 19.569 North/081 36.797 West
Location: found on the broad ribbon of water running between Exchange Island and the mainland community of “Arlingon,” south and east of flashing buoy #75
Minimum Depth: 8 feet, though some shoals surround the approach to this anchorage from the main St. Johns River channel
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: very good, from all but strong northern winds
Rating:
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10. Pirates Cove Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 15.243 North/081 41.595 West
Location: will be discovered on the waters of Pirates Cove, west and north of the Florida Yacht Club
Minimum Depth: 4 feet ONLY!!!!
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 40 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: excellent
Rating:
Special Comment: can be used only by vessels drawing 3 ½ feet or PREFERABLY LESS
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11. Plummers Cove Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 11.565 North/081 38.221 West
Location: lies southeast of unlighted daybeacon #9 and just north of the Interstate 295 bridge
Minimum Depth: 6-feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to western and southwestern winds
Rating:
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We have used this anchorage for YEARS as wonderful weekend spot. The holding is great- sand under mud. Wind protection is good. No current. Few wakes. Scenery is nice- bridge is pretty at night. Can be noisy from the bridge traffic if the wind is from the south. Take the dinghy north around the point into Goodbys’ Creek to dock at Hooters and access local stores.
12. Doctors Lake Mill Cove Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 30 07.449 North/081 43.184 West
Location: found on the eastern 1/3 of Mill Cove; this cove makes into the eastern banks of Doctors Lake, south of Geigers Point
Minimum Depth: minimum 4 ½ feet, but many soundings in the 5 ½ to 6 foot range
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 34 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to eastern and northeastern winds
Rating:
Special Comment: this anchorage should only be used by vessels drawing LESS THAN 4 feet; watch out for the charted pilings
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13. Doctors Lake, Sugarhouse Cove Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 30 07.533 North/081 45.532 West
Location: found near the western limits of Sugarhouse Cove, north of Peoria Point
Minimum Depth: 6 feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to eastern and northeastern winds
Rating:
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14. Doctors Lake, Swimming Pin Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 30 06.039 North/081 44.811 West
Location: found on the waters of Swimming Pen Creek, which makes off from the southeastern tip of Doctors Lake; anchorage lies just north, northwest of the charted 9-foot fixed bridge
Minimum Depth: 5 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 36 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: excellent
Rating:
Special Comment: Whitney’s Fish Camp Restaurant lies within easy dinghy distance of this anchorage
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We anchored a 50ft. boat just outside the creek entrance and went in to Whitie’s for lunch. A storm came through and the anchor dragged (a lot). Got back to the boat just before it hit a boat dock. Bottom is soft muck which doesn’t hold well.
The dockmaster at Whiteys said the water up to the bridge is 6-8 feet deep and he has had 60 ft. boats at his dock. Call him and he’ll make space for you if you want to use the restaurant. It sounds as if you can spend the night there – no hookups.
15. Julington Creek Anchorage Lat.Lon: near 30 07.755 North/081 38.068 West
Location: will be found on the centerline of Julington Creek, west of the charted 15-foot fixed bridge
Minimum Depth: 5 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, wide open to western and eastern winds
Rating:
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16. Cunningham Creek Cove Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 05.664 North/081 38.446 West
Location: lies west of the entrance to Cunningham Creek, and well east of the St. John’s flashing daybeacon #15
Minimum Depth: 6-feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: poor, wide open to western, northwestern and southwestern winds
Rating:
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17. Black Creek Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 30 03.219 North/081 43.305 West
Location: Black Creek lies well west of the St. John’s flashing daybeacon #17A
Minimum Depth: 8 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 38 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: excellent, great foul weather hidey hole
Rating:
Special Comment: your vessel must be able to clear a 30 foot fixed bridge to access this anchorage
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18. Florence Cove Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 29 59.139 North/081 35.076 West
Location: found southeast of the Shands – Green Cove Springs bridge and well east of flashing daybeacon #22
Minimum Depth: 5-feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair to good, but open to western and southwestern winds
Rating:
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