Waterfowl hunt opener conditions

Water/marsh conditions: Bear River Bay has held water all summer this year, and as of Sept. 9 there is enough water to launch a boat. However, 50 yards from the boat launch, water is only inches deep.

Bird use: Bird numbers are good with birds showing up earlier than normal. Green-winged teal, cinnamon teal and pintail are the three most abundant species. A few Canada geese are around as of mid-September.

Access: Gates will open Sept. 19. It is unlikely that staff will be able to mow the road and parking lot before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt. However, both are passable and can be used. Road and parking lot will be mowed before the general opener.

General information: Bear River Bay is in the Northern goose area. Dark goose hunting will be closed Oct. 13–25.

The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Please see the following resources for more information about hunting and access at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge:

• Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge website
• Hunting at Bear River MBR
• Bear River MBR hunting brochure and map
• National Wildlife Refuge general hunting laws
• General Refuge rules and policies
• Contact Bear River MBR or call 435-723-5887

The Blackhawk Waterfowl Management Area was acquired in 2023. Currently, there is no public access to this property. The DWR is actively collaborating with the Salt Lake City International Airport to establish access to the area, with the goal of opening it to the public as soon as possible.

Water/marsh conditions: Water levels on the Headquarters unit are very low. Water levels on the Butch Cassidy unit will be close to full. The Bridgeport unit will be low until repairs on the pump are completed. Ponds on the Parsons unit will be full. River levels are expected to range from 860 to 2500 cubic feet per second, depending on dam releases.

Access: Road access from Dutch John to the Bridgeport unit is in good condition. Road access to the Parsons and Butch Cassidy units are somewhat rough, but passable. The swinging bridge is open in Colorado and has a maximum width of 8 feet.

Bird use: Current bird numbers are low due to low water levels. Youth Waterfowl Hunt particpants should expect to see some birds, which typically decoy well. For the regular season opener, hunters will mostly see mallards, green-winged teal, wigeons and gadwalls. Hunters should expect to see few Canada geese this year.

General information: Water levels will be variable. Storms may wash out roads which will be repaired as quickly as possible.

Marsh/water conditions:

• Clear Lake: The spring flows at Clear Lake are similar to last year with no huntable water available for the opening of the season. The water levels will hopefully increase as the season progresses. The entire WMA has never been this dry. Areas south of the county road have no water. There is no water north of the county road for the beginning of the season. Like last year, the water will begin to fill areas as the weather cools down. The west marsh area continues to be dry. Conditions improve as the season progresses; more ducks show up and water increases with each passing week. With the wet winter and increased moisture in the area, there is optimism for some water to begin increasing on the area. The underground water has not arrived yet.
• Topaz Slough: Marsh conditions at Topaz Slough are completely dry.
• Redmond: Redmond has good conditions on small impoundments, and also has foot access to the Sevier River.
• Bicknell Bottoms: Bicknell Bottoms has excellent conditions. Water levels are good, and waterfowl numbers are up this year. Much work has been done to improve the area for both waterfowl and upland hunting.

Access: All of the areas allow only nonmotorized boats due to shallow water conditions. Camping is allowed at Clear Lake in parking lots, and fires are permitted. ATVs are prohibited on all areas listed.

Waterfowl use:

• Clear Lake: Clear Lake duck numbers increase as the season progresses. Good numbers of ducks show up as soon as the weather turns colder. They are expected to continue increasing with peak numbers around Jan. 1. These ducks begin using flooded annual weeds and can provide some great late-season hunting with easy access. The most common ducks at Clear Lake are mallards, pintails and green-wing teal.
• Bicknell Bottoms: Good numbers of ducks and geese can be found at Bicknell Bottoms. Bicknell Bottoms offers good hunting both early season and late season.
• Redmond: Redmond is generally better for duck hunting earlier in the season.

Bicknell Bottoms WMA

Upland bird hunting and fishing opportunities: Clear Lake, Redmond and Bicknell Bottoms are all good places to try pheasant hunting. Each area is open for pheasant hunting for 30 days and has excellent habitat for the birds and hunters to enjoy. Please check the current Upland Game & Turkey Guidebook for details and shooting hours. Clear Lake, Redmond and Bicknell Bottoms all receive released pheasants each week during the general pheasant hunt. If hunters are looking to get away from the crowds, try these areas.

Bicknell Bottoms also has excellent trout fishing.

