Explore Tampa Bay

The maps included within this StoryMap should not be used for navigation. For local navigation, boaters should consult  NOAA Nautical Charts . Click "OK" to remove the map navigation details pane, click the square/arrow icon in the upper right to expand the map, click the "Don't show this message again" box to remove the splash screen. To filter the data, use the "select county" and "select boat ramp type" selectors in the header. To expand map, click the top right corner below.

Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest open-water estuary, covering approximately 400 square miles. The drainage basin for Tampa Bay consists of over 2,200 square-miles of land from Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota Counties. About 80% of the 525 billion gallons of freshwater that annually flows into Tampa Bay does so from the Alafia, Hillsborough, Little Manatee, and Manatee Rivers.

Tampa Bay is a vital resource for Florida. It acts as a sanctuary to many species of birds, supports abundant fish populations, and provides numerous recreational activities for residents and tourists to enjoy. Boating safely and fishing responsibly are just a few ways you can help protect Tampa Bay.

Boat operators who were born on or after January 1, 1988 must have a Florida Boating Safety Education Identification Card in order to operate a motorboat with ten horsepower or more.

1. File a float plan and leave it with a reliable person at a marina or elsewhere.
2. Plan your route in advance.
3. Make sure your craft has the required safety equipment on board.
4. To meet U.S. Coast Guard requirements, a boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, III, or V life jacket for each person aboard. 
5. Develop a life jacket habit. Wear your life jacket (PFD) at all times while boating.
6. Observe and obey posted speed limits.
7. Watch your wake.
8. Know your navigational rules.
9. Don’t drink and operate a boat.
10. Be sure that your boat has the required functioning navigation lights, which are required if boating at night or in poor weather conditions.

Recreational boaters share the bay with modern ships that haul cargo from all over the world. While quite large, the bay is also very shallow, which restricts navigation for larger vessels. The pilots that guide these vessels in and out of Tampa Bay need your cooperation.

1. Stay clear of the main ship channel when large ships are approaching.
2. Use VHF Channel 13 for bridge-to-bridge communication with commercial ships in case of emergency.
3. Exercise caution when boating around ships or tugs involved in docking.
4. Be sure that your boat is visible at night and in poor weather conditions.

Whether you are boating recreationally in a motorized vessel or paddling in a kayak or canoe, it's important to practice safe boating and be mindful of others trying to enjoy the bay's amenities.

• Wear a personal flotation device (PFD).
• Know the waterway conditions and be aware of water levels and currents.
• Bring plenty of food and water.
• Wear sunscreen and insect repellent!
• Bring a cellphone or VHF radio.
• Respect wildlife.
  •  Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) 
  • The MMPA protects all marine mammals, including cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), sirenians (manatees and dugongs), sea otters and polar bears within the waters of the United States.

• More than 80 percent of all recreationally and commercially important fish species are dependent upon seagrass at some point in their lives. Seagrass improves water quality, traps sediment, provides shelter for many juvenile fish species, and provides a food source for other marine life. 
• Prevent seagrass damage by avoiding shallow seagrass areas and driving in marked channels:
  • Anchor only in bare sandy bottoms.
  • Trim up your engine in shallow water.
  • If you aground in shallow water, stop, trim up your engine, and push your boat to deeper water.

Request a Patrol Program sticker by emailing  info@tampabaywaterkeeper.org .

• Required to take or attempt to take saltwater fish, crabs, clams, marine plants or other saltwater organisms (other than non-living seashells and lionfish with certain gear). 
• A  Florida fishing license  is required to land saltwater species in Florida regardless of where they are caught (state or federal waters).
• Cost
  • Resident Annual:  $17.00
  • Resident Five-Year:  $79.00
  • Non-Resident Annual:  $47.00
  • Non-Resident 3-Day:  $17.00
  • Non-Resident 7-Day:  $30.00

• Valid for saltwater fishing from the shoreline or a structure affixed to shore. 
• Not valid when fishing from a vessel, or a shoreline reached by vessel. 
• Not valid if taking or attempting to take by swimming or diving.
• Cost
  • Resident Annual Saltwater Shoreline License: No-Cost

• Required to take or attempt to take native or nonnative freshwater fish. 
• Cost
  • Resident Annual: $17.00
  • Resident Five-Year: $79.00
  • Non-Resident Annual: $47.00
  • Non-Resident 3-Day: $17.00
  • Non-Resident 7-Day: $30.00

Fishing regulations are complex and change regularly based on new management measures and as fisheries open and close. Always check state and federal regulations for the area that you plan to fish.

Knowing the limits and executing an appropriate catch and release for a targeted fish is called ethical angling. Know when to keep and when to release your catch while always handling fish with care. This includes knowing and abiding by  regulations  and being able to  identify  the fish you target. Ethical angling enables sustainable fisheries for generations to come.

Before you go, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the  current regulations ,  best practices for handling fish  and important  marine habitats . In addition to the recreational fishing regulations, you should familiarize yourself with the  marine life regulations . 

