Florida / Indian River Lagoon /

Pelican Island NWR Launch

Pelican Island NWR Launch is a public kayak and canoe launch on Indian River Lagoon near Windsor, Florida.

Indian River at Castaway Point Park
Indian River Lagoon, the water this launch is on. Indian River at Castaway Point Park Photo: Pokemonprime · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Status not reported No closure has been posted for this launch, but its agency does not publish open or closed status. Check with the managing agency before you tow.

At the launch

Type
Carry-in (canoe and kayak)
Tidal
Yes
Coordinates
27.79620, -80.42400

Directions (Google) Apple Maps

Boating rules

  • Manatee zone: Slow Speed (All Year) · a zone at or next to this launch rule

From the boating rules map of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, read October 18, 2026. A map of rules is a guide: the regulation's text and the posted signs govern.

Conditions

Marine advisories

Advisories in effect load here; without them, see the NWS zone forecast below.

National Weather Service marine zone AMZ555, Sebastian Inlet to Jupiter Inlet 0-20 nm. Zone forecast: winds, seas, warnings.

Tides

Predicted highs and lows at NOAA's Sebastian station, 2.6 mi from this launch, in local time above MLLW. Predictions, not observations: wind and weather move the real tide. Full predictions at NOAA.

Tide predictions, Mon Nov 2 to Sun Nov 8
Mon Nov 2 High 3:40 am 0.4 ft · Low 10:46 am 0.3 ft · High 4:22 pm 0.4 ft · Low 11:25 pm 0.3 ft
Tue Nov 3 High 4:51 am 0.4 ft · Low 11:53 am 0.3 ft · High 5:23 pm 0.4 ft
Wed Nov 4 Low 12:26 am 0.3 ft · High 5:56 am 0.4 ft · Low 12:54 pm 0.3 ft · High 6:19 pm 0.4 ft
Thu Nov 5 Low 1:20 am 0.2 ft · High 6:55 am 0.4 ft · Low 1:47 pm 0.3 ft · High 7:09 pm 0.4 ft
Fri Nov 6 Low 2:08 am 0.1 ft · High 7:46 am 0.5 ft · Low 2:36 pm 0.3 ft · High 7:55 pm 0.4 ft
Sat Nov 7 Low 2:52 am 0.1 ft · High 8:32 am 0.5 ft · Low 3:20 pm 0.3 ft · High 8:37 pm 0.4 ft
Sun Nov 8 Low 3:33 am 0.1 ft · High 9:14 am 0.5 ft · Low 4:01 pm 0.3 ft · High 9:17 pm 0.4 ft

On Indian River Lagoon

The Indian River Lagoon is a 156-mile-long estuary on Florida's Atlantic coast. It runs from Ponce de León Inlet in Volusia County to Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County. It is made up of three lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River and the Indian River, which is the main body of water. The lagoon is between half a mile and five miles wide and averages 4 feet deep. Its waters cover 353 square miles. Five inlets connect it with the Atlantic Ocean, although locks at Port Canaveral limit water exchange there. Its brackish water is moved more by wind than by tide. It is one of 28 Estuaries of National Significance in the United States. More about Indian River Lagoon.

Boating rules on Indian River Lagoon

  • Seasonal manatee No Entry zones (November 15 - March 31) in Indian River areas near power plants, Brevard County source
  • Year-round Slow Speed manatee zones, including much of Mosquito Lagoon in Brevard County source
  • Year-round 25 mph zones, including the ICW channel in Mosquito Lagoon north of marker 43 source
  • Banana River No-Motor Zone in Merritt Island NWR: no vessels with internal combustion or electric trolling motors source
  • Two Pole & Troll Zones in Mosquito Lagoon: internal combustion engines off except in posted channels; vessels drafting more than 12 inches may not enter; electric trolling allowed source
  • No personal watercraft, air-thrust boats, hovercraft, kiteboarding or windsurfing in refuge waters source
  • Idle Speed in Bairs Cove and KARS Marina; Slow Speed/Minimum Wake in Haulover Canal source
  • Waters in the Kennedy Space Center Security Zone are closed to entry source

Community

Where people who use Indian River Lagoon talk about it.

Nearby launches

Sources

Why it is listed as public: listed by Florida DEP Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail kayak launches. Something wrong, or is this launch private? Send a correction; it goes to a person.