General information:

• Southern duck zone season is open Oct. 12, 2024 through Jan. 25, 2025. The Youth Waterfowl Hunt is Sept. 28.
• Youth pheasant and quail hunting is open statewide Oct. 26–31.
• Steel shot is required to hunt at all times inside Clear Lake and Bicknell Bottoms.
• Gunnison Bend Reservoir is a large rest area in Delta. Many waterfowl stay there during the day and fly off eventually to go feed in the surrounding agricultural fields. Some success is found by scouting and asking permission to hunt private lands.

Water/marsh conditions: Due to wet conditions in the area, most ponds are holding water well. One dike is leaking water by the headgate, but still holds a little water. Ponds retained water for the whole year and should provide good cover and food for migrating birds this fall. Ponds are currently holding resident birds.

Access: The ponds can be accessed on the county roads that go through the property. Six parking lots can be found along the county roads for waterfowl hunters. No camping is allowed on the Desert Lake WMA. Please use adjacent BLM property for overnight use.

Bird use: Waterfowl numbers have begun to increase over the last month and should remain steady until the general opener. Waterfowl numbers typically go down following the opener until the migration begins. There should be waterfowl present for the Youth Waterfowl Hunt and they should decoy well. Common species present include widgeons, gadwalls, mallards, green-wing teal, redheads, Canada geese and coots.

Water/marsh conditions:

• Farmington Bay WMA: The wetland conditions at Farmington Bay WMA are currently favorable within the impounded units in preparation for the upcoming waterfowl season. However, conditions outside these impounded units may be variable due to fluctuating water levels. We anticipate that all units will reach the appropriate hunt levels by Oct. 5, ensuring readiness for the waterfowl opener.

  

  The habitat within the interior sheet-flow wetlands and impoundments at Farmington Bay WMA is in great condition, thanks to recent management efforts. Herbicide treatments and controlled cattle grazing have effectively managed invasive phragmites. Herbicide application was carried out on all dike lines and other accessible areas in August 2024 using Marsh Masters, track machines and road vehicles. These measures are expected to significantly enhance habitat quality, fostering optimal bird activity at the WMA this year.

  Additionally, grazing and drought stress management have been employed to further control phragmites across various areas of the WMA. Continued grazing treatments north of Turpin are anticipated to offer excellent loafing areas for birds and improve hunting access. Furthermore, in February of this year Turpin underwent carp treatment, resulting in exceptional sago pondweed production.

• Timpie Springs WMA: Although Timpie Springs WMA is a small wetland complex, marsh conditions and habitat are considered good to excellent. Specifically, Timpie Springs WMA consists of two large impoundments, some sheet-flow wetlands, mudflat and some areas of upland habitat (totaling 1440 acres). The wetland vegetation is characterized by low standing saltgrass and few bullrush species. Both ponds at Timpie Springs WMA are full and spilling water onto sheet-flow wetlands or surrounding mudflats.
• Layton-Kaysville WMA: Marsh conditions at Layton-Kaysville are fair to poor due to phragmites encroachment and low water.
• Air-boating conditions at the WMAs: Conditions in the shallow bays of the Great Salt Lake are looking good for this upcoming waterfowl season. Hunters should consider hazards, multiple changes in vegetation and large expanses of mudflat that exist (and change yearly) outside the diked units in the open waters of Farmington Bay, Layton-Kaysville wetlands and the Great Salt Lake. Managers will allow water to spill from the airboat launch as long as the interior units and sheet flow wetlands have the appropriate amount of water.

Access:

• All of the access points to Farmington Bay WMA will be open on Thursday, Sept. 19 by 8 a.m. Because of submerged hazards, a wakeless boat speed is recommended in all of the water impoundments. Consider how well you'll be able to retrieve birds before you choose a place to hunt.
• Access to Timpie Springs WMA is permitted year-round.
• Access to Gaily wetlands will be open two days prior to the Youth Waterfowl Hunt, which occurs on Sept. 19.
• The DWR no longer manages the Layton-Kaysville access near Rouche Lane in west Farmington (the access is permanently closed). This access point was replaced with the 950 North exit off West Davis Corridor in Farmington.

Bird use: There are currently large numbers of ducks and geese at Farmington Bay WMA. Managers anticipate an increase in bird use and distribution during September within our impounded wetlands due to the good habitat conditions within them (especially when we start flooding all sheet flow wetlands in mid-September). Waterfowl hunters can expect to see large numbers of cinnamon teal, gadwalls and pintails early in the season. Diving ducks typically show up later in October. Tundra swans are typically harvested at Farmington Bay WMA in larger numbers during mid-to-late November, while dark goose hunting typically improves during the extended goose hunt.