• The best general rule is to handle the fish quickly and as little as possible.
• Leaving fish in the water during release is the safest option.
• If you must remove the fish from the water, wet your hands first to minimize damage to their protective slime.
• When photographing your catch, keep the fish held horizontally and support its full weight.
• A landing tool like a lip grip helps control the head of the fish and avoids damage to the gills and eyes common to careless handling.
• If the fish appears lethargic upon release, resuscitation may be needed. The goal is to force water gently through the mouth and over the gills. This can be done by using the current, taking the boat in and out of gear while holding the fish in the water, or moving the fish forward in a figure-8 motion.

Fishing from a pier is a popular pastime for many landlubbers around Tampa Bay. Piers offer anglers a chance to fish waters that cannot be reached from shore or wading. Many popular sport fish hang around fishing piers because piers provide structure and food.

Use the  Florida Fishing Pier Finder , an interactive map tool that allows anglers to find publicly accessible fishing piers, jetties, fishing-specific bridges and fishing fingers around the state.

 Paddling Trails 

Explore the different areas around Tampa Bay where you can canoe, kayak and paddle. Before heading out, remember to follow  boating safety rules and recommendations .

•  Cockroach Bay 
•  Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail 
•  Florida Greenways and Trails 
•  Fred Howard Park 
•  Paddle Manatee 
•  Upper Tampa Bay Park 
•  Weedon Island 

Divers-down regulations apply whenever someone is wholly or partially submerged and is using a face mask and snorkel or underwater breathing apparatus.

A divers-down warning device may be a divers-down flag, buoy, or other similar warning device. These devices are designed for, and used by, divers and dive vessels as a way to notify nearby boaters that divers are in the water in the immediate area. The device must be displayed prominently when in use.

The maps included within this StoryMap should not be used for navigation. For local navigation, boaters should consult  NOAA Nautical Charts . Click "OK" to remove the map navigation details pane, click the square/arrow icon in the upper right to expand the map, click the "Don't show this message again" box to remove the splash screen. To filter the data, use the "select county" selector in the header. You can click a park or paddling trail from the list to zoom to that particular one, when you use the filter in the header, the lists will update to reflect your selection. To expand map, click the top right corner below.

“Leave No Trace” is a concept that became relevant in the environmental world when outdoor recreation significantly increased in the 1960s. As visitation and recreation in natural areas increased, habitats began to suffer. The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace provide an easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors. The principles can be applied anywhere — from remote wilderness areas, to local parks and even in your backyard. 

 The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace 

1. Plan ahead and prepare
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Minimize campfire impacts
6. Respect wildlife
7. Be considerate of others

County parks and preserves provide a great number of opportunities to experience the joys of boating and fishing on Tampa Bay. Below is a list of some of the county parks and preserves in Tampa Bay that provide boating and/or fishing access to the general public.

•  Hillsborough County Parks 
•  Manatee County Parks 
•  Pasco County Parks 
•  Pinellas County Parks 
•  Polk County Parks 
•  Sarasota County Parks 

 Florida's state parks  are managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). They provide boaters and anglers a wealth of opportunities to experience all that Tampa Bay has to offer.

•  Cockroach Bay Preserve State Park 
•  Egmont Key State Park 
•  Little Manatee River State Park 
•  Skyway Fishing Pier State Park 
•  Terra Ceia Preserve State Park 

Aquatic preserves protect the living waters of Florida to ensure that they will always be home for breeding birds, fish nurseries, freshwater springs, salt marshes, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests.

Tampa Bay has 387,410 acres of Aquatic Preserve, which are managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s  Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection . These areas highlight the best of what our state has to offer!

•  Boca Ciega Bay 
•  Cockroach Bay 
•  Pinellas County 
•  Terra Ceia 

Tampa Bay is home to three National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). They are administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. These refuges protect breeding areas for colonial water birds, as well as provide habitat for shore birds, land turtles and tortoises, and plants. Many of these species are classified as threatened or endangered. These areas are closed to the public year-round!

•  Egmont Key 
•  Passage Key 
•  Pinellas 

 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 

• FWC Law Enforcement Hotline: 1-888-404-FWCC
  • To report marine violations, boating accidents, and marine mammal injuries or strandings
•  FWC Southwest Regional Office (Lakeland) : 863-648-3200
•  FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute : 727-896-8626

 U.S. Coast Guard 

• Rescue Station (24 hours) - VHF Channel 16
•  Sector Office : 727-824-7534
•  National Response Center : 1-800-424-8802
  • To report oil spills and maritime emergencies
•  U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary  Seventh District, Division Seven, Tampa Bay - St. Petersburg, Florida: 813-684-9996

 BoatU.S. Foundation 

• 1-800-245-BOAT (2628)
  • For information on boating skills and safety courses offered locally

 NOAA National Weather Service 

• Recorded forecast (Tampa Bay, FL): 813-645-2506
•  NOAA Weather Radio : 162.4/162.45/162.55 MHz
  • For 24-hour weather and marine forecasts

 PORTS (Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System) 

• For up-to-the minute information on currents, tides, and winds

 Bird Resources 

•  Save Our Seabirds : 941-388-3010
•  Seaside Seabird Sanctuary : 727-391-6211
  • For assistance with injured seabirds
•  Audubon of Florida 
•  Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries : 813-623-6826

Thank you for exploring Tampa Bay!