BigBendFishing.Net

Starting this thread to keep track of the status of boat ramps around the Big Bend coast. Please chime in with first-hand knowledge or reliable reports so everyone can know what's available and not.

1. Shields Marina: Open with fuel
2. St. Marks Fort Ramp: Still closed as of 10/24
3. Shell Island Fish Camp: Open with some limitations
4. Lighthouse Ramp, SMNWR: Open as of 10/23
5. Econfina/Aucilla: Lower Aucilla Ramp is fully functional, except cleaning table is gone. Econfina ramp is back to normal as of 11/6.
6. Shell Point, Panacea and Mashes Sands: Shell Point ramp OK but floating debris. Rock Island and Levy Bay usable. Mashes Sands open. Channel is passable for small to mid-size boats.
7. Lanark Village Boat Club: Floating docks are replaced. Walkways repairs and debris removal still underway
8. Carrabelle Public Ramp: Open and fully usable
9. Apalachicola River Bridge public ramp: Open as of 10/24
10. SGI: Public ramp and state park still closed.
11. Indian Pass and points west: Likely significant damage to ramps and infrastructure
12. Alligator Point Marina, Surf & Sand Ramp: Marina ramp still requires repairs/clean-up, S&S Ramp open
13. Ochlockonee State Park Ramp: Open
14. Newport/St. Marks River: Open
15. TnT Hideaway: Wakulla River @ Hwy 98: Open
16. Rock Landing Marina, Panacea: Opening 11/3

All info from around 2pm yesterday 10/13

The ramp at the fort was closed with the road blocked off. Not sure what damage they had.

Shell island was closed and working on cleanup.

Ramps up river are your best bet but I haven't checked yet.

Thanks for the updates!
Shell Island phones are still out- I tried them again this morning.

Srbenda wrote:Thanks for the updates!
Shell Island phones are still out- I tried them again this morning.

Shell Island is in really rough shape. They had water all the way to the roof in the store and the covered boat storage where they kept the guide boats is gone. They are going to be a while to reopen.

The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge web site shows an alert that the refuge, visitor's center and road to the Lighthouse is closed until further notice.

The road to St Marks and Shell Point are blocked off by national guard. Rock Landing seems open and functional. Levy bay is also open.

lanark boat club closed as of this afternoon but some floating docks being put back in place.

Carrabelle public ramp looked open.

Newport ramp on the upper St. Marks was open.

Breaks my heart but Cape San Blas and the state park will take a long time to recover.

Heard there was a breach at the cape inside the state park. This video clip seems to confirm it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFH03tlntTQ

The cape was indeed cut in two right at the state park, right after the boat ramp. NOAA has some really good images of it here: https://storms.ngs.noaa.gov/storms/mich ... 8/-85.4039

I went down to the Cape yesterday with my Aunt to go and check on the damage to her house. It will be months until the road down the cape is open. I was completely washed out from the stump hole down to where the houses begin. Some houses made it with little damage, and some are completely gone. Port St. Joe had damage much worse than the cape. There are streets and streets of houses that were moved from their foundations or completely gutted in PSJ.
The marina in PSJ sustained heavy damage as well.

Thanks UGA. Hope your Aunt's house did OK. It'll be interesting to see what DEP/Parks does about this. Normal policy is let nature take its course, so they may leave the cut and perhaps offer a ferry service to the other side. Can't see them coming up with money/initiative to fill it in or build a bridge with their budget. At least the boat ramp and marina will be usable once the access road is repaired. Will make for some interesting currents and fish movement in the meantime and could easily change the bay habitat with greater water exchange.

According to what I’ve read that used to be an inlet that was filled in years ago and now breached again.

Got some specific references, flats broke22? I'd be interested in learning more about that. Thanks.

Add the Alligator Point boat ramps to your list (Sun n Sand, Marina and S-Curve). Any updates on the marina ramp?

Done. Sand Road ramp can be tricky at the best of times though, especially without four-wheel drive. The ramp at the marina used to be the same way. Is it still members only access?

silverking wrote:Done. Sand Road ramp can be tricky at the best of times though, especially without four-wheel drive. The ramp at the marina used to be the same way. Is it still members only access?

The marina ramp hasn’t been members only since I’ve been here (04).. They had to take the lock off to allow public access, but ( here’s the catch)... there is no trailer parking. So it’s pretty much useable only by people that have a house down there) or somewhere to park a trailer)