The discussion below is copied from the “GL” (Great Loop) mail list. These messages describe what we think is a wonderful cruise up the Little Shark River, to the (Big) Shark River, and then well into the Everglades. Though no-one mentions it below, there are one or two shoal to avoid when cruising what I call the “feeder streams” between the Little Shark and the (Big) Shark River. However, these shallows are correctly charted, at least in our experience, and a GPS chart plotter has always gotten us past these potential hazards. Otherwise, this is a great cruise, unless of course you are doing this on a windless summer night. In this instance, the winged pests may just carry your boat out in the marsh and eat it there!

Have many people made this treck up the Little Shark River into the Everglades in their Trawler?
How far up is it and how easy to navigate? Any other comments appreciated! I note that it shows up on ActiveCaptain as a anchorage.
I did see a nice Tarpon when at anchorage at the Little Shark mouth earlier this week! (lots of low tide fish activity there)
Thanks,
Jim

When we visited the Little Shark River in early March 2005, we went about 7 miles up the river to the Shark River chickee. The scenery didn’t change much in that eight miles – not surprisingly, since it’s all mangrove swamp, for the most part with an occasional elevated platform for those more adventuresome cruisers in canoes and kayaks! The electronic chart was quite accurate – I suppose there’s not much shoaling to be concerned about. There are only a couple of daymarks in the first 2-3 miles, and then nothing. We could have gone farther without a problem – the water was deep enough – but we wanted to get back to the anchorage area near the mouth by mid-afternoon and were traveling at 1/2 trawler speed the entire 14 miles.
It’s worth the trip to experience the Everglades mangrove swamps. That area was different from the area we observed during a pontoon boat trip
into the Everglades from Flamingo.
Bob McLeran and Judy Young

Most boats anchor near the mouth of the river but we prefer a beautiful secluded anchorage farther up river. Continue 1.5 miles to daymark G69 and turn right (SE) immediately before the daymark. BTW, daymark 69 marks the end of the Wilderness Waterway canoe route across the Everglades from Flamingo. The bad news – after spending two nights at anchor and a few tide changes, our anchor was securely snagged and we had to cut it loose.
Alan Lloyd
Author, Great Loop Navigation Notes

Hi Jim,
In the summer of 2008 we anchored out in Whitewater Bay, which is about 5 miles into the Everglades. It was fabulous. We really felt like we
were in the wilderness, with just the thousands of roosting birds for company (and the bugs… but then it was summer). After dark you could see the glow of the lights of Miami on the horizon, against the jet black sky full of stars. We left at dawn and had a beautiful, calm ride back down the river. There was plenty of water and the river followed the chart perfectly, so navigation was easy.
Don’t miss it.
Jo
Jonah’s Whale
EndeavourCat 48

I have taken my Island Packet sailboat (draws 4.5′) all the way up the Shark River to its source in Tarpon Bay. The scenery does not change much along the way.
Art Richard

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Anchorage Directory Listing For The Little Shark River Outer Anchorage

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Anchorage Directory Listing For The Little Shark River Southern Fork Anchorage

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Anchorage Directory Listing For The Little Shark River Upper Anchorage