Fishing Creek is the waterway entrance to the town of Chesapeake Beach, which is about 25 miles south of Annapolis. Chesapeake Beach was once home to a thriving gambling industry, but is now a fishing center and beach-like getaway for many Marylanders. Despite the shallow entrance depths (three to four feet), Chesapeake Beach is a popular stopover point and dining destination for Bay boaters.

The image above is a view from the east looking west over the jettied Fishing Creek Inlet with flashing red “2” and flashing green “3” visible on the north and south inlet jetties, respectively. The town to the left (south) is Chesapeake Beach, and to the right (north) is the town of North Beach.

The first marina on the left (south) on entry is the Rod and Reel Marina and Restaurant, which accepts transient guest and supplies gas and diesel fuels. Just beyond the 10-foot fixed vertical clearance bridge on the left (south) is Fishing Creek Landings, which, if you can make it under the bridge, has transient slips, gas, and a lift for haul-out and repairs.

The Town of Chesapeake Beach began as the dream of developers of the late 19th century who planned a grand resort on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. The State of Maryland granted a charter to the Washington and Chesapeake Beach Railway Company in 1891, and in 1894 the W&CBR was granted a charter to incorporate the Town of Chesapeake Beach.

The Chesapeake Beach Railway brought people to the two beach town until 1935 when bankruptcy forced the railway to close down its operations. Seaside Park opened in 1930 and all the amusements were moved to land. In the late 1940s the management of the Park once again changed and so did the name; the park would be known as Chesapeake Beach Amusement Park until it finally closed in 1972.

Information Courtesy City of Chesapeake Beach

Use NOAA Chart 12263.

About three miles south of Holland Point and Herring Bay off Maryland’s Western Shore, flashing green “1” marks the entrance to Fishing Creek. The Fishing Creek Inlet has reported depths of three feet with a channel width of 40 feet. If you are at all unsure as to the conditions at Fishing Creek Inlet, we would suggest calling ahead to one of the marinas on the VHF for local information ahead of time.

Once clear of flashing green “1,” you can proceed on to flashing red “2” and flashing green “3” farther in at the breakwaters (visible in the image above). Clear of the breakwaters, you can head toward the marinas on the left and right, if your draft permits. Remember the bridge that crosses Fishing Creek is fixed and only has a 10-foot vertical clearance.

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

City of Chesapeake Beach

Chesapeake Beach Calendar of Events