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Passage · 154 mi · 5 Locks

The Okeechobee Waterway: five locks, two routes across the lake, and a 49-foot lift bridge

Across Florida from Stuart to Fort Myers: the five locks and their hours, the project depths of Route 1 and Route 2, and the published clearance that decides the crossing for a sailboat.

Last checked 22 Oct 2026Sources: NOAA Coast Pilot 4, ch. 12 (2026), USACE Jacksonville – Okeechobee Waterway, USACE – St. Lucie Lock and Dam, USACE – Port Mayaca Lock and Dam, USACE – Julian Keen, Jr. Lock and Dam, USACE – Ortona Lock and Dam, USACE – W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam, 33 CFR 117.317 (eCFR, title 33 as of 19 Oct 2026)

The route, mile by mile

Schematic: the stops sit at their mile figures, the line is straight.

Lake Okeechobee, Route 1 across the open lake · The waterway enters the lake at Mile 38.9. Route 2 leaves here too and follows the south rim.
  1. St. Lucie Inlet, junction with the Intracoastal WaterwayMile 0 · ICW Mile 987.8.
  2. Special anchorage, St. Lucie RiverMile 7.6 · 33 CFR 110.73(c).
  3. Palm City bridgeMile 9.5 · Fixed, 54 ft.
  4. St. Lucie Lock and DamMile 15.1
  5. SR 710 bridge at Indian TownMile 28.1 · Fixed, 55 ft.
  6. Railroad swing bridge at IndiantownMile 28.2 · Mile 28.2 in 33 CFR 117.317(d), Mile 28.5 in Coast Pilot 4.
  7. Indiantown MarinaMile 29.5
  8. Railroad lift bridge at Port MayacaMile 38 · Lift span, 49 ft up and 7 ft down.
  9. U.S. 98–441 bridgeMile 38.8 · Fixed, 55 ft.
  10. Port Mayaca Lock and DamMile 40
  11. ClewistonMile 65 · Mile 65.0 via Route 1, Mile 75.7 via Route 2. Routes 1 and 2 combine here.
  12. Julian Keen, Jr. Lock and DamMile 78 · Formerly the Moore Haven Lock and Dam.
  13. U.S. 27 bridges at Moore HavenMile 78.4 · Twin fixed spans, 55 ft.
  14. Moore Haven City DocksMile 78.5
  15. Ortona Lock and DamMile 93.5
  16. LaBelleMile 102.9 · A pier and turning basin. SR 29 bascule bridge, 28 ft at the center.
  17. W.P. Franklin Lock and DamMile 121.4
  18. Edison Memorial Bridge, Fort MyersMile 134.5 · Fixed, 56 ft.
  • Lock
  • Bridge
  • Place with a guide page
  • Open water

Locks

LockMileChamberOver the sill
St. Lucie Lock and Dam15.1250 × 50 ft10 ft at low water
Port Mayaca Lock and Dam40400 × 56 ft14 ft
Julian Keen, Jr. Lock and Dam (formerly Moore Haven)78250 × 50 ft10 ft
Ortona Lock and Dam93.5250 × 50 ft12 ft
W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam121.4400 × 56 ft14 ft
  • Mileage runs west from the inlet. Mileage is measured westward from Mile 0.0 at the Intracoastal Waterway junction in St. Lucie Inlet, which is ICW Mile 987.8, and mileage signs stand at the five locks. West of Clewiston the mileage is based on Route 1.
  • The waterway has three published lengths. The district's waterway page says "154 mile long waterway", while the Port Mayaca, Julian Keen, Ortona and W.P. Franklin lock pages all give 152 miles. Coast Pilot 4 says "about 155 miles". The mile figures on this page are the Coast Pilot's throughout, so they stay consistent with each other.
  • Gauges at each lock show the depth of the day. Charted depths between the locks are referred to a canal stage, not to a tidal datum, so the figure that applies on the day is the one on the gauge: "Actual available depths are shown on gages displayed at each lock."
  • What the figure in the lock table is, and what it is not. It is the depth the Corps publishes for each lock, and the Corps labels it as the chamber: "Lock chamber: 50 feet wide x 250 feet long x 12 feet deep". "Over the sill" is the Coast Pilot's wording for its own, different figures. Neither is a sounding taken today – the gauge at the lock is.
  • Lockage takes 15 to 20 minutes. The locks run 365 days a year, and a lockage usually takes 15 to 20 minutes. Lock operators require every person aboard to wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket and engines to be turned off.
  • The locks also discharge the lake. The St. Lucie, Port Mayaca, Moore Haven, Ortona and W.P. Franklin locks are used for discharging water from Lake Okeechobee; the released water often creates high currents along the waterway. The depth over the upper sill of St. Lucie Lock is then reduced from 13.5 feet to 8 feet.
  • Standby areas at Moore Haven. Two standby areas have been established for vessels waiting to pass: about 275 yards northwest of the lock at the junction of the canals, and 150 yards southwest of it.
  • Route 2 is the rim route. Route 2 leaves the St. Lucie Canal at Mile 38.9 and follows the southern perimeter of the lake. Coast Pilot 4: "It is marked by daybeacons and is the route most used." Its one bridge is at Mile 60.7.
  • Current in the river and canal. "Normal current in the river and canal is about 1.5 knots; however, velocities are increased considerably during freshets." The diurnal range of tide is 1.2 feet at Fort Myers and 2.4 feet at Punta Rassa.
  • Manatee speed zones at the west end. Regulated speed zones for the protection of manatees are in the Caloosahatchee River from San Carlos Bay to the Edison Memorial Bridge (U.S. 41), and in Orange River.
  • Who to ask before you go. Maintenance of the waterway and operation of the locks are the charge of the USACE area office at Clewiston, 525 Ridgelawn Road, Clewiston, FL 33440-5399, telephone 863-983-8101.
Lock hours: The sources disagree.
  • "Operating hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year", with the last lockage beginning at 4:30 p.m. – the wording of all five lock pages. USACE – St. Lucie Lock and Dam
  • "The five navigation locks on the Okeechobee Waterway are operated from 0600 to 2130 daily; operating personnel are not on duty at other hours." NOAA Coast Pilot 4, ch. 12 (2026)

