Reviews: Key West - Wisteria Island Northwest

Reviews Summary

The reviews of the anchorage near Key West present a mixed bag of experiences, highlighting both its advantages and drawbacks.

Pros:
- Location and Accessibility: The anchorage is one of the few in Key West that can accommodate deeper drafts (8' or more), making it a practical choice for many boaters. It offers good access to the Key West Bight Marina, although docking fees are considered high ($15-$20 per day).
- Wind Protection: Reviewers noted that the anchorage provides decent protection from east and southeast winds, thanks to nearby islands like Wisteria and Fleming Key.
- Scenic Views: Many praised the beautiful sunsets and views of the surrounding islands and cityscape.
- Cell Service: Most users reported good cell service, particularly with Verizon and AT&T.

Cons:
- Crowding and Wake Issues: The anchorage is often crowded, with 20-30 boats present, leading to a "free for all" atmosphere. Wakes from parasailing boats and ferries can be disruptive, especially when winds are from the west.
- Holding Concerns: While some found the holding to be adequate, others experienced issues with swells and wind, leading to discomfort and concerns about anchor security.
- Dinghy Dock Restrictions: There are strict size limitations for dinghies at the marina, which can be inconvenient for larger boats.
- Local Noise: Some reviews mentioned the presence of liveaboards and occasional noise from barking dogs, which could detract from the experience.

Overall, while the anchorage has its merits, particularly for those with deeper drafts, potential visitors should be aware of the challenges related to crowding, wakes, and dinghy access.

Review for Key West - Wisteria Island Northwest

Reviewed by: William Mcnutt, Vacatio, on Feb 16, 2026
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 50'
Draft: 8.0'

I am a little surprised that I have not given a review of this anchorage before, as this is our fifth visit.

That we have returned four times might give you the impression that we think this anchorage is GREAT, but it turns out we only think that it is "pretty good."

But it's the only anchorage I can find at Key West that can accommodate our 8' draft other than Man O' War Harbor, but between the Ferry Route and the Navy being a bit aggressive in enforcing their exclusion zone it's no good for us. Like wise, Wisteria Island SE doesn't work for us because the only spots with enough draft are too close to the OTHER Ferry route.

So WI - NW is my only choice, but that's okay. It's actually pretty good. First up, GOOD holding. Mind you, there is some fossilized coral among the sand, and sometimes you have to hunt for a good patch of sand if you're there in the dark.

Now let's talk about wind protection. From the East you're golden. Fleming Key provides somewhat distant protection for wind. Frankfort Bank is quite shallow, and provides SOLID wave protection in fairly close. To the south, Wisteria Island and Sunset Key also provide distant wind and wave protection, unless, like me, you end up directly in line with the gap between them.

North and West there is no wind protection, but there are significant shallows in both directions that mitigate large wave action, but if the wind is wrong your stay can be uncomfortable.

Oh, and speaking of uncomfortable, Fury Water Adventures, owned by Scott Saunders, operates at least three parasailing boats out of the Bight. I know this because all three of them go roaring past the Wisteria Island Anchorage multiple times a day with zero consideration for the residents there.

The sunsets are gorgeous and the views of the islands and cityscape are wonderful.

I never had a bad experience with the dingy dock at KWB marina; they have an honor system to collect the $15.00 feet at night, or you can go into the office during the day. I think it's a little pricey for one day's docking.

The locals have taken up all of the "close" spots, so itinerants like myself have to anchor farther out, meaning the dingy ride in is about a half hour. Cell service is good for Verizon, and Starlink considers the location "land" for the purposes of your Roam plan. No wifi that I've noticed.

The anchorage ALWAYS has 20 - 30 boats in it, so only the more exposed areas are available.

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Review for Key West - Wisteria Island Northwest

Reviewed by: William Mcnutt, Vacatio, on Jul 20, 2025
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 50'
Draft: 8.0'

