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

Picnic Island Beach

Florida

Ocean beach in Florida, facing south-east, with parking and bathrooms within walking distance.

  • Calm water 10.0
  • Free parking
  • Sunrise over water
  • Bathrooms
  • HoursClosed now, opens 7:13 am
  • ParkingFree, 4 lots within 1,310 ft
  • DirectionsGoogle Maps
5.4/ 10Fair
How we score beaches
Calm water
10.0 of 10
Water
88 Ftoday
Sunset
7:40 pmover land
Parking
Free4 within 1,310 ft
Rip risk
Lowtoday
Families
Very good
73of 100

Today, Thursday, Sep 10

Fair beach day

Calm water · very warm water. Watch: 27% rain chance, wind.

77 Fpartly cloudy
High
87 F
Sea temperature
88 F
Waves
0.1 ftup to 0.3 ft
Wind
6 mphup to 17 mph
Rain chance
27%
UV index
8high
Sun
7:13 am to 7:40 pm
Surf zoneNWS Tampa Bay Ruskin forecast for Coastal Hillsborough, issued 4:00 am EDT, Wed Sep 9
  • Rip current riskLowtoday
  • Surf1 ft or less
  • ThunderstormsModerate
  • Rip risk tonightLow
Tidesnext high at 3:20 am
  1. High3:20 am2.2 ft
  2. Low8:27 am1.1 ft
  3. High2:42 pm3.0 ft
  4. Low9:36 pm0.6 ft
  1. 8:00 am77 Fpartly cloudy, 3% rain, 5 mph
  2. 11:00 am · best83 Fclear, 3% rain, 3 mph
  3. 2:00 pm87 Fmostly clear, 8% rain, 4 mph
  4. 5:00 pm82 Fovercast, 23% rain, 17 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 Old Port Tampa (8726607), 0.7 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 10.0, bathrooms nearby
  • SwimmingExcellentWaves around 0.8 ft, sea 77 F on average
  • SunsetsLimitedsunrise over the water instead
  • ConvenienceLimited4 parking lots, no food mapped
How the Beach Score is calculated: 5.4 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 water2.0 of 2Mean daily maximum wave 0.8 ft.
Warm water0.7 of 1Mean sea temperature 77 F.
Sunset over water0.0 of 1The shore faces away from the sunset all year.

Ranks #2 of 46 for calm water in Florida, #13 of 55 for sunrise over water in Florida, #20 of 38 for free parking in Florida, #42 of 81 for bathrooms in Florida, #53 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

  • Parking4 nearby
  • Free parking4 nearby
  • Bathrooms2 nearby
  • ShowersNo
  • Restaurants and barsNo
  • Beachfront hotelsNo
  • Hotels nearbyNo
  • Beachfront campingNo
  • Camping nearbyNo
  • PierNo
  • BoardwalkNo

Water, sand, and nature

  • Sunrise over waterYes, October to February
  • Calm water10.0 of 10
  • Warm water6.6 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
sunrise to sunset, daily
Operator
Run by City of Tampa
Address
Picnic Island Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33616

From City of Tampa, checked Sep 6, 2026. Hours and fees change; the official page is the final word. Address from OpenStreetMap (nearest road, approximate).

Sunset and sunrise

The shore faces south-east (133 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 hot, with very warm water and some rainy days.

Water
81 FVery warm
High
84 FHot
Rainy day
34%Some rain
Waves
0.8 ftUsually calm

What to expect

  • Very warm swimming water, around 81 F
  • Typically calm conditions, waves around 0.8 ft
  • Some rainy days in October (9 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

2 October storms within 62.1 mi since 1980, about one every 23 years, 1 at hurricane strength. Most recent in any month: Hurricane Milton, October 2024, 25.3 mi away. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks, counted at tropical storm strength or stronger. Season dates from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Picnic 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 overallOctober to Novembermild water · fewer rainy days · calm water · warm days
  • Warmest waterJuly to August89 F average
  • DriestNovember4 rainy days a month
All monthly averages, 2023-2025Picnic Island Beach: sea and air temperature by monthMonthly mean sea surface temperature and daily maximum air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.5060708090100110JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (F)Air, daily max
MonthSea tempAir maxRain daysWave height
Jan62 F (17 C)68 F (20 C)81.0 ft
Feb67 F (19 C)75 F (24 C)50.9 ft
Mar72 F (22 C)78 F (26 C)91.0 ft
Apr77 F (25 C)85 F (29 C)71.0 ft
May83 F (28 C)89 F (32 C)100.8 ft
Jun86 F (30 C)89 F (32 C)210.7 ft
Jul89 F (32 C)91 F (33 C)220.5 ft
Aug89 F (32 C)90 F (32 C)210.7 ft
Sep86 F (30 C)88 F (31 C)190.6 ft
Oct80 F (26 C)84 F (29 C)90.9 ft
Nov73 F (23 C)79 F (26 C)40.7 ft
Dec66 F (19 C)73 F (23 C)50.8 ft

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

Explore Picnic Island Beach

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

All places near Picnic Island Beach as a list (15)

Beach access Main access and 2 more · Nearest parking 240 ft · Nearest restrooms 140 ft

Distances are straight-line to the nearest point of a 600 m stretch of shoreline around the beach's mapped point (OpenStreetMap maps this beach as a point); walking times assume 80 m a minute. Access points are where OpenStreetMap paths, steps, and boardwalks meet the beach. Coordinates 27.8478, -82.5528. 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 Picnic Island Beach

Is there parking at Picnic Island Beach?

Yes. 4 mapped parking areas within 1,310 ft, including Picnic Island Canoe Car Parking. Source: OpenStreetMap.

How warm is the water at Picnic Island Beach?

Sea surface temperature averages 89 F (32 C) in July and 62 F (17 C) in January. Source: Open-Meteo marine model, monthly means.

Is the water calm at Picnic Island Beach?

Calm water scores 10.0 of 10. Mean daily maximum wave height is 0.8 ft. Source: Open-Meteo marine model.

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

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

When is hurricane season at Picnic 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, 17 named storms passed within 62.1 mi of the beach, 6 at hurricane strength, most in August, September and November. 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 Old Port Tampa (8726607), public domain
  • Rip current risk, surf, and alerts from the National Weather Service TBW office for Coastal Hillsborough (FLZ151), 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.