First-hand guides
Written from the water, not a database
On-the-water guides from real time on Tampa Bay — a specific Gulf pass, and the launch technique a pontoon actually needs. The local knowledge that doesn't fit a database field.
Boating Bunces Pass out of Fort De Soto
Bunces Pass is the Gulf-side water you drop into when you launch at Fort De Soto, and it's one of the best hal…
Launching a Pontoon Boat in Tampa Bay
A pontoon is one of the best boats for Tampa Bay's shallow water — it drafts almost nothing and rides the flat…
What's new
Plan your next trip faster
Find ramps near you
Sort every launch by distance from where you are, then filter for saltwater access or hand-launch, kayak-friendly ramps.
Top boat ramp near me
Get the closest ramp with a detail page, then jump straight into the tide-timed trip planner for that launch.
A Florida beginner's guide
Pre-trip and trailering checks, ramp etiquette, reading the tide, a safety checklist, and the boating terms worth knowing.
Featured
City guides for Florida boaters
Tampa
Snook, Redfish, Spotted Seatrout
Key West
Tarpon, Permit, Bonefish
Naples
Snook, Redfish, Tarpon
St. Augustine
Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Flounder
Destin
Red Snapper, Grouper, King Mackerel
Crystal River
Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Cobia
Real tide data
Time your launch with the moving water
On Florida's flats, the tide decides the day. We pull seven-day predictions straight from NOAA for key stations on both coasts — so you can plan around the water, not against it.
St. Petersburg
Next high: 04:42 · 1.907 ft
Key West
Next high: 00:20 · 1.727 ft
Mayport (Bar Pilot Dock)
Next low: 04:49 · -0.209 ft
Fish species & regulations
Know what you're catching — and the rules that come with it
Photo-first guides to Florida's most-targeted species. Current FWC size limits, bag limits, seasons, plus where to find them and what to throw — reviewed monthly.
Snook
The prize of Florida's mangrove shorelines.
Red Drum (Redfish)
Copper bulldogs of the flats and grass beds.
Tarpon
The silver king — catch and release only.
Red Snapper
The pink offshore star with the strictest reef fish rules.
Mahi-Mahi (Dolphinfish)
Fluorescent pelagic speedsters.
Largemouth Bass
Florida's freshwater icon — trophy country.
Browse by county
Find a ramp near you
We track 2,603 public launches across every Florida county, sourced from the state's official inventory. Start with the counties with the most ramps:
Also on the site
Two more things worth a look
When something breaks
A curated starting point for finding a boat mechanic in Florida — mobile marine techs and repair shops across six regions, verified against each provider's own site. Not a ranking, and nobody pays to be listed.
The FLBoatingHub monthly
One email a month: a featured ramp, a tide-planning lesson you can actually use, a species note, a safety reminder, and what's new here. Read what goes into an issue.
Know before you go
Florida boating & fishing rules, in plain English
Life jackets, education cards, speed zones, and BUI limits from the FWC — plus current size limits, bag limits, and seasons for every species we cover, reviewed monthly.