BeachesWith
Aerial view of Fort Island Beach in Crystal River, Florida, shoreline and surroundings, USDA NAIP imagery from May 20232 photos
Aerial imagery: USDA NAIP 2023 via USGS National Map, public domain (source)

Fort Island Beach

Crystal River, Florida

Ocean beach in Crystal River, facing south, with parking and bathrooms within walking distance.

  • Calm water 8.8
  • Pier
  • Bathrooms
  • HoursNot on file
  • Parking2 lots within 1,310 ft
  • DirectionsGoogle Maps
5.1/ 10Fair
How we score beaches
Calm water
8.8 of 10
Water
87 Ftoday
Sunset
7:41 pmover land
Parking
Mapped2 within 1,310 ft
Rip risk
Lowtoday
Families
Very good
86of 100

Today, Thursday, Sep 10

Good beach day

Calm water · very warm water · light wind. Watch: 24% rain chance.

74 Fovercast
High
84 F
Sea temperature
87 F
Waves
0.3 ftup to 0.5 ft
Wind
4 mphup to 7 mph
Rain chance
24%
UV index
8high
Sun
7:13 am to 7:41 pm
Surf zoneNWS Tampa Bay Ruskin forecast for Coastal Citrus, issued 4:00 am EDT, Wed Sep 9
  • Rip current riskLowtoday
  • Surf1 ft or less
  • ThunderstormsModerate
  • Rip risk tonightLow
Tidesnext high at 2:49 am
  1. High2:49 am2.2 ft
  2. Low8:56 am0.4 ft
  3. High2:47 pm3.1 ft
  4. Low9:45 pm-0.0 ft
  1. 8:00 am · best75 Fclear, 4% rain, 3 mph
  2. 11:00 am82 Fclear, 4% rain, 4 mph
  3. 2:00 pm84 Fclear, 10% rain, 7 mph
  4. 5:00 pm84 Fclear, 24% rain, 5 mph

Forecast for Thursday, Sep 10, local time (GMT-4). Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, refreshed hourly. Sea temperature and waves are model values for the nearest offshore point. Tides from NOAA CO-OPS station Shell Island, north end (8727359), 1.1 mi from the beach, heights above MLLW. Rip current risk and surf from the National Weather Service Surf Zone Forecast for the zone; a low risk still means rip currents near piers, jetties, and inlets.The rating rule is on the methodology page. Planning a future date? See typical weather by month.

Great for

  • FamiliesVery goodCalm water 8.8, bathrooms nearby
  • SwimmingVery goodWaves around 1.4 ft, sea 75 F on average
  • SunsetsLimitedsets over land
  • ConvenienceLimited2 parking lots, no food mapped
How the Beach Score is calculated: 5.1 of 10

The score is the sum of the components below. Clear water counts only where a clarity source exists. Rankings never take revenue as an input.

ComponentPointsFact
Facilities1.8 of 3Within walking distance: parking, bathrooms.
Calm water1.8 of 2Mean daily maximum wave 1.4 ft.
Warm water0.6 of 1Mean sea temperature 75 F.
Sunset over water0.0 of 1The shore faces away from the sunset all year.

Ranks #8 of 18 for boardwalk in Florida, #20 of 46 for calm water in Florida, #33 of 67 for pier in Florida, #54 of 81 for bathrooms in Florida, #70 of 124 for parking in Florida. All beaches in Florida.

Verdicts on the cards come from the same facts. Sources: OpenStreetMap (Sep 10, 2026), Open-Meteo (Sep 10, 2026). The formula is on the methodology page.

Amenities

  • Parking2 nearby
  • Free parkingNo
  • Bathrooms1 nearby
  • ShowersNo
  • Restaurants and barsNo
  • Beachfront hotelsNo
  • Hotels nearbyNo
  • Beachfront campingNo
  • Camping nearbyNo
  • Pier1 nearby
  • Boardwalk2 nearby

Water, sand, and nature

  • Calm water8.8 of 10
  • Warm water5.8 of 10

Nearby means within walking distance of the beach centre (980 ft to 1,640 ft, by kind), from OpenStreetMap. Scores are 0 to 10. Sources: OpenStreetMap (Sep 10, 2026), Open-Meteo (Sep 10, 2026); the method for each is on the methodology page.

Hours, fees, and rules

Hours and fees are not on file yet. The operator's site

Address
West Fort Island Trail, Citrus County, FL

Address from OpenStreetMap (nearest road, approximate).

