Gulf Intracoastal Waterway - (Florida West Coast) Navigation

The Florida (West Coast) portion of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GICW) has its beginning near Punta Rassa, FL and the Sanibel Island Causeway. The GICW begins at mile marker (MM "0.0") in San Carlos Bay at 26°30.6’N / 82°01.1’W, close to the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River and its junction with Okeechobee Waterway.

From its starting point, this section of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway runs generally in a northerly direction ending at 28°10.4’N / 82°49.5’W (MM "150.0") located between the southern tip of Anclote Key and the approaches to the Anclote River leading into Tarpon Springs.

Navigation

Buoyage

The GICW is marked the same as the AICW, where Aids to Navigation displaying yellow triangles are kept to starboard and those displaying yellow squares should be kept to port along the entire length of the waterway. While typically the yellow triangles will be found on red markers and yellow squares are found on green markers, caution should be exercised where the GICW intersects or coincides with a channel marked by the Lateral System.

Charts

NOAA chart coverage of this portion of the GICW beginning at mile marker "0.0" to mile marker "150.0" is provided by charts #11427, #11425, #11416, and #11411. These charts can be viewed by clicking on the links below:

Distances and Mileages

All distances along the Florida Gulf Intracoastal Waterway are given in statute miles unless otherwise noted. Statute miles are used in order to conform to the distances shown on the small craft charts typically used along this route.

Like the AICW, the portion of the GICW between Punta Rassa and Anclote Key is measured based on increasing mileage from MM "0.0."

Channels

The Federal project depth for this portion of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway provides for a channel depth of 9 feet and a channel width of 100 feet. Even though every effort is made to maintain the project depth, the actual controlling depths in the channels may vary due to shoaling reducing the available water depth until maintenance dredging can be accomplished.

Communications

Bridges, Locks, and Overhead Power Lines

Florida’s West Coast GICW Bridge Schedule

At last count, a total of 25 bridges cross the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway between Punta Rassa and Anclote Key, FL. The fixed bridges along this route provide a minimum vertical clearances of 65’.

The lists below are believed to be accurate as of July 2023. If any errors or omissions are noted, please e-mail us at with any corrections or recommendations.

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway - Florida (West Coast) San Carlos Bay to Venice
Mile Marker	Bridge	Charted Vert. Clear.	Schedule	Restrictions	VHF
34.3	Boca Grande Swing Bridge	22’	Shall open on signal; except that from 0700 to 1800, Mon. through Fri., except for Fed. holidays, the draw need open only on the hour and half hour. On Sat., Sun. and Fed. holidays, from 0700 to 1800, the draw need open only on the hour and every 15 minutes thereafter.		09
43.5	Tom Adams Bascule Bridge	26’	Opens on Demand		09
50.0	Manasota Key Bascule Bridge	26’	Opens on Demand.		09
55.0	Circus (Tamiami Trail) Bascule Bridge	25’	Opens on Demand.		09
56.6	Venice Avenue Bascule Bridge	30’	Shall open on signal, except that from 0700 to 1630, Mon. through Fri. except Fed. holidays, the draw need open only at 10 minutes after the hour and every 20 minutes thereafter. Single leaf openings until 01 May 2022.	Between 1635 and1735 the draw need not open.	09
56.9	Hatchett Creek Bascule Bridge	30’	Shall open on signal, except that, from 0700 to 1620, Mon. through Fri. except Fed. holidays, the draw need open only on the hour and every 20 minutes thereafter. On Sat., Sun., and Fed. holidays from 0730 to 1800 the draw need open only on the hour and every 15 minutes thereafter.	Mon. - Fri. between 1625 - 1725 except Fed. holidays the draw need not open. On the 2nd Sunday of November, the bridge need not open between 0900 and 1700.	09

