The main recreational-boating base for Juneau, Auke Bay sits off Fritz Cove on Stephens Passage and is home to the busy Statter Harbor public floats, a popular fishing and cruising hub with road and bus links to town.
Auke Bay is the principal small-craft harbor serving Juneau, tucked north of Fritz Cove off Stephens Passage and protected at its head by a floating breakwater. The hub is Statter Harbor, a City and Borough of Juneau public float facility with roughly 200 transient berths plus assigned slips, water and electric on all floats, a fuel dock, restrooms, showers, a pump-out, and twin launch ramps. A 10-day tie-up limit applies May through September.
The bay is a working community with general stores, a ferry terminal, restaurants, and the NOAA Auke Bay fisheries laboratory. Downtown Juneau is about 12 miles south by road, served by the Capital Transit city bus, which makes provisioning and a town visit easy without moving the boat. Groceries and basic supplies are available near the harbor.
Anchoring options in the bay are limited and deep. The Coast Pilot notes small-craft anchorage with protection from southeast winds at the head of Auke Bay, though anchoring is prohibited within 400 feet of the Statter Harbor breakwater. Most cruisers simply take a transient slip rather than anchor.
Approach notes, hazards to watch for, and what's available once you're tied up.
Approach from Stephens Passage via Fritz Cove, passing on either side of George Rock (awash at highest tides, lighted) and giving Douglas Island a berth of about 0.2 mile. Standard guidance is to pass 0.2 mile south and east of Coghlan Island on the southwest side of Auke Bay, then steer northeast into the bay with the island's summit kept astern.
Principal dangers are Coghlan Island and its off-lying foul ground (a buoy lies off its north end), and on the way up Fritz Cove, Gibby Rock (covered 1 fathom, lighted) and Dornin Rock near Shaman Island. Water in the bay and surrounding passage is generally deep, so usable anchoring depths are confined to the head of the bay; mind the floating-breakwater anchor-line exclusion zone.
Wind protection summary and tide planning at a glance. Full per-direction and 7-day detail with Plus.
Live readings from the nearest OpenWeather station and WorldTides; refreshed every few minutes.
Source: OpenWeather One Call API + WorldTides.
A curated photo + map walkthrough showing approach, mooring options, and points of interest.
A guided walkthrough of Auke Bay with approach photos, depth notes, and points of interest — written by members who have been here recently.
Member-uploaded images of this anchorage.
Real first-hand reports and questions answered by members who have actually been here.
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Cruising-distance picks near this anchorage.