Old Homosassa Public Ramp

This is the free public ramp at the end of Cherokee Way, the working launch the locals use rather than one of the resort docks. Put in here and within a few hundred yards you are out on the Homosassa River looking at Monkey Island, a little spit with a mock lighthouse and a troop of spider monkeys that have lived out there for decades. The river runs eight miles from the head spring down to the Gulf, clear and a steady 72 degrees up top, turning tannic and then salty as you drop downstream. The water carries enough mineral content to read like seawater, so you get freshwater and saltwater fish sharing the same stretch, which is part of why Homosassa calls itself the manatee capital and is not exaggerating. Two heads-up: the head spring sits inside Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and you cannot paddle into it, the park keeps that water closed as a refuge, and the main river runs thick with motorboats on a good weekend, so hug the edges.

Where do I park, and is it free?

Cost

Free

Parking

Moderate

Public ramp at the Cherokee Way launch on the Homosassa River. Small lot; not the commercial Riverside rental.

How clear is the water?

Spring-fed river, usually clear, tannic after rain.

What will I see?

• Manatees in the river year-round, biggest numbers on the cold winter days
• River otters in the side creeks, dolphins down toward the river mouth

What's the fishing like?

Brackish spring river: redfish, snook, and trout down the river, with mullet throughout. Clear enough to sight fish near the springs.

What about the current?

Current readings come from Homosassa River (USGS, right at the launch).

How do I share the water here?

The manatees here carry propeller scars, most of them from boats moving too fast in shallow water, so keep your distance and never chase or touch one (it is a federal offense). Same for the monkeys on Monkey Island: watch from the water, but do not land on it or feed them.