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.

Myakka River State Park has a boat ramp near its concession area. Motorized boats pay a $4 launch fee, and paddling south of State Road 72 inside the park requires a permit from the ranger station. The park sets no strict motor-size limit, but low water can keep some engines from running, and the ramp may close to all vessels in very dry periods. Sarasota County's Snook Haven Park, once a fish camp, has a boat ramp and a canoe/kayak launch. Paddlers can also launch at Venice Myakka River Park and Senator Bob Johnson's Landing. Charlotte County runs the El Jobean Boat Ramp in Port Charlotte. An idle-speed, no-wake zone covers the Wild and Scenic river to protect manatees, prevent erosion and keep canoeists safe. Paddlers may need to carry boats around shallow spots when water is low.

A mangrove island south of U.S. 41 holds a nesting colony of endangered wood storks and is designated a Critical Wildlife Area. In 2022, flooding of the river during Hurricane Ian closed 14 miles of Interstate 75 near Port Charlotte for a time.