A deep, two-armed wilderness bay carved into the west side of Admiralty Island off Chatham Strait, Hood Bay offers quiet mud-bottom anchorages at the head of each arm in the heart of the world's densest brown-bear country, a short hop south of the Tlingit village of Angoon.
Hood Bay opens on the east side of Chatham Strait between Distant Point and Killisnoo Island, its entrance marked by buoys. From there it runs roughly southeast for about seven miles before splitting into a North Arm and a South Arm reaching back into the mountains of Admiralty Island National Monument.
Both arms provide anchorage: large vessels can find suitable depths well inside, while small craft typically tuck up to the head of either arm and let go in 5 to 10 fathoms over mud. The South Arm is the easier choice, reported free of midchannel dangers once inside its entrance, whereas the North Arm shoals significantly at its eastern end and is noted for occasional strong winds.
This is salmon-stream and brown-bear country rather than a service stop, with no facilities ashore; the nearest provisions, fuel and the ferry terminal are at Angoon/Killisnoo a few miles north. Note that ice forms in both arms in winter and can make the South Arm unsafe.
Approach notes, hazards to watch for, and what's available once you're tied up.
Approach from Chatham Strait, entering between Distant Point (the south entrance point, about 23 miles north of Point Gardner) and Killisnoo Island to the north, using the entrance buoys. The south and north channels past Killisnoo Island carry a least depth of about 4 fathoms and are often choked with channel-defining kelp in summer. Pile ruins of two old wharves stand on the north side of the entrance to the North Arm - give them a wide berth.
Once in the bay, a shoal lies where the channel narrows between Cabin Point and the south shore, and shoal water extends roughly half a mile south of Cabin Point. The North Arm has a half-mile-wide flat at its head with significant shoaling at its eastern end; the South Arm is reported free of midchannel dangers inside its entrance. Sound carefully on approach to the heads, which shoal off the flats.
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 Hood 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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