Snake Creek is an important passage that allows Florida Keys cruisers to easily pass from the Inside/ICW/Florida Bay route to the offshore Hawk Channel route, or the other way around. A couple of years ago, I began to hear reports that the Snake Creek channel was shoaling on its extreme Hawk Channel side tip. However, the report from Captain Brad below is the most alarming I’ve seen. Looks like vessels drawing 5 1/2 feet or better may have trouble in Snake Creek, even at high tide.
It would be very helpful to one and all if some other cruisers would chime in, and share their experiences and soundings observed while running Snake Creek within the last several months. Just click on the “Comment on This Posting/Marina/Anchorage/Bridge” link below.

I had a slip in Islamora for a month (October). [My] boat draws 5’7′. [I] ran aground in Snake Creek on the way in on a mid tide, then bumped twice in the channel.
Tried to day sail bumped twice on the way out and wound up hard aground on a falling tide and was stuck for 7 hours, 150 feet from open water.
When I left there the final time on an almost high tide. bumped once in the middle but was ok after that. Even on a +2 tide lots of places set of my shallow water alarm (6ft)
Brad

I went through here with a 53′ trawler drawing 5 feet with tides starting to go out. Jan. 13, 2010, 2:00 PM
Very low depths but no touching going east into the Hawk Channel. Worst point, according to my dephtfinder, was just east of the last markers where the depth was showing right at 5 feet. My keel did touch coming in to the creek on the western end.
Andrew Scallan