Santa Rosa Sound: depth, boat ramps and water quality

Boat: 14 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Gulf Breeze Shoreline Park Boat Ramp, 4 lanes, concrete.

The estuary

Santa Rosa Sound covers 27,270 acres in Florida, across 3 counties: Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Escambia. It is an estuary: the deepest point measured is 33.4 feet (10.2 m). Our records hold 17 species for this water.

Depth: down to 33.4 ft at the deepest measured point

Deepest measured point: 33.4 ft (10.2 m). We hold 3 depth contours for this water, drawn from 681,910 soundings.

14 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 10 trailer ramps, 4 hand launches, 11 fishing piers and 1 shore access point.

  • Gulf Breeze Shoreline Park Boat Ramp — 4 lanes, concrete, parking for 42 trailers (paved), paid, open around the clock, flush restrooms, dock, lit for night fishing, restrooms, wheelchair access. Gulf Breeze, City of Gulf Breeze. 800 Shoreline Drive, Gulf Breeze 32561 · website cityofgulfbreeze.us/parks-and-recreation-department/shoreline-south
  • Navarre Beach Public Boat Ramp — 2 lanes, concrete, parking for 133 trailers (paved), no fee, open around the clock, flush restrooms, dock, lit for night fishing, restrooms, wheelchair access. Navarre, Santa Rosa County. 1453 Navarre Beach Causeway 32566 · website santarosa.fl.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Navarre-Beach-Boat-Ramp-35
  • Liza Jackson Park — 2 lanes, concrete, parking for 41 trailers (paved), paid, open around the clock, flush restrooms, dock, lit for night fishing, restrooms. Fort Walton Beach, City of Fort Walton Beach. ~344 Miracle Strip Parkway SW, Fort Walton Beach 32548
  • Gulf Breeze Wayside Park West — 1 lane, concrete, parking for 36 trailers (paved), paid, open around the clock, dock, lit for night fishing. On Pensacola Bay, Gulf Breeze, City of Gulf Breeze. ~11 Gulf Breeze Highway (U.S. Highway 98) 32561 · website cityofgulfbreeze.us/parks-and-recreation-department
  • Oriole Beach Public Boat Ramp — 2 lanes, concrete, parking for 34 trailers (firm unpaved), no fee, open around the clock, portable restrooms, dock, lit for night fishing, needs repair. Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa County. 3165 Linden Avenue, Gulf Breeze 32563 · website santarosa.fl.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Oriole-Beach-Boat-Ramp-36
  • Woodlawn Beach Public Boat Ramp (Shallow Water) — 1 lane, concrete, parking for 26 trailers (firm unpaved), no fee, open around the clock, portable restrooms, dock, lit for night fishing. Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa County. 1422 Woodlawn Beach Road, Gulf Breeze 32563 · website santarosa.fl.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Woodlawn-Beach-Boat-Ramp-43
  • Bal Alex Public Boat Ramp — 1 lane, concrete, parking for 5 trailers (firm unpaved), no fee, open around the clock, portable restrooms, dock. On Pensacola Bay - East Bay, Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa County. 4180 Sandy Bluff Drive, Gulf Breeze 32563 · website santarosa.fl.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Bal-Alex-Boat-Ramp-23
  • Ross Marler Park Boat Ramp — 3 lanes, concrete, parking for 18 trailers (paved), flush restrooms, dock. On Choctawhatchee Bay, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa County. off Santa Rosa Boulevard, Fort Walton Beach 32548 · website myokaloosa.com/pw/parks/list
  • Misty Water Park - Mary Esther Pier (Limited Parking) — 1 lane, concrete, parking for 4 trailers (paved), paid, open around the clock, dock, lit for night fishing. Mary Esther, City of Mary Esther. end of Misty Water Lane, Mary Esther 32569
  • Brook's Bridge Bait & Tackle — 1 lane. Fort Walton Beach. 1201 Miracle Strip Kwy, Fort Walton Beach 32548

Car-top and kayak launches — no trailer

  • Hood Avenue Neighborhood Park Kayak Access (Limited Parking) — hand launch. On Choctawhatchee Bay, Fort Walton Beach, City of Fort Walton Beach.
  • Nantahala Beach Public Access — hand launch, sand, parking for 4 cars, no fee. Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa County. Nantahla Beach Road, Gulf Breeze 32563 · website santarosa.fl.gov/201/Parks-and-Recreation-Services
  • Pensacola Beach Park West Kayak Access — hand launch, sand, parking for 280 cars, no fee, portable restrooms. Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa Island Authority. 1336 Fort Pickens Road, Gulf Breeze 32561 · website sria-fla.com
  • Ross Marler Park Paddlecraft Beach — hand launch, restrooms. On Choctawhatchee Bay, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa County. 1306 Miracle Strip Way, Fort Walton Beach 32548 · website myokaloosa.com/pw/parks/list

Fishing piers

  • Fort Walton Beach Landing Park — no fee, open 8am–6pm. Ft. Walton Beach. 131 Brooks Street, SE, Ft. Walton Beach 32548
  • Mary Esther Fishing Pier — no fee, daylight hours. Mary Esther, City of Mary Esther.
  • Navarre Beach Campground — park entry fee, open 8am–5pm. Navarre, Navarre Beach Campground. 9245 Navarre Pkwy 32566
  • Navarre Beach Fishing Pier — paid, open 6am–7pm, lit for night fishing, bait and tackle on site, restrooms, monofilament recycling bin, wheelchair access. Navarre, Santa Rosa County. 8579 Gulf Blvd., Navarre 32566
  • Navarre Park — no fee, open 9am–10pm. Navarre, City of Navarre. 8513 Navarre Parkway 32566
  • Okaloosa County Pier — paid, open around the clock. On Gulf of Mexico, Ft Walton Beach, Okaloosa County. 1330 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE, Ft Walton Beach 32548
  • Old Bob Sikes Bridge Fishing Pier - North — no fee, open around the clock, lit for night fishing. Gulf Breeze, FL Department of Transportation. 380 Pensacola Beach Rd, Gulf Breeze 32561
  • Pensacola Bay Bridge Wayside Park — no fee, open around the clock, restrooms. On Pensacola Bay, Gulf Breeze. 120 Gulf Breeze Pkwy 32561

Shore access for bank fishing

  • Park West Canoe & Kayak Launch — restrooms. On Pensacola Bay, Pensacola Beach, Escambia County. ~1400 Fort Pickens Road, Pensacola Beach 32561

10 of the 23 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 5–12 feet on our readings, averaging 8.4 feet, from 496 readings. Water temperature averages 73°F across the year. The coldest single reading we hold is 46°F and the warmest is 91°F; the warmest monthly average is 87°F. pH averages 8.1. These readings span 2016–2025.

Monthly average water temperature: Jan 56°F · Feb 61°F · Mar 66°F · Apr 73°F · May 79°F · Jun 84°F · Jul 87°F · Aug 87°F · Sep 82°F · Oct 73°F · Nov 61°F · Dec 60°F

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 27,270 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Winter water drops to 56°F, and the warm-water species stop feeding well before you do. Summer water sits at 87°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.
  • NOAA NOS Hydro — NOAA NOS hydrographic survey archive: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • USACE eHydro — USACE eHydro channel surveys: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: soundings: 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: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.