One of many tiny slivers of water that work their way into the south shore of Long Island, Woods Creek is located in the town of Copiague west of Lindenhurst and east of Amityville. Like all the creeks in the Amityville/Copiague area, Woods Creek is easy to enter and has good depths. There are excellent provisioning opportunities ashore for those who need to restock the galley.

Use NOAA Chart 12352.

The channel that crosses Great South Bay from South Oyster Bay east to the Robert Moses Causeway (60-foot fixed vertical clearance) is notoriously shoal, and any boater, regardless of draft, should use caution when transiting this area. Although the chart mentions shallow areas that are a scant half-foot deep at low tide, most boats with drafts of less than three feet should be able to navigate the area without event. Just make sure you follow the aids to navigation precisely.

Aside form the main Great South Bay channel, there are three passages that connect this area with the State Boat Channel to the south: Amityville Cut at Gilgo Island (unmarked; eight-foot depths), Fox Creek Channel at Cedar Island (well-marked; five-foot depths) and Oak Island Channel (well-marked; five-to 10-foot depths).

To reach Woods Creek Inlet and the town of Copiague, exit the Great South Bay channel to the north at green can “21” and red nun “20.” As you head north into the creek, follow the uncharted set of navigational aids that are in the creek. These buoys will keep you in the deepest parts of the channel, where depths average eight to 10 feet.

There are two marine facilities on Woods Creek. The first is visible to port when you enter the creek. Farther up the creek at its head is another marina that has transient slips available for visiting boaters. You can obtain gas at either location.

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