Shown here: We show the USACE hours, because the Jacksonville District operates the locks. Its own waterway page gives the same hours and says only "daily"; "365 days a year" is the wording of the five lock pages. Call before it matters: 863-983-8101.

Length of the waterway: The sources disagree.
  • "the 451,000 acre lake and 154 mile long waterway extends from the Atlantic Ocean at Stuart, to the Gulf of Mexico at Fort Meyers" USACE Jacksonville – Okeechobee Waterway
  • "The total length of the Okeechobee Waterway is about 155 miles from the Atlantic Waterway to the Gulf of America." NOAA Coast Pilot 4, ch. 12 (2026)

Shown here: We show the 154 miles from the district's own waterway page. Four USACE lock pages say 152 miles instead. Call before it matters: 863-983-8101.

Radio channel at the locks: The sources disagree.
  • "Navigation Locks monitor Marine VHF radio channel 13. Bridges monitor channel 9." USACE – St. Lucie Lock and Dam
  • "The locks monitor VHF-FM channel 16." NOAA Coast Pilot 4, ch. 12 (2026)

Shown here: We show channel 13 for the locks and channel 9 for the bridges, because that is what the lock operator publishes. Call before it matters: 863-983-8101.

Depth inside the lock: chamber or sill: The sources disagree.
  • St. Lucie "10 feet deep at low water", Port Mayaca "14 feet deep", Ortona "12 feet deep" – each lock page labels this as the lock chamber, not as a depth over the sill. USACE – St. Lucie Lock and Dam
  • St. Lucie "a depth of 12 feet over the sill", Port Mayaca "a depth of 16 feet over the sill", Ortona "a depth of 11 feet over the sills" NOAA Coast Pilot 4, ch. 12 (2026)

Shown here: We show the figures the lock operator publishes, under the operator's own wording. The two sources are not measuring the same thing, and neither is a sounding taken today. Julian Keen and W.P. Franklin are the two they agree on, at 10 ft and 14 ft. Call before it matters: 863-983-8101.

Coast Pilot 4 against itself on the sills: The sources disagree.
  • "Three of the five locks in the waterway have a length of 250 feet, width of 50 feet and depth over the sill of 10 feet." (¶437) The chapter's own paragraphs make those three St. Lucie, Julian Keen and Ortona. NOAA Coast Pilot 4, ch. 12 (2026)
  • Each of those locks is then given its own figure: St. Lucie "a depth of 12 feet over the sill" (¶452), Ortona "a depth of 11 feet over the sills" (¶488). Only Julian Keen keeps the 10 ft. NOAA Coast Pilot 4, ch. 12 (2026)

Shown here: One source, two numbers for the same sill, so we do not print either as the depth. Ask the Corps at Clewiston before it matters. Call before it matters: 863-983-8101.

The railroad swing bridge at Indiantown: The sources disagree.
  • "Seaboard System Railroad bridge, mile 28.2 at Indiantown … The swing bridge is not tendered locally, but will be monitored and operated by a remote operator." 33 CFR 117.317 (eCFR, title 33 as of 19 Oct 2026)
  • "The hand-operated swing span of the Seaboard System Railroad (SCL) bridge at Mile 28.5 has a channel width of 47 feet and a clearance of 7 feet." NOAA Coast Pilot 4, ch. 12 (2026)

Shown here: We show Mile 28.2 and the remote operator, because the regulation is the text in force. The mile strip places the stop there. Call before it matters: 813-677-3974.

