Kissimmee River Public Use Area - Bluff Hammock Canoe/Kayak Access (CAUTION: Not usable during low water, see comments)

On Kissimmee River

The Kissimmee River is a river in south-central Florida that forms the northern part of the Everglades system. It begins as the outflow of East Lake Tohopekaliga in Osceola County and passes through a chain of lakes that includes Lake Kissimmee. It then flows south into Lake Okeechobee, forming the boundaries between Osceola and Polk, Highlands and Okeechobee, and Glades and Okeechobee counties. The river was originally 134 miles long, and 103 of those miles lay between Lake Kissimmee and Lake Okeechobee. Between 1962 and 1971 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredged it into the C-38 canal, a straight channel 30 feet deep, for flood control. A restoration project, authorized in 1992 and sponsored by the Corps and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), was completed in July 2021. It restored about 44 miles of the historic river channel and roughly 20,000 acres of wetlands. More about Kissimmee River.

Boating rules on Kissimmee River

• SFWMD navigation locks on the Kissimmee River (S-65, S-65A, S-65D, S-65E) run 7 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays all year; on weekends 5:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. from March 1 to Oct. 31 and 5:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. from Nov. 1 to Feb. 28 source
• Lockage is free during normal operating hours source
• 4E's ramp is for non-motorized boats (canoe and kayak); airboats use a separate launch source
• Camping in the Public Use Area requires an SFWMD Special Use License and is limited to eight days in a row source
• Florida fishing license required; fishing allowed year-round source

Community

Where people who use Kissimmee River talk about it.

• Kissimmee River Public Use Area | FWC Agency
• SFWMD Navigation (lock hours and navigation notices) Agency
• Kissimmee River Valley Sportsman Association Facebook
• Dwayne Powell (Kissimmee River Hunt and Fish) Facebook
• Boating on Kissimmee River? - The Hull Truth (2023 thread) Forum
• Kissimmee River - Florida - Crappie.com Forum
• Search Reddit: r/florida Reddit
• Search all of Reddit for Kissimmee River, Florida Reddit

Nearby launches

• Kissimmee River Public Use Area - Starvation Slough Airboat Launch · 4.2 mi · Kissimmee River
• Istokpoga Park Public Boat Ramp · 6.0 mi · Lake Istokpoga
• Lake Istokpoga East Public Boat Ramp · 6.0 mi · Lake Istokpoga
• Istokpoga Canal Boat Ramp Area - Outboard Ramp · 7.5 mi · Istokpoga Canal
• Istokpoga Canal Boat Ramp Area - Dry Launch Airboat Ramp · 7.5 mi · Istokpoga Canal
• Istokpoga Canal at CR 621 Primitive Access (Small Boats Only) · 8.2 mi · Istokpoga Canal