Islamorada · Florida Keys
Islamorada's big-boat neighborhood: 100-foot-wide canals, deep water, and the bay or the Atlantic in minutes through Snake Creek.
Venetian Shores is a waterfront neighborhood on Plantation Key in the Village of Islamorada, at about mile marker 86 in the Upper Florida Keys. It's known for something Shane Waterfront Wilson says you won't find in other Keys neighborhoods: canals about 100 feet wide. Shane puts the depth inside the neighborhood at roughly 25 to 30 feet, and lots typically have 70 to 100 linear feet on the water.
That combination makes Venetian Shores one of the few places in the Upper Keys where you can keep a large sportfishing boat and a bay boat at the same house. Shane has seen 65- to 75-foot Vikings come and go here. When a buyer with a 50-foot catamaran and a 28-foot beam asked where it would fit, Venetian Shores was the one neighborhood that worked. Docks can extend up to 25% of the canal's width, and 50% of the canal stays open for navigation.
Snake Creek is close by, so owners can reach Florida Bay or the Atlantic within minutes. You can fish the reef in the morning, come back, load up the family and run around to the bay side for dinner by boat at places like Marker 88 or the Lorelei.
Venetian Shores is also a strong seasonal rental market. In 2026, Shane reports that four-bedroom, three-bath pool homes with a boat lift rent for about $16,000 to $28,000 a month in season.
Shane grew up fishing these waters, graduated from Coral Shores High School on Plantation Key, and lives half a mile from Venetian Shores in Treasure Harbor. He'll take buyers out by boat so they can see the canals and the run through Snake Creek before they buy.
On the Water
At about 100 feet wide, the canals let large boats turn and dock. Shane has seen 65- to 75-foot Vikings come and go, and it was the only neighborhood that fit a client's 50-foot catamaran with a 28-foot beam.
With 70 to 100 feet of frontage and docks allowed to extend 25% into the canal, many lots have room for a big boat, a bay boat and jet skis.
Snake Creek connects Florida Bay and the Atlantic, so you can fish offshore in the morning and take the family to dinner by boat on the bay side.
Taller boats with towers or outriggers wait for the drawbridge to open, since it clears 27 feet when closed. Depths in the creek change with the tide and shifting shoals. Shane has found the ledge coming out of Snake Creek runs about 7 to 8 feet. Check current charts and tides, and run it with someone who knows it.
Sources: Snake Creek Bridge (Waterway Guide) · Snake Creek drawbridge rule (Federal Register) · Snake Creek harbor guide (US Harbors)
Before You Buy
Shane's first question is always the same: what's your application? How you'll use the water decides which home fits.
Length, beam, draft and height, including towers and outriggers. Then check them against the lot's frontage, the dock build-out allowed and the run through Snake Creek.
Lift capacity, dock condition and permits matter as much as the house. They're costly to replace in the Keys.
If rental income is part of the plan, ask for rental history and confirm the Village of Islamorada's current vacation rental rules before you buy.
Some nearby canals are only 40 to 50 feet wide, which limits docks to about 12 feet out. That's fine for a bay boat, but not for a wide-beam boat. Shane will show you the difference by boat.
Free Guides & Checklists
For Buyers
Shane's checklist for buying a canal home in Venetian Shores, Islamorada.
For Sellers
How to present a Venetian Shores home to big-boat buyers.
Client & Neighbor Stories
“I wouldn't change a thing. I'm so happy we came here. I'm so happy that we took that chance, because we weren't sure. It's almost like we're in a cool little bubble here that not everybody knows about.”
Videos, Photos & Podcast
“One of the key factors and highlights of Venetian Shores is the canals are a hundred feet wide. You're not gonna find neighborhoods that have hundred-foot-wide canals.”▶ Watch this moment on YouTube
“I would probably say, let's go to Venetian Shores. The canals are 100 feet wide. You can build out 25% into the canal. You have to leave 50% for navigability.”▶ Watch this moment on YouTube
Venetian Shores is on Plantation Key in the Village of Islamorada, in the Upper Florida Keys, at about mile marker 86 on US 1.
Both. Snake Creek is close by and connects Florida Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, so owners can reach either side within minutes.
The canals are about 100 feet wide. Shane Waterfront Wilson puts the depth inside the neighborhood at roughly 25 to 30 feet. Depth at Snake Creek varies with tide and shifting shoals, so check current charts.
Yes. It's one of the few Upper Keys neighborhoods where 65- to 75-foot sportfishing boats come and go. Taller boats may need to wait for the Snake Creek drawbridge, which clears 27 feet when closed.
Docks can extend up to 25% of the canal's width, and 50% of the canal must stay open for navigation.
Based on 2026 pricing, four-bedroom, three-bath pool homes with a boat lift rent for about $16,000 to $28,000 a month in season. Check Islamorada's vacation rental rules before buying for rental income.
Use the Search Venetian Shores Listings button on this page to see current listings, or contact Shane Waterfront Wilson for a tour by land or by boat.
“I live half a mile from Venetian Shores, and I've run these canals and Snake Creek my whole life. Tell me what boat you've got, or the one you're dreaming about, and I'll take you out and show you exactly how it fits. And if you're thinking about selling, I know the buyers who are looking for 100-foot canals. Let's talk.”
— Shane
(239) 851-3861 (call or text) · shane@shanewaterfrontwilson.com
Florida Keys Office: 85960 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036