Cape Coral Boat Ramp Map
Map of boat ramp locations in Cape Coral Florida where you can launch your boat or kayak.
By: Kim Piper & James Fink
Burnt Store Boat Ramp:
230 Burnt Store Rd, Cape Coral, FL 33991
Located in NW Cape Coral near the intersection of Burnt Store Rd and Pine Island Rd. There's ample parking and bathroom facilities. Only one bridge to go under during your 20 minute ride out to Matlacha Pass. You will pass by D&D bait shop where you can stop in to get bait and fishing supplies. You will also pass by Miceli's waterfront restaurant. Both locations have docking available.
Matlacha Boat Ramp:
4577 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha, FL 33993
Located in the heart of Matlacha at the community park. There's a fishing pier along with a playground, bathrooms, covered picnic tables and ample parking. Immediate access to Matlacha Pass puts you south of the bridge. Most boats with towers can get under the bridge, however take your rods off the top as they may rub on high tide. Even on a T-top, those fishing rods need to be in the lower rod holders to be safe. If you want to fish south of the pass or around Sanibel, it's about a 30 minute ride. Stay in the channel because it gets very shallow just outside the markers. The bottom is very hard in places which is not where you want to touch bottom.
Lavender Landing Boat Ramp:
7290 Barrancas Ave, Bokeelia, FL 33922
Located in Bookelia near the exit for Jug Creek with limited parking, so get there early. Plenty of docking space and restrooms on site. No bridges to go under and you'll be out to open water in about 10 minutes. You'll pass Jug Creek Marina which has gas, restrooms, bait and a small convenience store. This probably one of the best launches in the area if you're catching your own bait. It's closest to the jug creek shoal area which is known to be the best area for catching live bait. This is also the quickest route out to Boca Grande Pass, which is about a 30 minute run from here.
D&D Bait Shop Boat Ramp:
3922 Pine Island Rd NW, Matlacha, FL 33993
Located right next to the bait shop, this is a smaller ramp. We've seen some 20'+ boats launch out of here, but it's mostly smaller boats and skiffs. Plenty of parking for vehicles and trailers. It is convenient to have the bait and tackle shop right there. They've got everything you need for a fun day out on the water fishing. It's about a 10 minute ride out of the canal to Matlacha Pass from here.
Capt Con's Boat Ramp:
8421 Main St, Bokeelia, FL 33922
Located on the north tip of Pine Island in Bokeelia with a lot of parking. On the other side of the restaurant, you'll find a popular fishing pier. There are restrooms available on the back side of the restaurant as well. Launching here will put you into Jug Creek where you can run out most of the channel. It's a windy channel with several blind corners so despite the fact that you're allowed to be on plane, it's best to take it easy in here. With a slow roll through the twists and turns, you'll be out to open water in about 10 minutes. It's a fun ride, albeit somewhat sketchy with many boaters flying by in the opposite direction.
Safe Harbor Pineland Boat Ramp:
13921 Waterfront Dr, Bokeelia, FL 33922
Located on the West side of Pine Island next door to our favorite place; The Tarpon Lodge. This is a full marina with plenty of parking, gas, dockage, fishing and boating supplies. They've got a nice ship's store there with ice and everything you need for a day on the water. Once you launch, there's a small channel to run and you'll in Pine Island Sound within 10 minutes. Redfish Pass and Captiva Pass are another 15 minute run to the West. The fishing around the islands to the south is known as some of the best in the world.
Pine Island Boat Ramp:
6001 Maria Dr, St James City, FL 33956
Located on the West side of Pine Island, just South of the Center. This is a commercial marina, only open to the public on the weekends. Parking can be limited, so get there early. They do have restrooms and plenty of docking space. It's a shallow ramp without a steep incline, so you have to back far in on a low tide. Larger boats do launch here, just be sure to trim up your engine. It's a quick ride out the channel and you'll immediately be in the heart of the best inshore fishing. During the late fall and early winter, this is a great spot to launch and catch bait. It's right outside the channel that time of year.
