Located at the south end of Staten Island off Raritan Bay about 10 miles west of Sandy Hook and 11 miles southwest of Coney Island, Lemon Creek is an alternative shoal-draft stopover for thin-keeled boats.

Inside Lemon Creek are a decent array of marine facilities, with four marinas, one of which will accept transient guests at its slips, and another that can facilitate repairs of haul-outs. In fact, almost the entire Lemon Creek shoreline is filled with marina space.

Use NOAA Chart 12327.

Dues to its shallow, unmarked nature, we only recommend this area with a couple of caveats. First, the channel into Lemon Creek is unmarked and you will need to radio or phone ahead to one of the marinas for hints on getting in. Where there is water, there isn’t much of it. Depths range from two to four feet, with an emphasis on the two. That said, we still mention this creek because of the good facilities it has inside.

Lemon Creek is approached from the south via the Raritan Bay West reach and Seguin Pointe Bend. Once you have passed Seguine Point, feel your way in close to shore. Depths here can shallow abruptly, so it is best to seek some advance local knowledge from one of the marinas before making the passage.

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