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Anchorage

Rodriguez Key

An anchorage in the lee of a small key off Key Largo – comfortable in moderate easterlies, bouncy above about 10 knots, and a long dinghy ride to shore.

Key Largo · Upper Keys25°03.058′ N · 080°27.237′ W (the key itself)Last checked 21 Oct 2026
Open in buoya
Depth (reported)
8–12 ft
Bottom (reported)
grassy sand
Around the key
no-motor zone
Tide station
NOAA 8723689

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.

NESW
  • Sheltered
  • Partly
  • Exposed
  • No reliable report
Shelter by wind direction

Tuck in behind the key in easterlies – and move when the wind turns

Cruiser reports disagree on the east: several describe a comfortable night tucked in west of the key in easterlies, while Waterway Guide's summary calls the spot exposed from north-east to east. Reports agree that it is uncomfortable from south-east to south, that northerlies call for a move towards Rock Harbor or the south side, and that it gets bouncy above about 10 knots.

Anchoring

Cruisers report 8–12 ft north and west of the key, with a 6 ft line close to shore and very shallow water further north. One report describes boats that arrived at high water and touched bottom softly at low – arrive around mid-tide and sound your spot. The bottom is grassy sand or sand and clay, with rock closer to Key Largo; there are some dragging reports, so look for sand and back down hard.

Expect powerboat wakes at weekends.

Ashore

Shore access is a long dinghy ride. Cruisers have used a courtesy dock at a Key Largo marina and a restaurant dinghy dock, and a public ramp – arrangements like these change, so check before you rely on one. Key Largo has diesel, pump-out and repair yards; Rock Harbor, a little north, has small-craft facilities.

Rules that apply here

  • Wildlife Management Area: Rodriguez Key is a sanctuary Wildlife Management Area with a no-motor zone on the tidal flats around the island – that includes the dinghy outboard.
  • 90-day rule: all of Monroe County is an anchoring limitation area; within 10 nm of a public mooring field or designated anchoring area, move at least 0.5 nm every 90 days.
  • Long-term anchoring permit: since 1 January 2026, staying 14 days or more within 30 days near one spot needs a free FWC permit.
  • Sanctuary: no sewage discharge anywhere in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and no anchoring on living coral other than hardbottom in less than 40 ft where the seabed can be seen.

Questions sailors ask

Is Rodriguez Key a good anchorage?

For a night in moderate easterlies, cruisers say yes: tuck in west of the key in 8–12 ft. It is uncomfortable from south-east to south, northerlies call for a move, and it gets bouncy above about 10 knots.

Can I take the dinghy onto the flats around Rodriguez Key?

Not under motor. Rodriguez Key is a Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Wildlife Management Area with a no-motor zone on the tidal flats around the island.

Sources & checks

Written by buoya editorial from the sources above. Every figure was checked against its source on 21 Oct 2026. Anything marked “reported” comes from cruiser reports, not from an official source.