Miami Canal

The Miami Canal, also called the C-6 Canal, is a drainage canal in South Florida. It runs about 77 miles south and southeast from Lake Okeechobee to its end at the Miami River in downtown Miami, and it passes through Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The canal begins at the S-3 and S-354 lock and floodgate structure on the Herbert Hoover Dike. It is the longest canal running out from Lake Okeechobee. It was built in the early 20th century to drain the Everglades Agricultural Area.

South of the agricultural area, levee roads run along the Miami Canal where it forms the boundary between the Holey Land and Rotenberger Wildlife Management Areas, which are managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). An information kiosk stands where the L-4 levee meets the Miami Canal levee. Public launches on the canal include the Miami Canal boat ramps north and south of the S-8 structure, primitive airboat ramps into Holey Land and Rotenberger, the Rotenberger Concrete Airboat Ramp on Miami Canal Road, and ramps at the Alligator Alley Mile 35 rest area. Airboats are the main way to reach the more than 65,000 acres of marsh inside the two WMAs. In 2017, high water led FWC to temporarily close these WMAs and the Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA to vehicle and airboat access. Boat ramps and canal fishing stayed open, but boats had to keep at least 100 yards from tree islands.

The canals around the WMAs hold Florida bass, sunfish and catfish. They also hold exotic species such as the Mayan cichlid, oscar and bullseye snakehead.