Monroe Canal Marina Boat Ramp:
3105 Stringfellow Road, Saint James City, Florida
Located in the Southern part of Pine Island in St James City. This launch is public with a staging area to get your boat prepared for launching. Parking is usually ample for the amount of traffic. They have a fuel doc with both rec gas and diesel. A small ship's store has bait and tackle, restrooms, atm and boat rentals. Kayak rentals are on site as well. It takes about 15 minutes to get out of Monroe canal and then you're a short run out to Picnic Island or Sanibel beaches.
Rosen Park Boat Ramp:
2414 SE 15th Terrace, Cape Coral, FL 33990
Located in one of the nicest parks in Cape Coral. There are covered picnic tables, ample parking, restrooms and a boardwalk along the canal. This is considered riverfront as it's only a few minutes out to the Caloosahatchee river. From there you have fairly quick access to Fort Myers on the other side of the river. The Midpoint bridge will be a short distance to the south.
Horton Park Boat Ramp:
2600 SE 26th Pl, Cape Coral, FL 33904
Located at the foot of the Midpoint Bridge on the South side. This provides rather immediate access to the river. This is a family and pet friendly park with slides, swings, picnic tables, restrooms, and very wide ramp. This is an easy launch ramp to use if you're new to backing down a trailer. There's plenty of space around the ramps, however parking is limited considering the traffic they get there, so get there early.
Cape Coral Yacht Club Boat Ramp:
1048 Dolphin Dr, Cape Coral, FL 33904
Currently closed for renovations. Located right next to the only beach in Cape Coral, along with the Boat House Tiki Bar & Grill. There's gas on the docks of the restaurant and some dockage if you decide to have lunch there. There's a beautiful fishing pier on the other end of the beach as well. It's a short distance out of the channel into the river. That only takes about 5 minutes and you're able to jump on plane. The Sanibel lighthouse beach is about a 30 minute trip from here.
Our Experience
James and I have kept our boat on a trailer and launched it from many of the best public boat ramps in Cape Coral. Our personal favorite is Burnt Store. This is our top pick mainly for it's proximity to Matlacha pass. We live on the water with the boat on a lift now and we're so close that when we do pull it for maintenance, this is where we go. It's a quick ride out to the pass and our best bait spots aren't too far away. Parking has been an issue for us in the past at other launches and that is one of the reasons this is our go to. Both of us prefer to use the restrooms there than at the gas station before heading out because they're very clean and well kept. Lastly, the grade of the ramp is perfect for launching. James doesn't have to pull the truck down into the water in order for me to back the boat off the trailer. There is one bridge to go under and we have a T-Top on our boat, which gets under the bridge just fine. If you have a tower on your boat it probably won't fit under the bridge.
Our second choice is the Lavender Landing Ramp. Again for the quality of the launch itself, it has the perfect grade which allows for a smooth transition. There's a 7-11 on the way right when you get to the center of Pine Island and they have rec 90 fuel there. The restrooms at Lavender are also well kept and clean. If you don't fuel up at he 7-11 you will pass Jug Creek which has a fuel dock. Usually we get out on the water before sunrise and that's before they open. There are no bridges to worry about getting under from here, so if you have a tower boat this is probably your best best. Jug Creek shoal is our favorite bait spot and this is the closest to there, which is important to us. Especially if we're fishing a tournament and need to be on the water super early. Speaking of early, that's when you want to get there. There have been a few times, especially on a weekend where they ran out of parking spaces. James ended up parking on the road. Every time we've been back since, we've arrived prior to sunrise and found plenty of open spaces. No problem getting a place to park in the dark.
Our vote for the worst ramp would have to be the Pine Island Ramp. Also known as the Co-Op Marina. We launched here a few times because it does put you right out into a prime area for winter time fishing. They have a porta potty there, which I chose not to use. James used it and said it wasn't too stinky, but I wasn't risking it. The grade here is really slight and on a low winter tide, James had to back the truck pretty far into the water. Neither of us are big fans of doing that for several reasons. Lastly the parking. There isn't much there and they are only open to the public on the weekends. For us, this just isn't the place to go unless you're launching a kayak. That's a different story. We did that a few times and it's actually perfect for it. The scenery around it we found to be the best around. So while it may be our last pick for boating, it's a top pick for kayaking.