Clearwater Pass Inlet

About

Introduction:

Located off the Gulf of Mexico at Clearwater Pass, the cities of Clearwater Beach and Clearwater are about 15 miles northwest of Saint Petersburg and 20 miles west of Tampa. The two towns thrive on the water and more than a dozen marina facilities dot the shoreline in and around Clearwater Harbor. Ashore you will find easy access to Tampa and Saint Petersburg for shopping and entertainment, but more locally you will find a variety of attractions and provisioning opportunities that make the area a popular stop for boaters.

The image above is a view to the southeast over Clearwater Pass and the 74-foot fixed vertical clearance Clearwater Pass Bridge. Clearwater Beach is to the left (north) of the pass and Sand Key is to the right (south).

Navigating the Water:

Use NOAA Chart 11411.

The major navigational feature in Clearwater Harbor is Clearwater Pass, a reliable and relatively deep (8.5-foot project depth) inlet that allows access to the Gulf of Mexico from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) near GIWW Mile 135.0. The Clearwater Pass Bridge (74-foot fixed vertical clearance) crosses the Pass on its eastern and an poses little in the way of navigation problems for the boater.

Most of Clearwater’s marinas are located on Clearwater Beach Island on the west side of the GIWW and require navigating off the main channel. The first set of marinas are located off a channel that runs parallel to the Clearwater Memorial Causeway on its southern side. There are four facilities here and two of them offer transient facilities for visiting boaters. One of the marinas has fuel, but none have haul-out facilities.

Local Notices to Mariners:

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