Hickory Point Boat Ramp

Hickory Point is the front door of the Harris Chain, and the county rebuilt it as one: six new concrete lanes — longer and deeper than the dozen scattered ramps they replaced — with concrete floating docks, ADA gangways, and slips sized to launch boats up to 30 feet. The phased rebuild never closed the lake and ribbon-cut in February 2025.

The park sits on the point where Lake Harris and Little Lake Harris meet — the one launch serving both basins on equal terms: big water north, quiet grass south, pick at the ramp. The 68-acre park is a full day out: swimming beach, mile-long boardwalk through the cypress marsh, playground, two fishing piers, and a screened pavilion seating 275.

This complex averages close to a tournament a weekend in season — the chain's Bassmaster and MLF pedigree runs through this basin, and the rebuilt lanes exist substantially to move a hundred-boat field fast. Treat event mornings as a spectator sport or launch elsewhere; the rest of the week, six lanes mean you'll rarely wait.

Rare for Florida lake ramps: the deep slips here handle deep-draft vessels, and the staging areas give mast-stepping the room it needs — sailors call this the best launch on the chain, and the day-use marina (no overnight mooring) covers the in-between hours.

Idle out with respect for the Howey Bridge narrows just south — wind funnels through, traffic converges, and the twin basins trade chop through the gap. Once clear, you have seventy-six thousand connected acres to work with.