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Waterfront & boating

What are the manatee zones and boat speed limits in Boca Raton and Broward County?

Short answer

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules set manatee speed zones on the Intracoastal and connected waters: in Broward, the Intracoastal is generally a maximum 25 mph zone with slow speed within 50 feet of shore unless a stricter zone applies, and in Boca Raton the stretch from the Palmetto Park Road bridge to the Camino Real bridge, including all of Lake Boca Raton, is slow speed year-round. Seasonal zones in both counties run November 15 through March 31, and zones are enforceable only where signs are posted.

What do the speed terms mean?

Under Rule 68C-22.002, idle speed means no faster than needed to keep steerageway and headway. Slow speed means the boat is fully off plane and completely settled in the water, moving at a reasonable speed that avoids excessive wake; no number is assigned. A maximum 25 mph zone limits speed over the bottom to 25 miles per hour. FWC says zones are not enforceable until signs are posted, and where rules overlap, the most restrictive one applies and is posted.[3][1]

Broward County zones (Rule 68C-22.010)

Highlights of the rule, last amended in 2011:

  • Intracoastal countywide, where nothing stricter applies: maximum 25 mph, with slow speed within 50 feet of the shoreline.
  • Palm Beach County line south to Intracoastal marker 68A: slow speed November 15 through March 31.
  • Hillsboro Inlet Area, including Hillsboro Bay and the inlet: slow speed.
  • Hillsboro Canal near Deerfield Island Park, Cypress Creek and Pompano Canal: slow speed.
  • From 500 feet south of the Atlantic Boulevard bridge to Burnham Point, plus Lake Santa Barbara: slow speed on weekends and holidays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., November 15 through March 31.[4]

Boca Raton and Palm Beach County zones (Rule 68C-22.009)

Selected zones from the rule that apply in and near Boca Raton:

  • Palmetto Park Road bridge to Camino Real bridge, including all of Lake Boca Raton east to the A1A bridge over the inlet: slow speed year-round.
  • Lake Wyman, from marker 56 to marker 63: slow speed year-round.
  • Within 50 feet of the shoreline from the Camino Real bridge south to the Broward line, and along the Palm Beach side of the Hillsboro Canal west to Military Trail: slow speed.
  • The backwater north of the Spanish River Boulevard bridge, west of the Intracoastal: slow speed.[5]

Are there other no-wake zones?

Yes. Under Section 327.46, Florida Statutes (2026), FWC and local governments can create boating-restricted areas, such as idle speed near boat ramps and slow speed within 300 feet of bridge fender systems or on waterways less than 75 feet wide, and they must be marked with regulatory markers. FWC publishes county maps of manatee zones and boating-restricted areas, but boaters are told to follow what is posted on the water.[6][2]

Key takeaways

  • Slow speed means fully off plane and settled, with no numeric limit.
  • Broward's Intracoastal is generally 25 mph outside 50 feet from shore, with stricter local and seasonal zones.
  • Lake Boca Raton and the Intracoastal from Palmetto Park Road to Camino Real are slow speed year-round.
  • Seasonal manatee zones in both counties run November 15 through March 31, and posted signs control.

Sources

  1. [1]Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — Manatee Protection Zones
  2. [2]Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — Manatee Data and Maps
  3. [3]Florida Administrative Code — Rule 68C-22.002, Definitions (manatee protection)
  4. [4]Florida Administrative Code — Rule 68C-22.010, Broward County Zones (manatee protection)
  5. [5]Florida Administrative Code — Rule 68C-22.009, Palm Beach County Zones (manatee protection)
  6. [6]Florida Legislature — 2026 Florida Statutes, Section 327.46 (boating-restricted areas)

Reviewed October 11, 2026. General real-estate information for Florida, not legal, tax, lending or insurance advice. Laws, rates and deadlines change — confirm property-specific facts with the agency cited, a Florida real-estate attorney, CPA or licensed insurance agent.

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