Matanzas Pass Mooring Field

The Town of Fort Myers Beach runs 89 mooring balls in Matanzas Pass, west of the Sky Bridge between San Carlos and Estero Island. The town rents them to the public year-round and accommodates vessels up to 70 feet in length; if your boat is longer, the town asks you to contact the Mooring Field Office at (239) 224-4118 rather than simply turning up.

The town's page reads "The Matanzas Pass Mooring Field has REOPENED following Hurricane Ian." It carries no date of its own, so we can say only that it said so when this page was checked, on 22 October 2026. The harbor office is on 239-224-4118 and the harbormaster's cell on 239-413-9626; staff are available Monday through Friday 7:00am – 3:00pm, and the field works VHF 16.

The daily rate is $35.00 plus tax and applies up to a 27-night stay. From 28 nights the town charges a monthly rate of $532.84, which it bases on 28 days – so the 28th night is where the arithmetic changes, not the end of a calendar month.

Reservations and payment run through the town's online DOCKWA system, and cancellations must be 24 or more hours in advance. Neither rate carries an "effective from" date on the town's page; they are what the operator published when this page was checked.

This field has conditions, and they are worth reading before you book. The town requires current insurance with a minimum of $100,000 liability coverage, and a Type 1, 2, or 3 marine sanitation device. Moored vessels are required to pump out black water weekly, by the Town Pumpout Vessel.

Ashore there are two public dinghy docks. For showers and laundry the town says it is currently using the amenities of the Matanzas Inn, with the passcode from staff. The office does not receive mail on behalf of patrons.

Matanzas (Estero) Pass opens into the southeast end of San Carlos Bay, 2.5 miles from Sanibel Island Light. The Coast Pilot's note on the entrance is a short one and the important one: the entrance channel navigational aids were relocated to mark the best water due to severe shoaling, and local knowledge is advised. Aids that have been moved are aids whose charted positions may be older than their real ones.

Overhead, the highway bridge connecting Fort Myers Beach on Estero Island with San Carlos Island has a fixed span with a clearance of 65 feet. The bridge from San Carlos Island to the mainland is a different matter: a 31-foot fixed span with a clearance of 6 feet, which rules out that way round for anything with a mast.