The Mandalay Channel can be accessed from the Western Florida ICW, north of the high-rise Clearwater Beach Bridge. This is a passage that requires careful attention and caution. Once you are actually on the interior reaches of Mandalay Channel, depths improve, and youc an pick from any number of places to drop the hook.

You did not ask, but I will comment on the anchorages in the Mandalay Channel just north of the Clearwater Causeway Bridge. This is a really nice anchorage location. The entrance channel was well marked, easy to follow, and mostly quite deep. We saw one spot that was just under 7 feet on the way in (Tide was over 1 foot.) The one interesting difference from your guidebook and from the charts is that we did not find any shallow water near marker 14. We followed the official channel on the way in, but came back out well north of marker 14, with plenty of depth. I explored around marker 14 with a sounder and did not find much evidence of the purported central obstruction.
In any case this location was very nice. Almost unlimited room, reasonably well protected from directions other than southeast, quiet, and scenic.
I hope this information is of some interest and use to you.
Best regards,
Gene and Sue Fuller
Punta Gorda, Florida

Click Here To View the Western Florida Cruisers’ Net Anchorage Directory Listing For The Mandalay Channel Anchorage