Bear Creek Inlet is located on the northern shores of the Patapsco River just past the goliath Bethlehem steel plant at Sparrows Point about four miles from the Chesapeake Bay. Though short on marinas, Bear creek is a popular anchorage spot for late-afternoon arrivals in the Patapsco River area that do not have enough daylight to make it to the Inner Harbor some eight miles farther upstream to the Inner Harbor.

The image above is a view from the southwest looking northeast over the Bear Creek entrance. The bridge off to the left-hand side of the image is the Interstate 695 bridge (55-foot fixed vertical clearance), and you can see traffic exiting the Fort McHenry Bridge area just at its western (left) end. The point of land to the right of the entrance is Lloyd Point, while Coffin Point lies to the left.

The large expanse of land on the right (east) side is the huge Sparrows Point area, where Bethlehem Steel is located. You can’t miss the billowing smoke stacks when you arrive in the Patapsco River area.

Use NOAA Charts 12278.

Bear Creek is best approached from the south near Lloyd Point on the back side of the Sparrows Point Steel facility. From the Patapsco, follow the “Marine Channel” from flashing red buoy “2” to green can “7,” and then shoot for flashing green “3” at the mouth of Bear Creek.

Once in Bear creek, expect depths that range from nine to 11 feet, but keep in mind that aids to navigation are scarce in all but a few places. Four bridges cross Bear Creek, the first being a 55-foot fixed vertical clearance bridge that carried Interstate 695, with three sets of opening span bridges that follow (all open on demand).

Local Notices to Mariners are now exclusively available online from the U.S. Coast Guard.