Apalachee Bay is located about 170 miles northwest of Tampa Bay and is
formed by the bend in the coastline from a northwest to a southwest
direction. The bay serves as the approach to St. Marks River and depths
range from 6 to 20 feet with numerous shoals and rocks, some of which
break through the water.
St. Marks River flows into the head of Apalachee Bay 83 miles northwest
of Cedar Keys and 54 miles northeast of Cape St. George. The town of
St. Marks is located about 5.5 miles above the river's entrance.
A 12-foot deep channel leads from Apalachee Bay to US Route 98 highway
bridge just above the power plant at the town of Newport. The channel is
marked by a lighted range, lights, day beacons, and lighted/unlighted
buoys.
Shoal water extends about 3 miles south of St. Marks Light, and numerous
shoal areas line either side of the channel. These areas are, for the
most part, unmarked and caution is advised.
The mean range of tide in St. Marks River is 2.4 feet. Prolonged winds
from the north and south will cause tides to decrease 1-2 feet and
increase 1-2 feet respectively. The tidal current in St. Marks River
approach averages about 0.5 knots at its strongest. 2-knot currents
have been reported in the river although they average about 0.4 knots.
St. George Sound and Apalachicola Bay are adjoining bodies of water,
roughly 40 miles long and 3 to 6 miles wide. These areas are separated
from the Gulf by Dog, St. George, Little St. George, and St. Vincent
Islands. East Pass, West Pass, and Government Cut are the primary
entrances to the sound and bay as the waters are generally shallow and
hazardous. The many oyster reefs and shoals in these waters can prove
dangerous to navigation. Access to the towns of Carrabelle and
Apalachicola is made possible thought each of the mentioned channels.
The main entrance to Apalachicola Bay is accessible through Government
Cut that is a dredged cut between St. George and Little St. George
Island. The entrance extends from the Gulf into the bay about 4.9 miles
east of St. George Light. The controlling depth has been reported at
9½ feet. Lighted buoys, a lighted range, and day beacons indicate the
channel.
The channel from the Gulf through West Pass and Apalachicola Bay to
Apalachicola is entered through a buoyed bar channel, marked at the
entrance by a lighted buoy, roughly 3.7 miles west of Sand Island.
A channel marked by lights and a day beacon allows passage from inside
the pass to Apalachicola. The channel leads southeast along the north
side of the west end of Little St. George Island to the Lower Anchorage
and Horseshoe Cove; thence northeast via an unmarked route across
Apalachicola Bay to the intercoastal waterway to Apalachicola. Depths
inside the pass are reported at 9 feet but the channel is subject to
change depending on shoaling conditions.
Vessels may anchor any where in upper Anchorage in Apalachicola Bay
where depths are suitable. Other good anchorages are located in lower
anchorage and in the channel 1 mile south of the turn leading to
Apalachicola.
Shoals extend more than 3 miles offshore at West Pass. A lighted buoy
and several shifting buoys, which change depending on conditions in the
channel, mark the approach.
The diurnal range of tide at West Pass is about 1.4 feet and 2.2 feet at
Cat Point. Currents are influenced by winds and by freshets and, at
times, can be very strong at ebb. Currents are generally weak at flood.
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| Apalachee Bay |
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