Florida Boating Maps & Routes

A good route plan is the difference between a relaxed day and a long wait on a sandbar for the tide to come back. This page lists the official, free sources Florida boaters use for charts, tides, weather and notices, and walks through a simple way to plan a route.

Nautical charts

NOAA's Office of Coast Survey (opens in a new tab) produces the official nautical charts for U.S. waters, including Florida's coasts, bays and the Intracoastal Waterway. Charts show depths, channels, aids to navigation, bridges, hazards and restricted areas.

• The NOAA Chart Locator (opens in a new tab) lets you pick a spot on the map to find the charts that cover it and download them.
• The NOAA ENC Viewer (opens in a new tab) shows electronic charts in your browser, which is useful for planning at home. NOAA notes that the viewer itself is not intended for navigation.
• The U.S. Coast Pilot (opens in a new tab) adds written information that charts cannot show, such as local conditions, bridge details and harbor notes.

Chart depths are referenced to a low-water datum, so actual depth also depends on the tide, wind and recent changes to the bottom. Shoaling is common near Florida inlets and passes.

Regional boating guides

The FWC publishes Florida Boating and Angling Guides (opens in a new tab) for regions around the state, in interactive and printable versions. They combine ramps, marinas, channels, fishing areas and other local information, and they are a good companion to NOAA charts when you are learning a new area. They are planning aids, not substitutes for official charts.

Coast Guard notices

Aids to navigation get moved, damaged or discontinued, especially after storms. Bridges go under repair, and channels get dredged. The Coast Guard publishes these changes in Local Notices to Mariners (opens in a new tab), organized by district. Check the notice for your area before a trip to unfamiliar water and after any major storm.

Tides and weather

Tides and currents

NOAA Tides & Currents (opens in a new tab) provides tide predictions and, at some stations, current predictions and real-time water levels. Use the station closest to your route; times and ranges can differ a lot between the Atlantic side, the Keys and the Gulf, and even between a pass and the back of a bay.

Plan the shallow parts of your route for rising or high water, and watch for strong currents in inlets, passes and bridges.

Marine forecasts

The National Weather Service issues marine forecasts (opens in a new tab) for coastal and offshore zones around Florida, with wind, seas and any advisories. In summer, also watch for thunderstorms, which often form in the afternoon. From June through November, check the National Hurricane Center (opens in a new tab).

Florida route features to watch

The Intracoastal Waterway

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway along Florida's east coast and the Intracoastal routes on the Gulf side are marked with their own symbols in addition to standard red and green markers. Learn how to read them on the navigation rules page before a long run, and mark the frequent speed zones on your chart. Our Intracoastal Waterway guide covers each section, drawbridge signals and anchoring limits.

Bridges

Fixed bridges have a set vertical clearance, and drawbridges open on request or on a schedule. Check clearances on the chart and in the Coast Pilot against your boat's height, including antennas and towers, and remember that clearance changes with the tide.

Inlets and passes

Inlets on the Atlantic side and passes on the Gulf side are where calm inside water meets the open sea. Conditions can be rough when the tide runs against the wind, and shoals move. Plan inlet crossings around the tide and wind, and check recent notices for marker changes. For an offshore passage across the Gulf Stream, see Boating to the Bahamas.

Protected areas

Parts of Florida's waters lie within national parks, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, aquatic preserves and manatee protection zones. Some have no-entry, no-motor or no-anchoring areas. Mark them on your route; see environmental rules for how they work, and Boating in the Florida Keys for sanctuary zones and mooring buoys.

Planning a route, step by step

Navigation apps and electronics

Chartplotters and phone apps make it easy to follow a route, and many use NOAA chart data. Keep a few limits in mind:

• Batteries die and phones overheat in Florida sun, so carry a backup power source and an alternative.
• App data may not reflect recent marker changes or shoaling.
• Electronics do not replace watching the water, the markers and your depth sounder.

Navigating without electronics

Florida heat, salt spray and a weak battery can shut down a chartplotter or phone when you are far from the ramp. A little preparation lets you get home on paper and a compass.

Paper chart and compass

Carry a printed chart of your area, either a NOAA chart from the Chart Locator (opens in a new tab) or an FWC regional guide, in a waterproof bag. A mounted or handheld compass works without power. Keep phones, speakers and other metal or magnetic items away from it, since they can throw off the reading.

Write down your route

Before you leave, list your key waypoints on paper or on the chart: the marker numbers at each turn, the compass heading of each leg and its approximate distance. In Florida, channel marker numbers and colors are often the quickest way to confirm where you are.

Dead reckoning basics

Dead reckoning means working out your position from course, speed and time. If you run a known heading at a steady speed, distance equals speed multiplied by time, so you can mark your estimated position on the chart. Wind and current push you off track, so confirm the estimate whenever you pass a marker, bridge or landmark.

Spare power

Bring a charged power bank and cable for your phone, a handheld GPS or VHF with spare batteries, and an offline copy of your charts.

To make sense of what you see on the chart and the water, read navigation rules. For choosing where to go, see Florida Boating Destinations, and for launch points, Florida Boat Ramps. Before any trip, review boating safety.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get official nautical charts for Florida?

NOAA's Office of Coast Survey provides free electronic charts and chart viewers on nauticalcharts.noaa.gov. Use the NOAA Chart Locator to find the charts that cover your area.

Are navigation apps enough on their own?

Apps are helpful, but they depend on your device's battery and signal, and their data may lag behind changes. Keep an official chart source, check Local Notices to Mariners, and use your eyes and depth sounder.

What are Local Notices to Mariners?

They are U.S. Coast Guard notices about changes to aids to navigation, channel conditions, bridge work, dredging and other hazards. They are published by Coast Guard district on the Navigation Center website.

How do I check tides for a Florida trip?

Use NOAA Tides & Currents to find the prediction station closest to your route. Tide times and ranges can differ a lot between nearby stations, especially between the Atlantic side, the Keys and the Gulf.

Official sources

1. NOAA Office of Coast Survey — Nautical Charts (opens in a new tab)
2. NOAA Chart Locator (opens in a new tab)
3. NOAA ENC Viewer (opens in a new tab)
4. NOAA United States Coast Pilot (opens in a new tab)
5. U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center — Local Notices to Mariners (opens in a new tab)
6. NOAA Tides & Currents (opens in a new tab)
7. NOAA National Weather Service — Marine Text Forecasts (opens in a new tab)
8. FWC Florida Boating and Angling Guides (opens in a new tab)