Florida / Myakka River /
Senator Bob Johnson's Landing Kayak Dock
Carry-in (canoe and kayak) · on Myakka River · near Venice · Florida
Open per Florida Boat Ramp Inventory (FWC)'s data, updated weekly. Seasonal gates, low water and storms are not always posted; check before you tow.
At the launch
- Type
- Carry-in (canoe and kayak)
- Fee
- Free
- Ramp surface
- Accessible kayak launch dock
- Trailer parking
- 3 spaces
- Car parking
- 5 spaces
- Restrooms
- Flush toilet
- Hours
- 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Managed by
- Sarasota County
- Website
- scgov.net
- Coordinates
- 27.04393, -82.29631
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
- Deer Prairie Creek Preserve Downstream Kayak Launch · 1.4 mi · Deer Prairie Creek
- Deer Prairie Creek Preserve Upstream Kayak Launch · 1.6 mi · Deer Prairie Creek
- North Port Marina Park - Boat Ramp · 3.0 mi · Myakka River - Big Slough
- North Port Blueways - North Port Marina Park - Kayak Launch Dock · 3.0 mi · Markham Waterway
- North Port Blueways - Dallas White Park - Kayak Dock · 3.9 mi · Cocoplum Waterway
- Dallas White Park - Boat Ramp · 3.9 mi · Cocoplum Waterway
Sources
- Florida Boat Ramp Inventory (FWC) record SA00023AA · Open data; credit to FWC-FWRI requested
- OpenStreetMap n8258244026 © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL
Why it is listed as public: listed by Florida Boat Ramp Inventory (FWC). Something wrong, or is this launch private? Corrections help everyone; a reporting form is coming soon.