Middle River/Fort Lauderdale Anchorage
Middle River/Fort Lauderdale Anchorage
Statute Mile: 11063
Lat/Lon: 26 07.684 North/080 06.676 West
Location: Middle River cuts west from the AICW between markers #3 and #5
Minimum Depth: 7 1/2 feet
Special Note: in the past, some cruisers anchored in Middle River have been hassled by the Fort Lauderdale water cops; hopefully that is now a thing of the past with the 2009 Florida anchoring law in effect
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Fair to good, a bit open to strong easterly winds
Rating:
Click on Chartlet Below to Open a Chart View Window,
Centered on the Location of This Anchorage:
Comments from Cruisers (2)
Hi Claiborne,
South Florida’s AICW is a bit like a “Tour of Homes” as you motor by impressive and varied waterfront lots.
We love gawking at the mega-mansions with million-dollar poolside landscaping and the pink bungalows with flocks of plastic flamingos.
But the downside of wall-to-wall canal-front real estate is that shoreside access is much harder to come by. Shore is all private property, often within private developments that prohibit any dinghy dockage. That’s why Middle River anchorage, with shore access at Fort Lauderdale’s George English Park, is so special.
Middle River, at STM 1063.4, is a deep and relatively quiet (by South Florida standards!) anchorage, convenient to the AICW, in a no-wake-zone river lined with homes and park land.
Exit the ICW southeast of G3 and proceed northwesterly up charted Middle River, north of the large east-west canal home island. Anchor in the river’s wide spot, with the fixed bridge (vertical clearance 5 feet) to the north. Middle River is substantially deeper than charted: we surveyed depths of 15-26 feet (at 2.3’ above MLLW).
Shore access is at the George English Park boat ramp to the north, upriver just past the low-clearance fixed bridge. The park is 20 acres, with a recreation center, tennis courts, and a walking/jogging trail. Many restaurants and Galleria Fort Lauderdale are nearby, including a supermarket across the bridge to the west.
I’ve included a photo of the anchorage as well as a sample page from our new AnchorGuide series showing the anchorage location, the actual versus charted depths in the Middle River, and the location of the park boat ramp.
Unfortunately, for all the park’s excellent amenities and access, the park does not allow dogs.
Best and see you On the Water,
Captains Mark & Diana Doyle
To save even more cash in Fort Lauderdale there is a GREAT anchorage in the Middle River. Gets a touch wakey on the weekends but weekdays and at night, this anchorage is well protected and has awesome dinghy dock access on a floating dock in a public park.
Nicole