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Powell Lake

Panama City Beach, Florida — Bay County.

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642Surface acres
4Public access sites
1.1 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 122196984).

Location & fast facts

Where Powell Lake is in Florida

The red circle marks Powell Lake.

Fast facts

About Powell Lake

  • Counties: Bay, Walton
  • City or town on the shore: Panama City Beach
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 21 mi from Panama City and 74 mi from Pensacola, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline (Florida: incorporated places touching the lake, otherwise the nearest one).

Fishing in Florida

Official FWC pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 2 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Walking. 1.1 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 5 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Lake map

Powell Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Lake Powell Public Boat Ramp (Boat launch)2Camp Helen State Park Kayak Rentals (Cartop / walk-in)3Camp Helen State Park Public Kayak Access (Cartop / walk-in)41 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchCartop / walk-inShoreline trail
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  2. 2Lake Powell Public Boat Ramp
    Boat launch · Panama City Beach
  3. 3Camp Helen State Park Kayak Rentals
    Cartop / walk-in · Panama City Beach
  4. 4Camp Helen State Park Public Kayak Access
    Cartop / walk-in · Panama City Beach

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 122196984), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: FWC Florida Boat Ramp Inventory and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

1.1 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 10%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
West shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 1.1 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Powell Lake shoreline, mostly along the west shore.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Camp Helen State Park Public Kayak Access, right on a shoreline trail (FWC boat ramp data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Powell Lake

We found 5 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Powell Lake. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

All campgrounds & RV parks in Florida

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (30.2756, -85.9820). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Powell Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Powell Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    4 public access sites listed, 2 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating30.2670, -85.9854
    Lake Powell Public Boat RampPanama City BeachBay CountyStand Alone Ramp · Concrete ramp · dock10 trailerNo feeBoating
    Portable Toilet
    30.2680, -85.9748
    Camp Helen State Park Kayak RentalsPanama City BeachFlorida Department of Environmental ProtectionHand Launch Only · dock5 trailerFeeBoating
    Flush Toilet
    30.2733, -85.9893
    Camp Helen State Park Public Kayak AccessPanama City BeachFlorida Department of Environmental ProtectionHand Launch Only · dock5 trailerFeeBoating
    Flush Toilet
    30.2750, -85.9885

    FWC Florida Boat Ramp Inventory and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Powell Lake

    How big is Powell Lake?

    Powell Lake covers about 642 acres in Panama City Beach, Florida (Bay County).

    Is there a public boat launch on Powell Lake?

    Yes. 2 public trailer launches are listed: Lake Powell Public Boat Ramp and Boat ramp. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Powell Lake?

    Yes. We list 5 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles.

    What towns are on Powell Lake?

    Powell Lake touches Panama City Beach in Bay County and Walton County, Florida.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Powell Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Florida lakes & ponds · All waters in Panama City Beach