Boating from Englewood: Lemon Bay, Stump Pass, and Unspoiled Barrier Island Access

Englewood sits along Lemon Bay, a 13-mile protected estuary between the mainland and Manasota Key. This is an Old Florida fishing community with genuine dock-your-boat-in-your-backyard canal neighborhoods and access to some of the most unspoiled barrier island beaches on the Gulf Coast. Here is what boaters need to know about Englewood's waterfront.

Getting to the Gulf of Mexico

The primary Gulf access from Englewood is via Stump Pass, heading south through Lemon Bay. Depending on your launch point and speed, expect 20 to 45 minutes to reach open water, with no-wake zones through the pass adding time. Alternatively, you can head north on the ICW to Venice Inlet, approximately 12.6 nautical miles, which takes roughly 37 minutes at 20 knots in open stretches. There are no locks or lifts.

Bridges and Clearances

Tom Adams Bridge (southern bridge, CR 776 to Beach Road) — Bascule drawbridge with 26 feet of clearance when closed and 86 feet horizontal at ICW Mile 43.5. Opens on signal. Water depth beneath is approximately 20 feet.

Manasota Bridge (northern bridge, CR 774 to Manasota Key) — Bascule drawbridge with 26 feet of clearance when closed. Built in 1964, a $9.4 million rehabilitation was approved in 2024-2025.

Depending on your starting point and destination, you may not need to pass under either bridge to reach Stump Pass.

Channel Depths

Stump Pass was recently dredged by Charlotte County, with 373,720 cubic yards of sand removed. Post-dredge depths are reported at 9 to 11 feet in the center channel, with boaters confirming 10 feet dead center. However, the channel shifts over time and the next maintenance dredging is anticipated around 2027. The USCG has historically not maintained aids to navigation on the Gulf side of the pass, so exercise caution. Lemon Bay has a maximum depth of 12 feet, with ICW sections reported at 6 feet in places between dredging cycles. The federal project depth is 9 feet.

Closest Public Boat Ramp

Indian Mound Park at 210 Winson Avenue in Englewood. Motorized vessel ramp directly on Lemon Bay with restrooms, picnic areas, and docks. Hours are 6 AM to 10 PM.

Fuel and Repairs

Stump Pass Marina at 260 Maryland Avenue in Englewood offers gasoline and diesel on the ICW at Mile Marker 17A. They also sell bait, ice, and offer boat rentals.

For repairs, Do All Dockside Marine Service at 2760 Worth Avenue in Englewood handles full boat repair. Marine Solutions Plus at 2765 Placida Road provides engine diagnostics and premium service.

The Boating Lifestyle

Englewood's canal communities like Englewood Isles connect directly to Lemon Bay, giving residents that dock-in-your-backyard lifestyle at price points well below the Sarasota barrier islands. Lemon Bay is a designated Aquatic Preserve and Outstanding Florida Waterway, supporting exceptional inshore fishing for redfish, seatrout, snook, and tarpon.

From Englewood, boaters can reach Palm Island, Little Gasparilla Island, Don Pedro Island, and Manasota Key, barrier islands with unspoiled beaches, some accessible only by boat. Stump Pass Beach State Park, which reopened in September 2025 after Hurricane Milton, offers hiking, shelling, and wildlife viewing. The community lacks high-rise development and retains a small-town, affordable character that many boaters find increasingly rare on the Gulf Coast.

John Belt, REALTOR® | Keller Williams On The Water | 941-720-1200 | johnbeltrealtor.com