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway - Florida (West Coast) Venice Inlet to Anna Maria Sound
Mile Marker	Bridge	Charted Vert. Clear.	Schedule	Restrictions	VHF
59.3	Albee Road Bascule Bridge	14’	Opens on Demand		09
63.0	Blackburn Point Swing Bridge	9’	Opens on Demand.		09
68.6	Stickney Point Bascule Bridge	18’	Shall open on signal, except that from 0600 to 1900 daily, the draw need only open on the hour and half hour.	Twin Spans	09
71.6	Siesta Key Bascule Bridge	25’	Shall open on signal, except that from 0600 to 1900 daily, the draw need only open on the hour and half hour.		09
73.5	Ringling (Gil Waters)Bridge	65’	Fixed Bridge (Span "A")
87.4	Cortez Bascule Bridge	22’	Shall open on signal, except that from 0600 to 1900 daily, the draw need only open on the ¼ hour and ¾ hour.		09
89.2	Anna Maria Island Bascule Bridge	24’	Shall open on signal, except that from 0600 to 1900 daily, the draw need only open on the ¼ hour and ¾ hour.		09

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway - Florida (West Coast) Tampa Bay to St. Joseph Sound
Mile Marker	Bridge	Charted Vert. Clear.	Schedule	Restrictions	VHF
99.0	Sunshine Skyway Bridge	180’	Fixed Bridge
110.5	Skyway Northern Span Bridge	65’	Fixed Bridge	Twin Spans
113.0	Pinellas Bayway "E Span" Bridge	65’	Fixed Bridge		09
114.0	Pinellas Bayway "C Span" Bridge	65’	Fixed Bridge
117.7	Corey Causeway Bascule Bridges	23’	Shall open on signal; except that, from 0800 - 1900 Mon. through Fri., and 1000 to 1900 Sat., Sun., and Fed. holidays, the draw need be opened only on the hour and every 20 minutes thereafter.	Twin Spans	09
119.0	Treasure Island Causeway Bascule Bridges	21’	Shall open on signal except that from 0700 - 1900 Mon. through Fri. the draw need only open on the hour and every 20 minutes thereafter. Sat., Sun., and Fed. holidays the draw need open on the on the ¼ hour and ¾ hour.	Twin Spans	09
122.8	Welch Causeway Bascule Bridge	25’	Shall open on signal; except that, from 0930 - 1800 on Sat., Sun., and Fed. holidays, the draw need be opened only on the hour and every 20 minutes thereafter.		09
126.0	Park Blvd. Bascule Bridge	20’	Opens on Demand		09
129.0	Indian Rocks Bascule Bridges	25’/21’	Opens on Demand	Twin Spans	09
131.8	Belleair Causeway Bridge	75’	Fixed Bridge
136.0	Clearwater Memorial Bridge	74’	Fixed Bridge
142.0	Dunedin Causeway Bascule Bridge	24’	Opens on Demand		09

The above tables can be downloaded for your personal and private use. They list the bridges, their schedules, and restrictions in statute miles, nautical miles, and kilometers along Florida’s Gulf Intracoastal Waterway from its intersection with the Okeechobee Waterway in Ft. Myers, FL north to Dunedin, FL.

Locks

Overhead Cable and Power Lines

The minimum authorized clearance of overhead cables crossing this section of the GICW is 88 feet and is found at the Manasota Beach Bascule Bridge (MM "49.9".)

Caution - Many of the overhead cables crossing the waterway carry high voltage, an extra margin of safety should be allowed in the event of threatening weather.

Tides

Tidal ranges are fairly small along Florida’s west coast. Under normal conditions the mean range of tide averages 1’ at Ft. Myers and at Punta Rassa and increasing to a little more than 2½’ at Anclote Key.

The type of tide experienced in this area is commonly referred to as a "Mixed Tide" - exhibiting (2) unequal high tides and (2) unequal low tides each day.

Entrances, Inlets, and Passes

There are numerous Entrances, Inlets, or Passes between the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the West Coast of Florida. Between Sanibel Island in the south and Port Richey to the north, there were 23 at last count. All provide access to sheltered inland waters with most providing access to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

While many of these are only suitable for shallow draft vessels and/or local knowledge, some can be considered navigable for most vessels. We have listed them on the next page along with useful information on each to aid you in deciding if you wish to use a particular inlet.

Heading North

After leaving Anclote Key, it is a 132 NM open water passage to East Pass and the vicinity of Carrabelle, FL where you can again rejoin the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) at (MM "376.5 EHL").

BlueSeas

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway - Florida’s West Coast

Cruising/Navigating - Florida’s (West Coast)

Sanibel Island to Anclote Key