Choctawhatchee River

The Choctawhatchee River flows through southeast Alabama and the Florida Panhandle and empties into Choctawhatchee Bay in Okaloosa and Walton counties. Wikipedia gives its length as 141 miles. Florida's state paddling guide gives 170 miles, about 88 of them in Florida. The FWC says the river runs roughly 96 miles from the Alabama line to the bay. In Florida it crosses Holmes, Washington, Walton and Bay counties. Its tributaries there include Holmes, Wright, Sandy, Pine Log, Seven Runs and Bruce creeks. By the volume of water it discharges, it is Florida's third-largest river system, and it supplies 90 percent of the fresh water in Choctawhatchee Bay. The Choctawhatchee River Wildlife Management Area covers more than 57,000 acres along over 30 miles of the river. The FWC manages it together with the Northwest Florida Water Management District.

The state-designated Choctawhatchee River Blueway runs about 64 miles from SR 2 near the Alabama border to Cowford Landing on SR 20. Its access points include East Pittman Creek Landing, Curry Ferry, Baker (Warehouse) Landing, Cerrogordo Landing, Caryville Landing at US 90, Berrian Lake Landing, Cedar Log Landing, Billy Lee (Douglas Ferry) Landing, Commanders Landing, Jenkins Landing, Dead River Landing, Cedar Tree Landing, which charges a launch fee, and Cowford Landing. The Curry Ferry and Baker ramps become very shallow when the river is low. Power boats may not be able to use the upper river during droughts. The state guide lists water below 10 feet on the USGS gage near Pittman as best for paddling.

Anglers catch bluegill, redear sunfish and largemouth bass, and the lower river has striped bass and sunshine bass. The river is also a spawning ground for the federally threatened Gulf sturgeon.