Sunset and sunrise

The shore faces south (182 degrees). The sun sets over land all year.

Computed from the OpenStreetMap coastline and the sunset azimuth for each month.

Planning a trip

Early October is usually warm, with warm water and some rainy days.

Water
79 FWarm
High
82 FWarm
Rainy day
26%Some rain
Waves
1.3 ftUsually calm

What to expect

  • Warm swimming water, around 79 F
  • Typically calm conditions, waves around 1.3 ft
  • Some rainy days in October (7 a month)
  • October is within Atlantic hurricane season, at its peak
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, peak from mid-August to late October. Storm history near this beach

1 October storm within 62.1 mi since 1980, about one every 46 years. Most recent in any month: Tropical Storm Nicole, November 2022, 1.9 mi away. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks, counted at tropical storm strength or stronger. Season dates from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Fort Island Beach through the year

Warm water
Low rain
Calm water

Darker is better: warmer water, fewer rainy days, calmer water. Monthly means, 2023-2025, from Open-Meteo. Values for a date blend the nearest two months; the bands and the rule are on the methodology page.

When to go

  • Best overallApril to Mayvery warm water · calm water · warm days
  • Warmest waterJuly to August89 F average
  • DriestFebruary5 rainy days a month
All monthly averages, 2023-2025Fort Island Beach: sea and air temperature by monthMonthly mean sea surface temperature and daily maximum air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.405060708090100JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (F)Air, daily max
MonthSea tempAir maxRain daysWave height
Jan58 F (14 C)64 F (18 C)71.9 ft
Feb63 F (17 C)70 F (21 C)51.5 ft
Mar70 F (21 C)74 F (23 C)81.8 ft
Apr75 F (24 C)79 F (26 C)61.6 ft
May81 F (27 C)83 F (29 C)111.3 ft
Jun85 F (30 C)87 F (30 C)191.4 ft
Jul88 F (31 C)88 F (31 C)191.1 ft
Aug89 F (31 C)89 F (32 C)201.4 ft
Sep85 F (30 C)87 F (31 C)151.1 ft
Oct78 F (26 C)81 F (27 C)71.3 ft
Nov71 F (22 C)75 F (24 C)51.2 ft
Dec63 F (17 C)68 F (20 C)61.5 ft

Monthly means, 2023-2025. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com. Wave height is the mean of daily maximum significant wave height.

Explore Fort Island Beach

Parking, food, stays, and facilities around the beach, mapped in OpenStreetMap within 0.7 mi.

All places near Fort Island Beach as a list (5)

Nearest parking 260 ft · Nearest restrooms 250 ft

Distances are straight-line from the beach's mapped point; walking times assume 80 m a minute. Access points are where OpenStreetMap paths, steps, and boardwalks meet the beach. Coordinates 28.9076, -82.6909. Open this spot in OpenStreetMap or Google Maps. Missing or wrong? Fix it in OpenStreetMap and it appears here after the next weekly update.

Nearby beaches

Questions about Fort Island Beach

Is there parking at Fort Island Beach?

Yes. 2 mapped parking areas within 1,310 ft. Source: OpenStreetMap.

How warm is the water at Fort Island Beach?

Sea surface temperature averages 88 F (31 C) in July and 58 F (14 C) in January. Source: Open-Meteo marine model, monthly means.

Is the water calm at Fort Island Beach?

Calm water scores 8.8 of 10. Mean daily maximum wave height is 1.4 ft. Source: Open-Meteo marine model.

Can you see the sunset over the water at Fort Island Beach?

No. The shore faces away from the sunset all year.

When is hurricane season at Fort Island Beach?

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with the peak from mid-August to late October, per the NOAA National Hurricane Center. Since 1980, 15 named storms passed within 62.1 mi of the beach, 3 at hurricane strength, most in June, August and September. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks.

Sources

  • © OpenStreetMap contributors (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Storm tracks from the NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 archive, public domain (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Tide predictions from NOAA CO-OPS station Shell Island, north end (8727359), public domain
  • Rip current risk, surf, and alerts from the National Weather Service TBW office for Coastal Citrus (FLZ142), public domain

Licenses and refresh dates for every dataset are on the data page. Something wrong? Every beach page has a report button; corrections are logged with a date.

© OpenStreetMap contributors. Beach location, shoreline, and amenity positions are from OpenStreetMap under the ODbL. Data updated Sep 10, 2026.