Palm Beach Inlet

also known as the Lake Worth Inlet

About the Palm Beach Inlet, aka the Lake Worth Inlet:

An artificial cut through a barrier island connecting the northern part of the Lake Worth Lagoon in Palm Beach County, Florida with the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by the town of Palm Beach on the south, and by the town of Palm Beach Shores to the north. The inlet is also the entrance channel for the Port of Palm Beach.

History:

n the mid-19th century the body of water that is now the Lake Worth Lagoon was a freshwater lake. This had been named Lake Worth in honor of William J. Worth, commander of the Eighth Infantry Regiment in the Second Seminole War. There were no rivers or streams flowing into the lake; all of the flow into the lake was by ground seepage from the Everglades to the west. The only outflow from the lake was through a swamp that became the Lake Worth Creek as it approached the Loxahatchee River and Jupiter Inlet.

The Lake Worth Inlet has been improved several times over time. The federal government assumed responsibility for the inlet in 1935, and continued to widen and deepen it and build up the jetties. In 1967 the inlet was dredged to a depth of 35 feet, which has been maintained since then. A sand transfer plant pumps sand from the north side of the inlet to the south side in order to maintain the natural flow of sand southward along the coast.

Navigating the Water:

Lake Worth Inlet is located near Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) Mile Marker 1019 at Peanut Island on the south side. This Inlet is both deep, & easily navigable for small & big ship inlet that is sometimes returning from the Bahamas can clear Customs and Immigration here.

Navigation: Straight shot from the sea buoy with no hazards of any sort. There is a long jetty to the south and a much shorter one to the north.

Use NOAA Chart 11472.

Local Notices to Mariners:

Local Notices to Mariners are available online from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Lat / Lon: N 26° 46.354′ / W 080° 01.951′

DISCLAIMER: This Waterway Guide provides Navigation Alerts as a resource for planning purposes only and does not warrant the information included in the postings as accurate. Advice and descriptions contained in the alerts are not for navigation.