Little River is small, but is easy of access and is an excellent harbor of refuge, sheltered from all winds and with depths of 12 to 30 feet, good holding ground. Anchorage can be selected anywhere in midchannel inside the island. Small local craft anchor off the wharves in depths of 6 to 18 feet.
Navigation:
Click the “Map View” button above to see a chart of this harbor.
Little River is about 14 miles southwestward of West Quoddy Head Light. In the middle of the entrance is Little River Island, which is wooded and has rocky sides. Little River Light (44°39’03″N., 67°11’32″W.), 56 feet above the water, is shown from a white conical tower on the northeast corner of the island; a sound signal is at the light. A bell buoy, 0.5 mile east-northeastward of the light, marks the entrance to the harbor.
To enter Little River, pass northward of Little River Island, giving it a berth of 150 yards. The channel leads northward of the light and has a depth of about 28 feet. The passage southward of Little River Island has a rocky bar across it with a least found depth of 10 feet in midchannel. This passage should not be used by strangers.
Eastern Knubble is the point on the northern side of the entrance to Little River. Just south of Eastern Knubble and 100 yards offshore is Little River Ledge, which uncovers. A buoy westward of the ledge marks the south edge of another small ledge. A ledge extends 100 yards from the south shore, just eastward of a prominent point 0.5 mile west-northwest of Little River Island. With these exceptions, there are no dangers in the harbor if the shores are given a berth of 100 yards. Numerous mooring piles are in the harbor and a lobster car is some distance off the large wharf.
