Tucked on Three Forks Marsh, Three Forks Marsh - Thomas O. Lawton Recreation Area Area Boat Ramp is a freshwater launch that gives Brevard County boaters direct access to some of the region's most fishable water. It's the kind of ramp locals keep in their rotation — close to home, reliably usable, and a quick run to open water. With 3 launch lanes, it can handle a busy weekend crowd without the usual bottleneck. As of the last FWC inventory update, launching is free here.

Share your photo of Three Forks Marsh - Thomas O. Lawton Recreation Area Area Boat Ramp

Been to this ramp? Add a photo to help other Florida boaters know what to expect.

Photos are reviewed before appearing on the site. JPG/PNG/HEIC, up to 15 MB.

At a glance

County
Brevard
City
Palm BAY
Waterbody
Three Forks Marsh
Water type
Freshwater
Ramp type
Stand Alone Ramp
Launch lanes
3
Ramp surface
Concrete
Dock
Floating Launch Docks
Parking surface
Paved - Asphalt or Concrete
Trailer parking
57
Restroom
Composting Toilet
Fee required
No
Managed by
Saint Johns River Water Management District
Status
Open for Business
Hours
24 Hours

Address: 4008 West Malabar Road, Palm BAY, FL, 32908  ·  Coordinates: 27.98171, -80.754481

Get directions on Google Maps →

Where it is

Live NEXRAD radar from Iowa State Mesonet — past ~65 minutes animated. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Ramp location from the FWC boat ramp inventory. Not for navigation.

On-water restrictions nearby

No mapped state manatee-protection or boating-safety zones were found within 500 m of this ramp in the current FWC dataset. This does not mean the area is unrestricted — posted signs and other local, state, or federal rules may still apply.

Restriction zones: For general awareness only — not for navigation or legal determination. Florida Administrative Code and posted on-water signs prevail. Other local, state, or federal restricted zones may exist that are not shown here. Source: FWC manatee protection & boating-safety GIS layers. Zone data as of .

What to know before you launch

  • Clean, drain, and dry your boat between freshwater launches to help stop the spread of invasive plants like hydrilla.
  • Even with multiple lanes, prep in the staging area first so you're not tying up a lane while loading gear.
  • Always check current tides, wind, and marine forecasts before you launch — Florida afternoons can turn stormy fast.

Tides at the nearest station

The closest NOAA tide station is Port Canaveral (Trident Pier), about 32 miles away. Here are today's predicted highs and lows (referenced to MLLW):

Low tide
4:09 AM
0.122 ft (MLLW)
High tide
10:19 AM
3.099 ft (MLLW)
Low tide
4:12 PM
0.128 ft (MLLW)
High tide
10:37 PM
3.569 ft (MLLW)

See the 7-day tide chart →

Boater discussion

Been to Three Forks Marsh - Thomas O. Lawton Recreation Area Area Boat Ramp? Share tide tips, parking notes, or what you caught. Sign in with Google, Facebook, Twitter, or Disqus — comments are reviewed before appearing. See our privacy notes on Disqus for what's shared.

Ramp data from the FWC Florida Boat Ramp Inventory (Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission). Tide predictions from NOAA CO-OPS station 8721604. Conditions change — verify status locally before you go. This site is not for navigation.