Fort Walton Beach Flags Today

No, the names just sound alike. Fort Walton Beach is in Okaloosa County. South Walton is the Walton County coast, from Miramar Beach and Sandestin east along 30A, about 15 miles away.

They have different lifeguards and fly different flags, so a South Walton flag report doesn’t tell you what’s flying in Fort Walton Beach.

Fort Walton Beach: 🟡 YELLOW FLAGSouth Walton (Miramar Beach): 🟡 YELLOW FLAG

Usually, yes. Okaloosa County puts out one combined Destin–Fort Walton Beach flag, so Okaloosa Island and Destin normally show the same color. On a day they differ, the card at the top of this page shows Fort Walton’s own flag. Destin’s is on our Destin beach flags page.

On Okaloosa Island, across the Brooks Bridge from downtown Fort Walton Beach. When people say they’re going to the beach in Fort Walton, this is where they mean, and it’s the flag shown at the top of this page.

Okaloosa County’s beach lifeguards, based on surf, rip currents, wind and marine life. They set the flag each morning and can change it during the day. Miramar Beach and 30A are covered by South Walton Fire District instead.

• Green: low hazard, calm conditions.
• Yellow: moderate surf and currents, use caution.
• Red: high hazard, strong surf or currents.
• Double red: the water is closed to the public.
• Purple: dangerous marine life, like jellyfish. Purple can fly with any other color.

No. Double red means the water is closed to the public, and you can be fined for going in. Even on a single red flag day, stay out past your knees if you’re not a strong swimmer.