Florida's Intracoastal Waterway

The Intracoastal Waterway lets you travel much of Florida's coast on protected inside water, past towns, marinas and anchorages, without going out to sea. It also brings its own challenges: drawbridges, long speed zones, shoaling near inlets and strict anchoring rules. This page explains the Atlantic and Gulf sections, the Okeechobee Waterway across the state and how to plan a passage.

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway

On the east coast, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway enters Florida from Georgia at the St. Marys River near Fernandina Beach and runs south behind the barrier islands, past Jacksonville, St. Augustine, the Indian River Lagoon, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, toward Biscayne Bay and the Keys. Federal drawbridge rules for this stretch are grouped under "Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from St. Marys River to Key Largo" in 33 CFR 117.261 (opens in a new tab).

The character of the route changes as you go. North Florida has wide rivers, marshes and strong tidal currents near the inlets. The Indian River area is long, open and shallow outside the channel. From Palm Beach south, the waterway is urban, lined with docks and crossed by many bridges, with heavy weekend traffic.

The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

On the Gulf side, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a 160-mile Gulf Intracoastal Waterway section from the Caloosahatchee River to the Anclote River, through Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee and Pinellas counties. Its authorized project depth is 9 feet at mean lower low water, but the Corps' own dredging plan shows maintenance needs along the route, so do not assume the project depth is what you will find.

Intracoastal routes also run through parts of the Panhandle. Between the two, check charts carefully for where protected inside water ends and open-Gulf legs begin before you plan a trip along the whole coast. The Destinations page describes each region.

The Okeechobee Waterway

The Okeechobee Waterway is the cross-state route. According to the Corps, it runs about 154 miles from the Atlantic at Stuart to the Gulf at Fort Myers, through the St. Lucie Canal, Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee River, saving a long open-water trip around the peninsula. It is shown on NOAA chart 11428.

Five Corps locks operate along the route: St. Lucie, Port Mayaca, Julian Keen Jr. (Moore Haven), Ortona and W.P. Franklin. Key points from the Corps:

• Locks operate on posted daily hours, with a last lockage before closing; check current hours before you set out.
• You can reach the locks on VHF channel 13.
• The lock operator has full authority over boat movement in the lock and its approaches.
• Operators must require everyone aboard to wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket and turn off engines during lockage.

Lake levels, bridge clearances and water management operations affect the route, so read the Corps' Notices to Navigation before you commit to a crossing.

Bridges and openings

Fixed bridges have a set vertical clearance shown on the chart, and that clearance shrinks as the tide rises. Drawbridges either open on signal or follow a schedule set in federal regulations. Several Florida bridges open only on the hour and half-hour during the day. For example, under 33 CFR 117.261 the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine opens on the hour and half-hour from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and skips certain weekday rush-hour openings. Schedules change through rulemaking and temporary deviations, so check the current rule and Local Notices to Mariners.

How to request an opening

Under 33 CFR 117.15 (opens in a new tab), you can request an opening by:

• Sound: one prolonged blast (4 to 6 seconds) followed by one short blast.
• Visual: a white flag, or a white, amber or green light, raised and lowered vertically.
• Radio: a radiotelephone call to the bridge tender; both of you must monitor that frequency until you clear the draw.

The bridge tender answers with the same signal if the draw can open right away, or five short blasts (or a red flag or light) if it cannot.

While you wait, hold position well clear of the bridge, watch the current, and let the bridge tender and other vessels know your intentions.

Speed zones and manatee areas

Much of the Florida ICW is posted with no-wake, idle-speed, slow-speed and seasonal manatee protection zones, and the zones change along the route. Signs are posted on the water, but they are easy to miss in a long run, so mark them on your chart or app as you plan. Some zones change by season or time of day. See environmental rules for how manatee zones work and boating etiquette for handling your wake around docks, small boats and paddlers.

Depths, shoaling and charts

The ICW is a dredged channel, and it fills in. Shoaling is most common where inlets cross the waterway, at bends and where side currents carry sand into the channel. Charted depths are referenced to a low-water datum, so actual depth also depends on the tide and wind.

• Use current NOAA charts from the Office of Coast Survey (opens in a new tab), and update your chartplotter.
• Check Coast Guard Local Notices to Mariners (opens in a new tab) for marker changes, bridge work and dredging.
• The Corps of Engineers maintains the federal channels and publishes notices and hydrographic surveys; check them for your route.
• Learn the ICW markers, which carry yellow shapes in addition to the usual red and green; see navigation rules.

Planning a passage

Charts, tide predictions and forecasts for the whole route are listed on Maps & Routes.

Anchoring along the ICW

Good anchoring etiquette starts with space. Anchor well out of the channel, allow for swing when the tide or wind turns, show the required anchor light at night and keep noise and lights reasonable near homes.

Florida law also sets limits. Under s. 327.4109, F.S. (opens in a new tab), you may not anchor or moor so that your boat comes:

• Within 150 feet of any public or private marina, boat ramp, boatyard or other public launching or loading facility
• Within 500 feet of a superyacht repair facility
• Within 300 feet of the marked boundary of a public mooring field (or a lesser distance where approved)

There are exceptions for mechanical failure and dangerous weather, and you may not anchor inside a public mooring field without permission. Violations are noncriminal infractions.

Under s. 327.4108, F.S. (opens in a new tab), several urban areas in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, including parts of Biscayne Bay between the Miami Beach islands, are anchoring limitation areas where you may not anchor overnight. Counties may create additional limited anchoring areas, and Monroe County has its own rules. Local ordinances can add more, so check before you drop the hook in an unfamiliar town.

Frequently asked questions

How do I ask a Florida drawbridge to open?

Federal rules allow a sound signal of one prolonged blast followed by one short blast, a visual signal, or a radio call to the bridge tender. Many Florida bridges open only on a schedule at certain times, so check the bridge's rule in 33 CFR 117 before you arrive.

Can I cross Florida by boat without going around the Keys?

Yes. The Okeechobee Waterway runs about 154 miles from the Atlantic at Stuart to the Gulf at Fort Myers, through Lake Okeechobee, the St. Lucie Canal and the Caloosahatchee River, with locks along the way.

Where can't I anchor along the Florida ICW?

Florida law prohibits anchoring within 150 feet of marinas, boat ramps and boatyards, within 300 feet of a public mooring field's marked boundary, and within 500 feet of a superyacht repair facility, with limited exceptions. Some urban areas also restrict overnight anchoring.

How deep is the Florida Intracoastal Waterway?

Project depths are design targets, not guarantees. Actual depth varies with shoaling, tide and wind, especially near inlets, so check current charts, Local Notices to Mariners and Corps of Engineers notices.

Official sources

1. eCFR — 33 CFR 117.15, Drawbridge signals (opens in a new tab)
2. eCFR — 33 CFR 117.11, Unnecessary opening of the draw (opens in a new tab)
3. eCFR — 33 CFR 117.261, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from St. Marys River to Key Largo (opens in a new tab)
4. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District — Okeechobee Waterway (opens in a new tab)
5. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District — Navigation Locks (opens in a new tab)
6. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District — Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Caloosahatchee River to Anclote River (opens in a new tab)
7. Florida Statutes s. 327.4109 — Anchoring or mooring prohibited; exceptions (opens in a new tab)
8. Florida Statutes s. 327.4108 — Anchoring limitation areas (opens in a new tab)
9. NOAA Office of Coast Survey — Nautical Charts (opens in a new tab)
10. U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center — Local Notices to Mariners (opens in a new tab)

Checked against these sources on October 2, 2026. Rules change — confirm current requirements with the official source before you rely on them.