Long Bayou Inlet

About

Introduction:

Long Bayou is located off Boca Ciega Bay about five miles northwest of the center of St. Petersburg and 20 miles southwest of Tampa on Florida’s West Coast. Located just of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), Long Bayou is wide and shallow, with an extended channel that cuts through the shoals all the way north to two marinas. There are no anchorages in the area, as the water is too shallow outside the marked channel.

Navigating the Water:

Use NOAA Chart 11411.

Long Bayou has (appropriately) a long entrance channel that stretches from the GIWW at Mile 120.5 about 1.5 miles north to the Seminole Fixed Bridges (both with 20-foot vertical clearances), which are visible in the image above. The channel runs east (right) of the small spoil island in the image above, and the long line of green and red daybeacons can be seen leading up toward the north.

Green daybeacon “1” starts out the Long Bayou approach channel and is followed by green daybeacons “3” through “13,” where a short set of red daybeacons (“16” through “20”) bend around another small spoil island. Green daybeacons “19” through “29” run the rest of the way up to the bridges. Depths in the channel from the GIWW to the bridges ranges from four to five feet, but depths drop off rapidly outside of the marked channel.

There are two marinas in the well-protected long Bayou area, and both are centered around the Seminole Fixed Bridges that cross the route about 1.5 miles north of the GIWW route. First, on the east side of Long Bayou, just before the first Seminole Bridge, is the Lighthouse Point Marina. Next, on the west shore of Long Bayou after the first bridge, but before the second, is the Bay Pines Marina. Both facilities do not advertise transient facilities, but may be able to arrange a slip for you if you call in advance to inquire about availability.

Local Notices to Mariners:

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