For Pinellas County anglers, Fort Desoto Park Boat Ramp is a go-to saltwater ramp on Tampa Bay - Bunces Pass. The surrounding water rewards early starts, and this launch keeps you close to the action without a long idle out to the good stuff. With 22 launch lanes, it can handle a busy weekend crowd without the usual bottleneck. As of the last FWC inventory update, a launch fee applies here.
Boater’s note
The listing says 22 lanes and 383 trailer spaces, but only one double ramp is actually working — the others were damaged in a previous hurricane and haven't come back. That said, the weekend wait is typically short, so it's less of a bottleneck than you'd think. Parking is ParkMobile, about $6 and that covers the boat and trailer. And on tides: the ramp opens into Bunces Pass on the Gulf side, so don't read the Port Manatee station up in the shipping basin; the St. Petersburg station (8726520) on the open coast is the better reference. Even then it's a floor, not a forecast — Tampa Bay is shallow, and a hard offshore wind can hold water down and push high tide later, so plan your Bunces Pass run for rising or high water and leave extra depth margin.
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At a glance
- County
- Pinellas
- City
- Saint Petersburg
- Waterbody
- Tampa Bay - Bunces Pass
- Water type
- Salt or Brackish Water
- Ramp type
- Stand Alone Ramp
- Launch lanes
- 22
- Ramp surface
- Concrete
- Dock
- Launch Dock
- Parking surface
- Paved - Asphalt or Concrete
- Trailer parking
- 383
- Restroom
- Flush Toilet
- Fee required
- Yes
- Managed by
- Pinellas County
- Status
- Open for Business
- Hours
- 24 Hours
Address: 3500 Pinellas Bayway South, Saint Petersburg, FL, 33715 · Coordinates: 27.645885, -82.716923
Get directions on Google Maps →
Where it is
Live NEXRAD radar from Iowa State Mesonet — past ~65 minutes animated. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Ramp location from the FWC boat ramp inventory. Not for navigation.
On-water restrictions nearby
- manatee protection Pinellas (within 155 m)
Restriction zones: For general awareness only — not for navigation or legal determination. Florida Administrative Code and posted on-water signs prevail. Other local, state, or federal restricted zones may exist that are not shown here. Source: FWC manatee protection & boating-safety GIS layers. Zone data as of .
What to know before you launch
- Rinse your trailer and engine with fresh water after launching in salt — corrosion is the enemy on Florida's coast.
- Even with multiple lanes, prep in the staging area first so you're not tying up a lane while loading gear.
- Always check current tides, wind, and marine forecasts before you launch — Florida afternoons can turn stormy fast.
Tides at the nearest station
The closest NOAA tide station is St. Petersburg, about 10 miles away. Here are today's predicted highs and lows (referenced to MLLW):
Boater discussion
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