We spent five nights here in July of 2025. We were blessed with good to excellent weather. You have excellent protection from wind from the East, with both Wisteria Island and Fleming Key about 4000 feet away. Key West itself is to the southeast, and Sunset Key is due south. To the north there is Frankfort Bank, and to the west is Middleground. These provide some protection from swells, but not, alas, from wakes. The primary offenders are the parasail operators, who, once clear of the Key West fairway, go blazing past the anchorage to get out to their operating area. The ferries to Fort Myers and Fort Jefferson also generate significant wakes, but you only see those every few hours and there are some distance away. We did not find them to be very bothersome, most of the time. However, prevailing winds and currents kept us facing east. Wakes mostly come from the west, which means that when they did show up, they slammed into our flat stern. Cell service is great, at least for Verizon. There's no WiFi here, and a couple of the full-time liveaboards are colorful, but other than a barking dog, it's been quite pleasant. It's about a 20-minute dingy ride to the Key West Bight Marina, which charges $15.00/day to dock your dingy there. We elected this anchorage despite the crowding because Wisteria Island SE is adjacent to the ferry route and uncomfortably shallow for out boat. Man of War Harbor would have been preferred, but it is adjacent to the cruise ship channel and the Navy is known to get quite grumpy if you anchor too close to their exclusion area.

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Review for Key West - Wisteria Island Northwest

Reviewed by: Capt Richard on Apr 5, 2025
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 58'
Draft: 4.0'

Absolutely the worst anchorage that have stayed in due to the swell and wind. The East/Southeast wind at 22Knts kept us pointed into the wind but the swells some in from the south and Southeast. Had several things fall over in the boat while anchored her waiting on a part for a repair. Holding seems good but we had lots of "locals" tell us that we would not hold there. Our 155 lb Mantus anchor and 110 ft of 5/16 chain held us through all the blowing and rocking and rolling. If you have a dinghy over 13' don't even try to go to the Key West Bight dinghy dock. They will come out and measure and if you are even 2 inches over by including the engine they turn you away or offer you 2-hour maximum docking at $20 per hour. Whole experience just make me wish we had just skipped Key West altogether.

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Review for Key West - Wisteria Island Northwest

Reviewed by: Capt. Dave Wiley on May 14, 2023
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 42'
Draft: 4.5'

We're locals and have spent a few nights here on the hook. It's our "go to" anchorage nearby our home port marina at Ocean's Edge Resort. Tidal flow is strong and will swing your vessel 180 degrees but no problems with our Rocna and chain holding. Some local color living aboard nearby but not disruptive other than occasional dog barking. Nice breezes here and protected on NE to SE winds. Awesome Key West sunset views from this anchorage!

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Review for Key West - Wisteria Island Northwest

Reviewed by: George on Mar 3, 2023
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 37'
Draft: 4.5'

As mentioned in the other reviews the anchorage is chock-full of all sorts of boats, including submerged and above water wrecks. There were also quite a few moored vessels, not sure where these moorings come but they seem to be long term. Holding was fine in 15-18kt winds. Wind protection is only from the east. Winds during our stay were ESE-SE and there was a constant roll, which worsened during the day once traffic started moving. The wind waves were bad even with us being tucked in fairly close to shore. Shore access is via Key West Bight Marina for $8/day, roughly a mile away.

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Review for Key West - Wisteria Island Northwest

Reviewed by: Jason Spitz on Apr 6, 2021
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 40'
Draft: 4.0'

We stopped for a night on the way to the Dry Tortugas. There is every type of boat from the smallest least maintained to brand new 50 ft catamarans to 80+ foot mega yachts. All anchored closely side by side. Winds are only 10-15 from the SSE. Calm spot for the night but as most review, it’s kind of a free for all with some interesting characters. Did see FL law enforcement checking boats and stickers as we came in. Decent cell phone signals.

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Review for Key West - Wisteria Island Northwest

Reviewed by: Wade Durant, M/V Lazy Libra, on Mar 2, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 44'
Draft: 4.3'

We stopped here on our return trip from the Dry Tortugas. Let me clarify some of the star ratings:
Holding: We did not have strong seas or wind so we did not have a problem. Other reviews elsewhere indicated there might be challenges with holding.
Wind protection from the east is probably about it. North, West and South are all exposed where we anchored.
Current flow: We're used to Carolina waters so we found the current very light
Wake protection: This area does get used for parasailing and small boats come in and out at a good clip.
Scenery: Perfect sunset view, a wide variety of boats anchor here so definitely interesting, if not always typically beautiful.
Left ease of shopping at a 3 because I don't know where the shopping is, but I hear it is not far from here.
Shore access is the beach on Wisteria. Unpopulated and wide so plenty of room for all. This is why we rate it a 5 for pet friendly.
Cell service was great for us with AT&T.
No wifi here.
We were expecting nothing more than 10kts from the east and south for the overnight we spent here, and rocking a little doesn't bother us, so this was an excellent anchorage for our circumstances. It isn't somewhere I would plan a vacation to...especially after the Dry Tortugas!

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