El Jobean Park Boat Ramp

On Myakka River

The Myakka River is a river in southwestern Florida. It rises near the Hardee-Manatee county line at Myakka Head and flows southwest, then southeast, through Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties to Charlotte Harbor, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. The river is about 72 miles long and drains 602 square miles. Its lowest 20 miles are tidal and brackish. Inside Myakka River State Park the river runs through Upper and Lower Myakka lakes and the marshes between them. In 1985 the Florida Legislature named the 34-mile Sarasota County section the state's only Florida Wild and Scenic River. To restore natural flow, a weir on Upper Myakka Lake was removed in 2022 and Down's Dam, south of Lower Myakka Lake, was removed in May 2025. More about Myakka River.

Boating rules on Myakka River

• Idle-speed, no-wake zone on the Wild and Scenic Myakka River (manatee protection, erosion, canoeist safety) source
• Boats in Myakka River State Park must observe strict minimum speed/no-wake regulations source
• $4 launch fee for motorized boats at the Myakka River State Park ramp source
• Paddling south of State Road 72 inside the state park requires a permit from the ranger station source
• State park ramp may close to all vessels in especially dry periods source

Community

Where people who use Myakka River talk about it.

• Friends of Myakka River Association
• Friends of Myakka River (Facebook) Facebook
• Myakka River State Park - Experiences & Amenities (Florida State Parks) Agency
• Myakka River Management Coordinating Council Agency
• Boating on the Myakka River - The Hull Truth forum thread Forum
• Search Reddit: r/florida Reddit
• Search all of Reddit for Myakka River, Florida Reddit

Nearby launches

• Tippecanoe Environmental Park - Canoe and Kayak Launch · 2.8 mi
• Butterford Waterway Park Boat Ramp · 3.7 mi · South Gulf Cove Canal System
• North Port Blueways - McKibbon Park - Kayak Dock · 4.9 mi · South Blue Ridge Lake
• North Port Blueways - North Port Marina Park - Kayak Launch Dock · 5.1 mi · Markham Waterway
• North Port Marina Park - Boat Ramp · 5.2 mi · Myakka River - Big Slough
• Spring Lake Park Boat Ramp · 5.4 mi · Alligator Bay