Russell Park Paddlecraft Launch

On Caloosahatchee River

The Caloosahatchee River runs about 67 miles along the southwest Gulf Coast of Florida. It drains rural land on the northern edge of the Everglades. The river starts at Lake Hicpochee in southeastern Glades County and flows west-southwest past LaBelle, where it becomes tidal. It then widens as it passes Fort Myers and Cape Coral and enters the Gulf of Mexico at San Carlos Bay. Its basin covers 1,377 square miles. In 1881 Hamilton Disston had a canal dug from Lake Okeechobee to Lake Hicpochee and had the upper river straightened. Today the river, also called C-43, is a channelized flood-control and navigation waterway. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains it as part of the Okeechobee Waterway. Three locks control the river: Moore Haven (S-77), Ortona (S-78) and the Franklin Lock and Dam near Olga. The Franklin structure keeps the fresh river water apart from the saltwater estuary and marks the start of a 30-mile tidal reach. More about Caloosahatchee River.

Boating rules on Caloosahatchee River

• Slow speed all year along portions of the Caloosahatchee shoreline in the Cape Coral-North Fort Myers and Shell Point-Fort Myers areas (marked Intracoastal Waterway channel excluded) - manatee protection zone source
• Idle speed all year east of the railroad trestle at Beautiful Island; Intracoastal Waterway channel 25 mph April 1 - November 14 source
• Thompson Cutoff area: slow speed all year; Okeechobee Waterway channel slow speed November 15 - March 31 and 25 mph maximum the rest of the year source
• Idle speed all year in the Orange River south of its confluence with the Caloosahatchee; no entry November 15 - March 31 in the Tice power plant discharge canal source

Community

Where people who use Caloosahatchee River talk about it.

• Calusa Waterkeeper Association
• Calusa Waterkeeper (Facebook) Facebook
• Fishing Florida's Caloosahatchee and surrounding areas. Facebook
• Caloosahatchee River (Facebook page) Facebook
• Navigation notices - South Florida Water Management District Agency
• Search Reddit: r/florida Reddit
• Search all of Reddit for Caloosahatchee River, Florida Reddit

Nearby launches

• Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve Canoe Launch · 2.0 mi · Caloosahatchee River - Popash Creek
• Lee County Manatee Park Kayak Launch · 2.4 mi · Power Plant Discharge Canal
• Tarpon Street Fishing Pier and Kayak Launch · 2.5 mi · Caloosahatchee River
• Shady Oaks Park (Ft. Myers) Kayak Launch · 2.8 mi · Billy's Creek
• Riverside Park Kayak Launch - Ft. Myers · 2.9 mi · Caloosahatchee River
• Davis Public Boat Ramp · 4.3 mi · Caloosahatchee River