Mile of the Port Mayaca Lock: The sources disagree.
  • "The Port Mayaca Lock, Mile 40.0, has a length of 400 feet, width of 56 feet and a depth of 16 feet." NOAA Coast Pilot 4, ch. 12 (2026)
  • "Port Mayaca Lock, about 300 yards west-southwest of the U.S. Route 98-441 highway bridge" – a bridge the same chapter puts at Mile 38.8, with the lake beginning at Mile 38.9 NOAA Coast Pilot 4, ch. 12 (2026)

Shown here: We show Mile 40.0, the figure the chapter prints. The same chapter contradicts itself here; we do not decide it. Call before it matters: 561-924-2858.

Depth the waterway was built for

Project depth, Route 1: Intracoastal Waterway near Stuart to Fort Myers
8 ft
Project depth, Route 1: Fort Myers to Punta Rassa
10 ft
Project depth, Route 1: Punta Rassa to the Gulf of America
12 ft
Project depth, Route 2: Port Mayaca westward to Clewiston
6 ft
Project depth, Taylor Creek: the town of Okeechobee to the lake
6 ft
Chart datum, St. Lucie Lock to Moore Haven Lock
a low water elevation 12.56 ft above mean sea level
Chart datum, Moore Haven Lock to Ortona Lock
a low water elevation 10.06 ft above mean sea level
Chart datum, Intracoastal Waterway to St. Lucie Lock
mean low water
Chart datum, Caloosahatchee River
mean lower low water

Project depth is what the channel was built for, not what it carries today. Controlling depths are published in the Local Notice to Mariners – use official charts and current notices.

Stops along the way

St. Lucie Inlet, junction with the Intracoastal WaterwayICW Mile 987.8.
Special anchorage, St. Lucie River33 CFR 110.73(c).
St. Lucie CanalSt. Lucie Lock and DamSt. Lucie Canal at IndiantownIndiantown MarinaEast side of Lake OkeechobeePort Mayaca Lock and DamClewiston, southwest side of Lake OkeechobeeRoland Martin Marina & ResortMile 65.0 via Route 1, Mile 75.7 via Route 2. Routes 1 and 2 combine here.West side of Lake OkeechobeeJulian Keen, Jr. Lock and DamFormerly the Moore Haven Lock and Dam.Caloosahatchee Canal at Moore HavenMoore Haven City DocksCaloosahatchee CanalOrtona Lock and Dam
LaBelleA pier and turning basin. SR 29 bascule bridge, 28 ft at the center.
Caloosahatchee River at OlgaW.P. Franklin Lock and Dam

Questions sailors ask

What is the lowest bridge on the Okeechobee Waterway?

The railroad lift bridge at Mile 38.0, just east of Port Mayaca Lock. Coast Pilot 4 publishes 49 feet with the span up and 7 feet with it down, and calls 49 feet the minimum clearance under bridges across the waterway. That figure is referred to a St. Lucie Canal stage of 14.5 feet, so it is a published clearance at a stated water level, not a measurement of the day. Depths and clearances change – check the current chart and the Local Notice to Mariners.

How deep is the Okeechobee Waterway?

It was built to 8 feet from the Intracoastal Waterway near Stuart across Lake Okeechobee on Route 1 to Fort Myers, then 10 feet to Punta Rassa and 12 feet to the Gulf of America. Route 2, the rim route from Port Mayaca west to Clewiston, was built to 6 feet. Those are project depths, not what the channel carries today: between the locks the charted depths are referred to a canal stage, and Coast Pilot 4 says the depths that apply are shown on gauges at each lock.

What are the lock hours on the Okeechobee Waterway?

The two primary sources disagree and we print both. The five USACE lock pages give 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year, with the last lockage beginning at 4:30 p.m.; Coast Pilot 4 says the locks are operated from 0600 to 2130 daily. We show the USACE hours because the Jacksonville District operates the locks, and the Corps office at Clewiston answers on 863-983-8101.

What VHF channel do the Okeechobee locks use?

Here too the sources differ. USACE publishes channel 13 for the navigation locks and channel 9 for the bridges; Coast Pilot 4 says the locks monitor VHF-FM channel 16. We show 13 and 9, because that is what the lock operator publishes, but both are primary and both stand.

Which route across Lake Okeechobee, Route 1 or Route 2?

Route 1 crosses the open lake and was built to 8 feet; Route 2 follows the south rim from Mile 38.9 and was built to 6 feet, with one bridge at Mile 60.7. Coast Pilot 4 says of Route 2 that it "is marked by daybeacons and is the route most used". The two combine at Clewiston, which is Mile 65.0 by Route 1 and Mile 75.7 by Route 2.

How many locks are there, and how long does a lockage take?

Five, all run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: St. Lucie at Mile 15.1, Port Mayaca at Mile 40.0, Julian Keen, Jr. at Mile 78, Ortona at Mile 93.5 and W.P. Franklin at Mile 121.4. USACE says a lockage usually takes 15 to 20 minutes. Everyone aboard must wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket and engines are turned off.

Sources & checks

Written by buoya editorial from the sources above. Every figure was checked against its source on 22 Oct 2026. Found something wrong? Report a correction.