Anchorage Reviews | Beaver Island

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Beaver Island

Location: Lake Michigan - NE
Mile Marker: St. James Harbor
Lat / Lon: N 45° 44.780' / W 085° 30.700'
Depth: 7-20 ft.
Description:
Anchoring is good east of red nun buoy "8" in the "inner harbor," but keep in mind that the
entire harbor is not well protected from the southeast. Dinghy docks are available at the ferry docks, the Municipal Marina and east of Beaver Island Marine.
DISCLAIMER: Before committing to an anchorage, you should confirm that the location is not governed by a regulation that may conflict with your plans. An increasing number of states and municipalities are enacting laws that define where and how long you may anchor.

4.17

(6)

4.17 out of 5 stars

Holding:

4.50

Good, Sand

Wind Protection:

3.50

Open & exposed SE

Current Flow:

4.00

Wake Protection:

3.83

Open & exposed SE

Scenic Beauty:

4.33

Ease of Shopping:

4.40

Shore Access:

4.80

Pet Friendly:

5.00

Cell Service:

4.67

WiFi:

2.33

Review for Beaver Island

Reviewed by: Captain Wes, Toscana, on Jul 21, 2025
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 44'
Draft: 5.0'

Overall Rating:

3

Holding:

3

Wind Protection:

4

Current Flow:

5

Wake Protection:

2

Scenic Beauty:

5

Ease of Shopping:

5

Shore Access:

5

Pet Friendly:

5

Great holding, as long as you spot a patch of sand to drop your anchor on. If you drop it in the weeds, lots of luck. Very beautiful! We did not go ashore to explore this trip.

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Review for Beaver Island

Reviewed by: Jane Fidler, Picnic Boat, on Jul 20, 2025
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 34'
Draft: 4.0'

Overall Rating:

5

Holding:

5

Wind Protection:

5

Current Flow:

1

Wake Protection:

2

Scenic Beauty:

4

Ease of Shopping:

5

Shore Access:

5

Pet Friendly:

5

Cell Service:

4

WiFi:

1

Beautiful anchorage as long as you pick a sandy spot. There is a lot of vegetation on the bottom! We saw many boats having to re anchor pulling up mounds of lake weeds after dragging! The local grocery is well stocked. We pulled our dinghy ashore in a sandy area by the N marina.

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Review for Beaver Island

Reviewed by: Dave Balingit on Aug 29, 2023
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 36'
Draft: 6.0'

Overall Rating:

4

Holding:

5

Wind Protection:

4

Current Flow:

5

Wake Protection:

4

Scenic Beauty:

4

Ease of Shopping:

4

Shore Access:

5

Pet Friendly:

5

Cell Service:

5

WiFi:

3

We spent two quiet nights here. While the isn't a ton of things to do in town after 8pm (our preferred style), the establishments are very welcoming and accommodating. Well stocked small hardware store and a nice volunteer run marine history museum. If you swing around the back of the bay through the marked channel, you can find deeper depths of 12-20 feet closer to shore.

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Review for Beaver Island

Reviewed by: David Rowe on Sep 7, 2022
LOA: 38'
Draft: 3.5'

Overall Rating:

4

Holding:

5

Wind Protection:

3

Wake Protection:

5

Scenic Beauty:

5

Ease of Shopping:

4

Shore Access:

5

Pet Friendly:

5

Spent a night here, and because the forecast was for the winds to switch around to the SE, we moved to a dock at the nearby marina for the second night (a good decision) hoping that the wave action would be less aggressive all the way up in the harbor (it certainly was less than if we had stayed out here on the hook). Great place to visit! Shopping nearby. Even got our galley propane cylinder filled here at the grocery store. Great place to ride the bikes and enjoy a little island life.

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Review for Beaver Island

Reviewed by: Brooks Watson, Mangata, on Jun 7, 2022
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 42'
Draft: 6.9'

Overall Rating:

5

Holding:

5

Wind Protection:

1

Current Flow:

4

Wake Protection:

5

Scenic Beauty:

5

We anchored in 38 knot gusts. Spent 8 hours on the hook in the high 20's, low 30's and didn't budge and inch. The anchorage is exposed to the south and of course that was where the wind was from. The marina is directly downwind. We had no shot of making that. We anchored in 10ft with a 65 Mantus 2 with 150' of chain. Dropped a stern anchor too, but probably didn't need it.

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Review for Beaver Island

Reviewed by: John on Sep 28, 2018
Vessel Type: Sail
LOA: 31'
Draft: 4.5'

Overall Rating:

4

Holding:

4

Wind Protection:

4

Current Flow:

5

Wake Protection:

5

Scenic Beauty:

3

Ease of Shopping:

4

Shore Access:

4

Pet Friendly:

5

Cell Service:

5

WiFi:

3

Anchored here in 20' during forecasted gale force winds. Good holding in mud. Saw gusting to 30+. Avoid getting too far east in harbor due to grass. Convenient grocery, bakery, and restaurant. Interesting history and nature areas.

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