South St. Petersburg Boat Ramps

St. Petersburg residents and visitors are very fortunate to have some of the most and best boat ramps in all of Florida. In this post we'll look at those located in S. St. Pete and share some of the benefits and drawbacks of each. We will look at all of the publicly accessible ramps from the Skyway in the South to Central Avenue in  the North.

Be sure to leave your comments below if you have insights into getting the most out of these ramps, or avoiding the worst, as our visitors we will all benefit from the information.

O'Neill's Marina

6701 34th Street South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33711
Phone 727-867-2585
Fax 727-867-1958
Email Lisab@oneillsmarina.com
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O'Neill's is located from the last exit before the Skyway when heading South on 275 or the first when heading North after crossing it.

They have one ramp and it's available to the public for a $5 fee but anything that you purchase in the bait shop can be credited toward the fee. That's actually one of the best things about O'Neill's, you don't have to remember everything bo fore leaving the house. Ice, live bait, artificials, tackle, sandwiches, beverages and snacks are all available in the bait shop, as well as Ethanol Free Gasoline, if you want to pull around to the pump.

Their boat ramp is the best maintained in South St. Pete and has a nice deeper water access so even larger vessels can get in and out with ease. Parking can get a bit cramped with so many users on busy days but there's always a spot available next to the Skyway if you don't mind walking 30 yards or so.

You can put in before dawn and until 8:00PM but you can always get out if you're getting back to the ramps late. There is a gate for the security of vessels that are stored there but it will open on your way out regardless of the time of day. Add Your Comments Below

Maximo Park

34th St. & Pinellas Pt. Dr.
St. Petersburg
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Maximo Park boat ramps are located in Maximo Park at the last exit on 275 before the Skyway if you're heading South, or the first afterwards if you're heading North.

The park opens before dawn and closes just after dusk and is free to the general public. On nice weekends and holidays there can be a tremendous number of boaters using the ramps, but even then it's a pretty good place to be.

There are 5 individual ramps, plenty of parking and a very cool staging area. Having the protected lagoon, along with horizontal docking at both ends of the three ramp side and the South end of the two ramp side, getting in and out is comfortable even during serious traffic.

Parking is never a problem as it allowed almost everywhere along the waterfront unless marked otherwise.

The ramps themselves are not in the best of shape. They are known for pot holes and drop offs just after the solid surface of the ramps (years of novice boaters gunning their engines on the ramp to get it up the trailer). After you've launched a few times at the different ramps in the park you'll get an idea of what works best for you... and wait for it. Add Your Comments Below

Bay Vista Park

7000 4th St S
St Petersburg
(727) 893-7124
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Bay Vista Park is located at the opposite end of Pinellas Point from Maximo Park and O'Neill's Marina at the corner of 4th St. and Pinellas Point Drive South. Bay Vista affords boaters two ramps with a nice incline to service deeper draft boats and a near straight shot to the skyway.

The ramps are well maintained and there is rarely a wait to get in and out though there is the occasional fisherman on the dock or ramp wall that you have to work around. The fisherman are very accustomed to boats coming in and out so I've never seen an issue as they are generally very flexible and accommodating.

Being an open water ramp it does make sense to calculate the wind before selecting a ramp, and if you're putting in alone to take the time to put the bumpers out. The concrete walls can be very unforgiving on a fiberglass hull. The other nuisance that goes along with an open water ramp is the collection of seaweed on the paved surface. It makes good sense to clear the debris before putting in or taking out if you're not in a four wheel drive vehicle. Seaweed.... slippery when wet.

Heading out from Bay Vista be mindful of the channel markers as there are shallow grass flats on both sides of the channel. A good place to get some bait on the way out if you're familiar with them, and a good place to get stuck if you're not.

There are 12 parking spots at the park designated for vehicles with trailers and other park visitors are pretty good about leaving them free for the local boaters.  Add Your Comment Below

Grandview Park Boat Ramps (Coquina Key)

3800 6th St S
St. Petersburg
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The Grandview Parks boat ramps, also known as the Coquina Key boat ramps, are located just off 6th St. South on Big Bayou adjacent to the North entrance to Coquina Key. There is plenty of parking for vehicles of all sizes in the paved area around the ramps.

Grandview park affords boaters two ramps in a protected harbor. Both appear to be rather shallow inclines so if you're tailoring a larger vessels you should plan on getting your axles wet. The one on the left, as you're facing them looks a little deeper but not having used them personally, I don't know for sure.

The Coquina Key ramps are not very well maintained and the visible potholes on the paved ramp surface would lead one to believe that you'll find similar, or worse, when your trailer wheels are beyond that.

Heading out, most boaters choose to head South through Little Bayou as the channels are more clearly marked and it's said to be easier to navigate. There are grass flats on both sides of the channels and some nice pot holes if you head out of Big Bayou so it looks like a good place for bait, or to look for trout and redfish.

The best thing about the ramps at Grandview Park is that it sits just next to Munch's so you can stop by for a hearty breakfast on the way out or a famous Munch Burger on the way in. Larry's been fishing the waters since childhood and it's a great place to hang and get a bite for south side fisherman. Add Your Comments Below

If you found this information helpful, or if you have personal experience with any of these ramps we would appreciate your time in leaving a comment. If everyone shares their experience about their favorite ramps we'll all have an easy place to find accurate information when using a ramp new to us.