About 60 miles southeast of Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor is a wide, elbow-shaped bay carrying 9-foot MLW depths to Punta Gorda at the mouth of the Peace River. Stretching 20 miles long and 10 miles wide, Charlotte Harbor offers a lot for the cruising boater.

Charlotte Harbor is formed by the confluence of the Peace and Myakka Rivers. Tidal range averages 2 feet but winds from the west reportedly can increase water levels as much as 5 feet. The open sweep and relatively uniform depths of water in Charlotte Harbor provide a welcome change from the narrow, shoal-bordered GIWW. The high sandbars that protect the shoreline limit opportunities for gunkholing but both the Peace and Myakka Rivers compensate for that weakness by offering opportunities for scenic dinghy trips.