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Anchorage

Niles Channel anchoring area

A 29-acre designated anchoring area in Niles Channel east of Summerland Key, south of the Overseas Highway, with a maximum vessel draft of 6 ft.

Summerland Key · Lower Keys24°39.433′ N · 081°26.064′ W (boundary point A of the rule)Last checked 21 Oct 2026
Open in buoya
Maximum vessel draft
6 ft
Area
29 acres
Channel, Hawk to Gulf
4 ft, reported 1983
Highway bridge
40 ft

Depths come from operators, the Coast Pilot, cruiser reports or a seabed model. This is not a nautical chart and does not tell you whether you will get through – use official charts and Local Notices to Mariners.

The area

Niles Channel Anchoring Limitation Area covers 29 acres of the channel east of Summerland Key and south of the Overseas Highway. The position above is boundary point A of the rule. It is one of the seven areas FWC designated in Monroe County, under Fla. Admin. Code 68D-14.002(1)(e), in force since 3 October 2023.

The channel

Niles Channel lies 18 miles westward of Sombrero Key Light, and the Coast Pilot calls it the best channel between Bahia Honda Channel and Key West. From Hawk Channel through to the Gulf it was 4 ft when last reported, in 1983; the highway bridge has 40 ft. The south entrance is the narrowest part and is marked by private stakes.

At the bridge, spans of the old road are used as fishing piers and reach 10 ft into each side of the channel, with pilings on the north side; a rocky shoal lies about 350 yards north of it. Depths and clearances change – read them off the current chart, not off this page.

What the designation means

The rule caps vessel draft here at 6 ft. That is a limit on the boat, not a statement about the water: 68D-14.003 leaves the depth under your keel to the operator, and the one sounding our sources give for the through channel is older than most of the boats using it. All of Monroe County is an anchoring limitation area, so a boat lying here has to move at least 0.5 nm, or into another designated area, after 90 days.

Good to know

  • Highway bridge: 40 ft, and the south entrance is the narrowest part of the channel, marked by private stakes.
  • Old spans: used as fishing piers, reaching 10 ft into each side of the channel, with pilings on the north side of the bridge.
  • Rocky shoal: about 350 yards north of the bridge.

Rules that apply here

  • Designated anchoring area: one of the seven anchoring areas FWC designated in Monroe County, in force since 3 October 2023.Fla. Admin. Code 68D-14.002(1)(e)
  • Maximum vessel draft: 6 ft. The rule sets a limit for the boat, and it leaves the water depth to the operator – it is not a sounding.Fla. Admin. Code 68D-14.003(1)(e)
  • 90-day rule: within an anchoring limitation area you must move at least 0.5 nm, or into another designated area, after 90 days.F.S. 327.4108

Questions

What draft is allowed in the Niles Channel anchoring area?

6 ft. Fla. Admin. Code 68D-14.003(1)(e) sets the maximum vessel draft for the area, and it leaves the water depth itself to the operator – the figure is a limit on the boat, not a sounding.

Can I get through Niles Channel from Hawk Channel to the Gulf?

The Coast Pilot calls Niles Channel the best between Bahia Honda Channel and Key West, and gives 4 ft for the way through – a figure last reported in 1983. The highway bridge has 40 ft, the south entrance is the narrowest part, and old bridge spans reach 10 ft into each side. Check the current chart.

How long can I stay?

90 days, then you must move at least 0.5 nm under your own power or into another designated anchoring area. All of Monroe County is an anchoring limitation area.

Sources & checks

Written by buoya editorial from the sources above. Every figure was checked against its source on 21 Oct 2026. Found something wrong? Report a correction.