Little Sarasota Bay: depth, boat ramps and water quality
Boat: 10 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Turtle Beach Park Boat Ramp, 3 lanes, concrete.
The estuary
Little Sarasota Bay covers 2,322 acres in Florida, across Sarasota County. It is an estuary: the deepest point measured is 15.1 feet (4.6 m). Our records hold 11 species for this water.
Depth: down to 15.1 ft at the deepest measured point
Deepest measured point: 15.1 ft (4.6 m). We hold 8 depth contours for this water, drawn from 10,943 soundings.
10 ramps and launches on this water
On this water we hold 2 trailer ramps, 8 hand launches and 3 fishing piers.
- Blackburn Point Park Motorized Boat Ramp — 1 lane, concrete, parking for 55 trailers (paved), no fee, flush restrooms, dock, wheelchair access. Osprey, Sarasota County. 425 Blackburn Point Road, Osprey 34229 · website scgov.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/611/4319
- Turtle Beach Park Boat Ramp — 3 lanes, concrete, parking for 20 trailers (firm unpaved), no fee, flush restrooms, dock, wheelchair access. Sarasota, Sarasota County. 8832 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota 34242 · website scgov.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/495/4318
Car-top and kayak launches — no trailer
- Blackburn Point Park Kayak Beach — hand launch, sand, parking for 12 cars, no fee, flush restrooms. Osprey, Sarasota County. 421 Blackburn Point Drive, Osprey 34229 · website scgov.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/611/4319
- Blackburn Point Park Rowing Facility — hand launch, concrete, parking for 8 trailers (firm unpaved), no fee, portable restrooms, dock. Osprey, Sarasota County. 800 Blackburn Point Road, Osprey 34229 · website scgov.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/611/4319
- Christopher Wheeler Park Kayak Access — hand launch, sand, parking for 12 cars, no fee. Sarasota, Sarasota County. 1300 Old Stickney Point Road, Sarasota 34242 · website scgov.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/597/4319
- Osprey Fishing Pier Kayak Launch — hand launch, sand, parking for 2 cars, no fee. Osprey, Sarasota County. 130 Main Street, Osprey 34229 · website scgov.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/546/4319?npage=2
- Phillippi Estate Park Kayak Launch — hand launch, gravel, parking for 48 cars, no fee, flush restrooms. On Phillippi Creek, Sarasota, Sarasota County. 5500 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota 34231 · website scgov.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/539/4319?npage=2
- Turtle Beach Park Paddlecraft Launch — hand launch, sand, parking for 105 cars, no fee, flush restrooms, wheelchair access. Sarasota, Sarasota County. 8918 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota 34242 · website scgov.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/495/4318
- Vamo Park Paddlecraft Ramp — hand launch, sand, parking for 3 trailers (firm unpaved), no fee, daylight hours. Sarasota, Sarasota County. 1690 Vamo Drive, Sarasota 34231 · website scgov.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/491/4319?cftype=FacilityDirectory
- Wharf Road Park Paddlecraft Launch — hand launch, gravel, parking for 6 cars, no fee, daylight hours, dock. Sarasota, Sarasota County. 1601 Wharf Road, Sarasota 34231 · website scgov.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/481/4319?npage=2
Fishing piers
- Blackburn Point Park — open 6am–midnight. On Dryman Bay, Osprey, Sarasota County. 421 Blackburn Point Rd., Osprey 34229
- Osprey Fishing Pier — no fee, open 6am–10pm. Osprey, Sarasota County. 198 Main St., Osprey 34229
- Phillippi Estate Park — no fee, open 6am–midnight. On Plilippee Creek, Sarasota, City of Sarasota. 5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota 34231
9 of the 13 places listed have both a fee and opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.
Water and conditions
Water clarity runs 2.8–7.2 feet on our readings, averaging 5 feet, from 1,006 readings. Water temperature averages 79°F across the year. The coldest single reading we hold is 58°F and the warmest is 93°F; the warmest monthly average is 89°F. pH averages 7.9. These readings span 2016–2025.
Monthly average water temperature: Jan 66°F · Feb 68°F · Mar 72°F · Apr 79°F · May 82°F · Jun 85°F · Jul 89°F · Aug 89°F · Sep 87°F · Oct 83°F · Nov 76°F · Dec 69°F
What is hard here
Only 10 public ramps are on file, so the launch decides where you fish. Summer water sits at 89°F: heat and afternoon lightning are the real risks, not the fishing.
Where this data comes from
- NOAA Digital Coast — NOAA Digital Coast bathymetric lidar: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- USACE eHydro — USACE eHydro channel surveys: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- NOAA BlueTopo: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- NOAA National Bathymetric Source (S-102 ed3.0.0) — NOAA S-102 bathymetric surfaces: contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: soundings: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
