As a 2nd generation native of central Florida I've been running around this state for almost fifty years. I grew up on a lake in Winter Haven and have traveled extensively up and down both coasts and all through the keys. Water, boating and fishing are the usual attractions be it a lake, beach or ocean. By far one of my favorite places to visit is Shell Key.
A couple of times a year we pack up the camping gear, a bunch of food, some firewood, the dog and the kids and head out to Shell Key. We'll spend four or five days out there on the beach and really relax, getting away from work and the stress of everyday living.
The island is part of Shell Key Preserve and is a marine animal and bird sanctuary. It is an L shaped island with the long side being the beach on the Gulf of Mexico and the short side, which is about 3/4 of a mile long, extending east on the north side of Bunce's Pass. The beach we camp on is the south side of the island on the pass. Being on the pass you're not subjected to any wave action from the Gulf. The western part of the island is off limits due to birds nesting. The north side faces a large,shallow no motor zone and mangrove islands. Some people like to camp on this side but there is a very small channel leading to it. The north side also has Australian pines all the way down to the water, where as the south side has white sandy beaches and low vegetation above the high tide line. A half mile across the pass to the south is Ft. Desoto Park, and this beach was named the number one beach in the US by Dr. Beach in 2005.
Fort Desoto Park is where we launch our boats and if you didn't want to camp on Shell island you can camp at the parks campground. They have some sites right on the water so you can keep your boat right there. They have bathrooms with hot showers and nice campsites. At the ramp, which by the way is the best boat ramp you will ever see, there is a bathroom and an outside freshwater shower that we use on most outings. The island is only about one and a half miles west of the ramp. Just stay inside of the channel markers and it's on the right just before the Gulf. The eastern tip has a huge sandbar off the beach. The farther west you go the deeper the approach to the island. We usually camp about a quarter to a third of the way down the island. The tide runs fairly well through the pass, especially on new and full moons, and we always anchor bow out. If you only have one anchor, you can bury something in the sand like a piece of driftwood or even a bumper for a beach anchor. Always take the stage of the tide into consideration, as the waterline moves up and down the beach sometimes as much as 20 feet. There is a small drop off just off the beach and a good rule of thumb is to keep your stern out past the ledge and you should be safe. For the most part the only waves are those of passing boats and there are a lot of boats on the weekends coming and going. The bow out anchoring keeps the waves from washing over the stern.
To the south of Shell Key about three miles is the Tampa Bay shipping channel. On the south side of that is Egmont Key, a beautiful island that is actually a state park.The water on the gulf side is almost always crystal clear and great for snorkeling. The remains of the old fort are still there all the way down to and into the water. The park is open from 8 AM till dark every day. There is no camping on the island but if you are staying on your boat this is a popular place.
If you leave Shell Key to the west into the gulf,you must follow an unmarked channel between two very shallow sandbars. The channel is wide and very visible in the daytime. I would suggest that if you run it at night, mark it on your GPS in the daytime as it can be hard to see if it is real calm. This channel runs about 3/4 of a mile until you can run north or south.
As for the fishing, there are trout and a few snook and redfish right off the beach, mostly early and late in the day when traffic is low. Offshore there are a variety of options. We fish the Tampa Bay channel for everything from kingfish to grouper. Out a little ways are wrecks and artificial reefs.
To the east is some real nice back country fishing around some mangrove islands and canals and all of Tampa Bay including the Skyway Bridge.
As for camping gear, we bring everything we need, as there is nothing but sand out there. There are some rules posted on the island including no firearms, fireworks or open containers of alcohol. (We drink our beer out of a cup)Their is also a closed season for dogs and I believe it is April 15 through June 15 every year. It is for ground nesting birds. We always take a walk across and down the island right before we leave and pick up any trash we see, kind of a "leave it cleaner than you found it " thing. As with all the nice places we enjoy on the water, the middle of the week is always best. Sometimes we'll be the only ones on the island. The weekends can get busy but for the most part everyone is nice. And for the holiday weekends, fuhgetaboutit!
Hope everybody gets to visit this place sometime and you might want to think about it soon. Shell Key along with so many other places I visit can't stand in the way of society and it's bureaucracy and it's just a matter of time and they'll say "no camping" or "No trespassing" because of the actions of a few.
LIGHT WINDS AND TIGHT LINES!!
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