Map of Artificial Reefs
DEC manages 16 artificial reefs in the marine district. All sites are located near harbors or inlets for easy access to fishermen and divers. New York's artificial reefs are found on both the north and south shores of Long Island:
- Five reefs in Long Island Sound
- Two reefs in Great South Bay
- Nine reefs in the Atlantic Ocean off the south shore of Long Island.
Coordinates and Details of Artificial Reef Sites
Site details and GPS coordinates can be found in the table below. The latitude and longitude coordinates pinpoint the corners of the artificial reef sites.
| SITE NAME | LATITUDE/LONGITUDE COORDINATES | SITE DETAILS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NW Corner | NE Corner | SW Corner | SE Corner | ||
| Atlantic Beach Reef | 40°32.020 73°43.700 | 40°32.020 73°42.400 | 40°31.530 73°43.700 | 40°31.530 73°42.400 | Location: Atlantic Ocean, 3.0 nautical miles south of Atlantic Beach. Size: 413 acres (2000 yards x 1000 yards). Depth: 55 to 64 feet. Materials: 2 vessels, 10 barges, 8 pontoons, 4 pieces of a 100' scow, surplus armored vehicles, 404 auto bodies, 10 Good Humor trucks, 16 steel center beam railcars, steel crane and boom, 27 steel buoys, 1 steel turbine rotor, steel turbine shells, steel pipe, rock, concrete and steel bridge sections, concrete barriers, concrete buoy sinkers, concrete slabs, concrete pipes, concrete culvert, concrete decking and rubble. Comments: Auto and truck bodies have disintegrated. Rock drop along north boundary of site. |
| Fire Island Reef | 40°36.100 73°13.500 | 40°36.100 73°11.500 | 40°35.440 73°13.500 | 40°35.440 73°11.500 | Location: Atlantic Ocean, 2.0 nautical miles south of the Fire Island Lighthouse. Size: 850 acres (3085 yards x 1335 yards). Depth: 62 to 73 feet. Materials: 5 vessels, 13 barges, 2 boat hulls, 6 pontoons, surplus armored vehicles, 2 drydocks, Tappan Zee Bridge materials, 16 steel centerbeam railcars, 2 steel miter gates, 1 steel tainter gate, steel bridge girders, steel lift bridge sections, steel pipe, steel lifting towers, rock, concrete cesspool rings, concrete forms, concrete slabs, and rubble. *Fish pots banned by NYS law* |
| Hempstead Reef | 40°31.250 73°33.350 | 40°31.500 73°31.370 | 40°30.553 73°33.555 | 40°30.808 73°31.583 | Location: Atlantic Ocean, 3.3 nautical miles south of Jones Beach State Park. Size: 850 acres (3085 yards x 1335 yards). Depth: 50 to 72 feet. Materials: 14 vessels, 2 barges, 3 steel power plant turbines, 16 steel centerbeam railcars, surplus armored vehicles, 1 drydock, Tappan Zee Bridge materials, City Island Bridge materials, Mill Basin Bridge materials, steel bridge trusses, and concrete rubble. |
| Huntington/Oyster Bay Reef | 40°57.653 73°27.819 | 40°57.649 73°27.496 | 40°57.408 73°27.820 | 40°57.407 73°27.499 | Location: Long Island Sound, 1.16 nautical miles northeast of Lloyd Point. Size: 50 acres (500 yards x 500 yards). Depth: 47 to 53 feet. Materials: Concrete buoy sinkers. *Fish pots banned by NYS law* |
| Kismet Reef | 40°38.110 73°13.060 | 40°38.280 73°12.450 | 40°38.090 73°13.050 | 40°38.260 73°12.440 | Location: Great South Bay, 120 yards north of the South Beach, between Kismet and the National Seashore dock. Size: 10 acres (1000 yards x 50 yards). Depth: 16 to 25 feet. Materials: 2 barges, concrete barriers, concrete blocks, concrete slabs, concrete culvert, and rubble. Comments: Charted dimensions are different from permitted ones. *Fish pots banned by NYS law* |
| Matinecock Reef | 40°54.580 73°37.740 | 40°54.690 73°37.250 | 40°54.480 73°37.700 | 40°54.580 73°37.210 | Location: Long Island Sound, 0.5 nautical miles north of Peacock Point. *Fish pots banned by NYS law* |
| Mattituck Reef | 41°03.500 72°34.414 | 41°03.491 72°34.087 | 41°03.257 72°34.415 | 41°03.252 72°34.098 | Location: Long Island Sound, 2.37 nautical miles northwest of Mattituck Inlet. Size: 50 acres (500 yards x 500 yards). Depth: 72 to 100 feet. Materials: 1 vessel and concrete buoy sinkers. *Fish pots banned by NYS law* |
