Boaters navigating the Florida Keys will soon have clearer guidance on where they can drop anchor. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission began installing waterway markers — including signs and buoys — on September 16 to establish designated anchoring areas across seven Monroe County locations: Boot Key, Bahia Honda, Niles Channel, Cow Key Channel, Sigsbee, Garrison Bight Flats, and Fleming Key. Work is expected to wrap up by December 2026.
The project stems from a 2022 change to Florida law that designated all of Monroe County as an anchoring limitation area. Under the updated statute, any vessel anchored in state waters within 10 linear nautical miles of a public mooring field or designated anchoring area must move at least once every 90 days. The FWC was then tasked with adopting rules to define those anchoring areas and set maximum vessel draft limits throughout the county.
The new markers serve a dual purpose: helping boaters understand the boundaries of anchoring zones and making it easier for FWC law enforcement to monitor compliance. During construction, the agency is asking mariners to exercise extra caution, especially in narrower channels where work is actively underway.
One notable exemption applies to vessels whose owners have legally established them as a primary residence under Florida law. Those liveaboards are not required to relocate until at least 60 new public moorings become available within one mile of the Key West Bight City Dock. Monroe County is currently working through the permitting process for a new mooring field at Man of War Harbor near Wisteria Island, with construction estimated for spring 2027.
More information about the anchoring rules and designated areas is available at myfwc.com/boating under "Waterway Management," as reported by Keys Weekly.
