I don’t think any channel in the Florida Keys has occasioned more comment here on the Cruisers’ Net than Angelfish Creek. For those who don’t already know, this creek provides a means to cruise from the Inside/Florida Bay Route (from Card Sound), to Hawk Channel and the briny blue. There has always been some question about depths along this route, and we have received many reports here on the Net about an underwater “rock,” near the point where the marked passage meets up with the deeper waters abutting Hawk Channel.
I have personally sounded the Angelfish Creek on many occasions, and never seen less than 5 1/2 to 6 feet, and I’ve never found the infamous underwater rock. Other veteran Captains insist the rock is indeed out here. I guess yours truly and Captain Dunn (see below) were just lucky enough to avoid this obstruction.
Even though we have had a recent question and answer string concerning Angelfish Creek here on the Net, I thought Captain Dunn’s report below was detailed and helpful enough to warrant a fresh posting. So, voila!

Subject: Angelfish Creek Passage on Jan 12, 2010 and Anchorage Resort and Yacht Club, Jewfish Creek, Key Largo
Cruising News: This is our first trip to the Keys in our 5.5′ draft sailboat. We came down the ICW from Miami to the very nice Anchorage Resort and Yacht Club on Jewfish Ck, Key Largo. I had read and asked for a week and worried about the passage out to Hawks Channel through Angelfish Creek. The dock master at Gilbert\’s Marina where we filled the diesel tank the morning of departure said “wind has been out of the north for several days and the water will be blown out of the creek and under no circumstances to try the passage”. Totally confused at that point, I called the Tow Boat US Key Largo operator on the VHF and asked his opinion. He told me that I should have no problem, especially if I went out on mid to high tide. We anchored for the night on the lee of Pumpkin Key, great anchorage, and left the next morning on the late incoming tide.
All I had been told was to stay in the middle of the channel, especially at the west and east ends of the Creek. The mention of the infamous rock just before the deeper water of Hawks Channel loomed in my mind. All went very well. I never marked a true depth of less than 8.5′ and never
felt the “rock”.
I hope this helps others. I did follow the channel carefully, stayed in the middle at all times, and went out on a late to high tide.
Captain Paul Dunn
Serendipidty

Angeflish Creek is the first serous crossover stream, cruising south from Miami to Jewfish Creek, that cruisers might use to transit for the Inside to the Hawk Channel route, or the other way around. For years, there has been discussion here on the Cruisers' Net "Florida Keys" section about a mysterios underwater "rock" on the Hawk Channel end of the Angelfish Creek channel.
Below, as you will read, Captain Steve seems to have discovered the "rock," the hard way. Others have not found this obstruction, and earlier questioned its existence. I don't think there's any question in Captain Steve's mind, and we should all go to proverbial school on his misfortune. Hope Steve does have the opportunity to perform his "snorked research," and the "rock" can be located once and for all!

I read in your 2005 keys guide about the phantom rock on the east side (hawks Channel) side of angel creek
I will verify that the rock is there as I bent a prop on it a year ago. I still can not tell you exactly where it is because when I hit it I wasn’t looking for it… so it happened so fast that I wasn’t cognizant of just where it was. However I can say that I think it is just to the north of the last westerly buoy that marks the channel on that side
I draw 5-1/2 feet so I only go through there now at mid to high tide. I have been through there three times since and always hold my breath when I go through
If you have any additional information on this rock, please let me know
We are members at the Ocean Reef Club and keep our boat in Lauderdale so when the wind is up we take the ICW down past Miami and then across Biscayne Bay through Angelfish Creek to the Hawk Channel side to Ocean Reef
Please e-mail me if you ever get a bead on this rock
I plan to try and take the tender out form ocean reef and snorkel the area and see if I can find it. If I do find it I will get the GPS coordinates and send it to you
Thanks
Steve

Subject: Angel Fish Creek "ROCK"
Cruising News: We came to the Bahamas on March 17th and used Angel Fish Creek Cut to get to Bimini. We had spent the night at Pumpkin Key and at 7 AM went to sea via that cut. We were concerned with the west side depth since all charts show very little water just at the west entrance which turn out to be no problem and soon after that we had depths of 7 feet and more.
The problem we had was the same rock stated by Capt Steve. We were in the middle of the channel which is well marked and as we approached between the two last sets of red and green markers on the east side of Angel Fish Creek cut we "FOUND" the rock or something very solid. There were two hits, telling me that there are at least two obstructions next to each other closer to the north side of the channel. We draw only 3 feet and it was low tide at that momentn(7am March 17th, 2009) , but just before we hit we had at least 5/6 feet of water!
We are never again using this cut!!! until some government body fixes or remove this obstructions.
Please be aware. We were lucky. we just had a scrape on the keel of out power cat and were able to proceed to the Bahamas. Had our boat been a little deeper, we could have sunk right there!
Take care.
Captain George

Last year (Nov 07) we used angel fish creek as a crossover to Hawk Channel from Bayside—never again.  We are in a 48 Krogen whaleback (5’ draft) and maybe we were carrying 5’6”—Anyway, coming out right at high water, we were outbound just before the red and green (last ones before Hawk) and in the middle and struck hard rock bottom.  You don’t get stuck unless you stop and with our full keel and protected wheel (single engine) we plowed on scraping the paint off the bottom of our keel but getting to deeper water.  The swell either helped or hurt depending on your point of view but we made it to deeper water and will not go that way again.
Steve and Teresa Hutchins
Sea Quill

Cruising News: I wrote to you 2 years about the presence of the rock.  It is actually more of an area of rocks.  I paid for my initial knowledge like many.  Also a member of Ocean Reef Club and Anglers Club we are there a lot.  I have sounded the channel with our tender and have snorkled the Creek.  It is tough spot.  The normal tide at that point is 2.7 ft but varies.  I will pass there with my 5.5 draft at high tide only!  This is not like grounding in GA or SC, this is ROCK.  I have been it the dock masters office one holiday weekend when the Miami crowed arrives Friday afternoon at low tide.  3 boats + 6 props ruined.  What proof do you need?  The worst spot is between the second 2 markers inside on the east end.  Just abeam 3/3A.  There is a little snake creek that spurs off to the north but shoals at the east end.  As it has been said many times before "Local Knowledge Required".  Use the Stiltsville channel 20 miles north.  The folks in the know do.
Ed Potter
"Alfie"
55 Fleming

And, here's a fellow cruiser who made multiple transits through Angelfish Creek, and never found the "rock." Note Steve's very apt comments about movement of the channel markers!

I just returned form the Keys and made four passages through angelfish creek without incident
The winds were high, in excess of 25 knots all week, so I was not able to snorkel and look for the infamous rock
However, the channel has been remarked with pole markers. The mouth of the channel is now very narrow so I think that since the markers have been moved together and my original thought was that the rock was just north of the mouth of the channel that the rock issue may be eliminated if you approach from the southeast stay within the narrow entrance markers
Steve

On 12/4/08, as part of a "Florida Keys Wish List," I posed the following question:

5. Who has cruised through Angelfish Creek from either the inside/ICW route to Hawk Channel, or the other way around? Did you encounter the infamous “underwater rock on the Hawk Channel side of Angelfish Creek? Has anyone anchored in the creeks making off from the interior reaches of Angelfish Creek?

Responses follow:

We have cruised thru Angelfish Creek many times, both ways and have not encountered the infamous "underwater rock".
Ron Hollander