| McAllister Grounds (Fishing Line) Reef | 40°32.547 73°40.209 | 40°32.488 73°38.892 | 40°32.045 73°40.265 | 40°31.985 73°38.942 | Location: Atlantic Ocean, 2.8 nautical miles south of Long Beach. Size: 425 acres (2036 yards x 1020 yards). Depth: 48 to 53 feet. Materials: 4 vessels, 4 barges, 7 pieces of a 100' scow, 2 steel miter gates, 3 steel dam gates, 1 steel power plant turbine, rock, concrete barriers, concrete bridge rubble, concrete buoy sinkers, and concrete forms. *Fish pots banned by NYS law* |
| Moriches Reef | 40°43.700 72°46.820 | 40°43.700 72°45.500 | 40°42.700 72°46.820 | 40°42.700 72°45.500 | Location: Atlantic Ocean, 2.4 nautical miles south of Moriches Inlet. Size: 850 acres (2025 yards x 2025 yards). Depth: 70 to 80 feet. Materials: 12 vessels, 5 barges, surplus armored vehicles, Tappan Zee Bridge materials, 4 steel centerbeam railcars, steel floorbeams, and concrete pipes. *Fish pots banned by NYS law* |
| Port Jefferson/Mount Sinai Reef | 41°00.035 73°04.156 | 41°00.030 73°03.838 | 40°59.791 73°04.156 | 40°59.787 73°03.841 | Location: Long Island Sound, 1.79 nautical miles northeast of Port Jefferson Inlet. Size: 50 acres (500 yards x 500 yards). Depth: 88 to 94 feet. Materials: 1 barge and concrete buoy sinkers. *Fish pots banned by NYS law* |
| Rockaway Reef | 40°32.780 73°51.380 | 40°32.780 73°49.670 | 40°32.200 73°51.380 | 40°32.200 73°49.670 | Location: Atlantic Ocean, 1.6 nautical miles south of Rockaway Beach. Size: 635 acres (2639 yards x 1173 yards). Depth: 32 to 40 feet. Materials: 1 barge, 60 steel buoys, Tappan Zee Bridge materials, rock, concrete buoy sinkers, concrete slabs, concrete pipes, concrete culvert, concrete decking, and rubble. Comments: Rock rubble is scattered throughout the reef site. *Fish pots banned by NYS law* |
| Shinnecock Reef | 40°48.600 72°28.930 | 40°48.600 72°27.600 | 40°47.600 72°28.930 | 40°47.600 72°27.600 | Location: Atlantic Ocean, 2.0 nautical miles south of Shinnecock Inlet. Size: 850 acres (2025 x 2025 yards). Depth: 76 to 84 feet. Materials: 8 vessels, 5 barges, surplus armored vehicles, 7 steel centerbeam railcars, 1 drydock, rock, Tappan Zee Bridge materials, a steel and concrete tower, steel and concrete bridge rubble, steel pipes, steel beams, and steel bridge trusses. *Fish pots banned by NYS law* |
| Sixteen Fathom Reef | 40°26.430 73°22.255 | 40°26.430 73°20.935 | 40°25.430 73°22.255 | 40°25.430 73°20.935 | Location: Atlantic Ocean, 13 nautical miles southwest of Fire Island Inlet. Size: 850 acres (2025 yards x 2025 yards). Depth: 85 to 103 feet. Materials: Undeveloped. |
| Smithtown Reef | 40°55.990 73°11.195 | 40°56.052 73°10.872 | 40°55.845 73°11.145 | 40°55.909 73°10.823 | Location: Long Island Sound, 1.6 nautical miles northwest of Stony Brook Harbor entrance. Size: 31 acres (511 yards x 299 yards). Depth: 30 to 40 feet. Materials: 2 vessels, 6 barges, steel pipes, and concrete-filled steel cylinders. *Fish pots banned by NYS law* |
| Twelve Mile Reef | 40°37.250 72°32.250 | 40°37.250 72°30.930 | 40°36.250 72°32.250 | 40°36.250 72°30.930 | Location: Atlantic Ocean 12.0 nautical miles from Moriches and Shinnecock Inlets. Size: 850 acres (2025 yards x 2025 yards). Depth: 123 to 143 feet. Materials: 2 vessels, 16 steel center beam railcars, rock, and ECOncrete. |
| Yellowbar (Fisherman) Reef | 40°37.930 73°14.640 | 40°38.040 73°14.390 | 40°37.900 73°14.630 | 40°38.010 73°14.370 | Location: Great South Bay, 900 yards east of the Robert Moses Fixed Bridge. Size: 7 acres (400 yards x 85 yards). Depth: 25 to 40 feet. Materials: 3 vessels, 1 barge, 4 pontoons, 100 concrete Reef Ball units, concrete forms, and concrete pipes. *Fish pots banned by State Law* |
