Boating, Fishing, and Travel Information for Fire Island Light, NY

Fire Island Light (40°37’57″N., 73°13’07″W.), 167 feet above the water, is shown from a black and white horizontally banded tower about 4 miles east-northeastward of Democrat Point. Fire Island Coast Guard Station is about 1.9 miles west-southwestward of the light. A water tower, about 208 feet high, marked by floodlights and visible for 16 miles, is about 0.1 mile southwest of the Fire Island Coast Guard Station.

Fire Island Inlet, about 28 miles westward along the south coast of Long Island from Moriches Inlet, is the only direct entrance from the Atlantic to Great South Bay. The inlet is subject to extreme shoaling and has been moving westward for many years. Mariners are warned to beware of extreme tidal turbulence especially during times of tidal change and should seek local knowledge of the latest conditions before entering. Navigation of the inlet is difficult even with relatively calm seas, and for small craft it can be extremely dangerous. During heavy weather, the entrance usually is obstructed by breakers.

The Robert Moses Causeway Bridge over Fire Island Inlet, 2.1 miles inside the entrance, has a clearance of 65 feet at the 464-foot center span. The bridge is an excellent radar target at a range of more than 12 miles. Two boat basins at the Robert Moses (Fire Island) State Park are entered just westward of the southern end of the bridge. Berths and water are available in the basins between sunrise and sunset. In 1981, depths of 7 feet and 6 feet were reported available in the east and west basins, respectively.