General information:

• The northwest corner of Unit 1 at Farmington Bay is a waterfowl rest area and is closed to hunting and trespass.
• The area west of the main entrance road to the first right bend in the road, and north of the road until you get to Goose Egg Island, is closed except for education purposes.
• Shooting is prohibited at Farmington Bay within 600 feet of all dikes and any road open to motorized vehicles.
• Airboats are prohibited within diked units.
• The South Crystal unit is a motorless unit.
• Camping is allowed in parking areas only. Open fires are prohibited. Please clean your campsite so that we can continue to allow camping.
• The hunting blind for people with disabilities is by reservation only. Contact David England at 385-405-4852 for reservations/rules.

The Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Please see the following resources for more information:

• Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge website
• Hunting at Fish Springs NWR
• National Wildlife Refuge general hunting laws
• General Refuge rules and policies
• Contact Fish Springs NWR or call 435-693-3122

Water/marsh conditions: Generally, marsh and impoundment conditions are great.

• Main impoundments: There is excellent aquatic vegetation growth in the south impoundment. The east and west impoundments were dry this summer so that the center dike could be reconstructed.
• Exterior flats: There are great conditions on flats to the east. Areas north and west of the impoundments are beginning to flood.
• Rainbow unit: As of mid-September the Rainbow Pond is filling with water and should have water throughout the hunt. The area north of the Rail Trail also looks good on the east end. It was burned and then grazed by cattle and has good water.

Access:

• Gates will be opened on Thursday, Sept. 19.
• The road with three parking lots accessing the west Rainbow unit is in good condition. The main Harold Crane parking lot has been improved, also.
• The federal Bureau of Reclamation road to Harold Crane through Willard Bay Upland Game Bird Area is in fair shape because of the hard work that our waterfowl maintenance crew has done. The headgate bridges are slightly narrower than the road, so be careful.

Bird numbers:

• Main impoundments: Great numbers of ducks on the south impoundment. Not many ducks on the northwest or northeast pond.
• Rainbow unit: Fair number of birds north of the Rail Trail in the phragmites treatment area.
• Goose numbers are good overall.

General information: Hunting should be great for the Youth Waterfowl Hunt and general opener if the birds stick around.

Water/marsh conditions: Conditions are great in main impoundments. Water is at full pool/spilling levels and contains excellent sago pondweed growth. Conditions outside of the impoundment are also excellent thanks to intensive cattle grazing. Some seasonal, small ponds on the Hooper Hot Springs unit are low and/or dry.

Access: The access road will be graded. Gates will be opened on Thursday, Sept. 19.

Bird numbers: Great bird numbers are in main impoundments. The grazed area has a lot of birds. Generally, duck numbers have been holding well, and goose and swan numbers have increased here substantially in the last few years.

General information: Howard Slough WMA had some of the best WMA Youth Waterfowl Hunt success in the region the last few years and should be great again this year. It should hunt well throughout the season also. For its size it holds up very well under extremely heavy hunting pressure, and tundra swan hunting is expected to be good later on.

Water/marsh conditions: The water levels are very low and impoundments are dry. There is a little water along the East Lake dike.

Access: Roads are a little rough. Gates will open Sept. 19.

Bird use: Bird numbers are extremely low. Mallards, pintails and green-winged teal are the primary birds. There are very few Canada geese.

General information:

• Locomotive Springs WMA is in the Northern goose area. Dark goose hunting will be closed October 13–25.
• Camping is allowed in established parking areas, but there are no facilities available.
• Fires are the responsibility of the camper, and if you lose it, you pay for it. Please be aware of state fire restrictions and follow those rules accordingly.

Water/marsh and impoundment conditions:

• Unit 1: Pondweed growth is great on the main impoundment and excellent in the secondary impoundments. Over 1,000 acres of phragmites on the east side of the open water have been successfully grazed, but not as good as years past. The cattle were playing catch up after last year to open up the area and did a much better job than last year. West of Unit 1 there was cattle grazing and the area is very open.
• Unit 2: Cattle were in the area this summer and they did an excellent job! The area should be totally flooded by the end of September.
• Unit 3: Pondweed growth is excellent this year. Cattle have grazed the east side of the open water. Be advised that the rest area is in place on Unit 3. The rest area is very well posted and there is absolutely no trespassing allowed in this area. The rest area consists of the two small impoundments that are on the south side of the road as you head to the Unit 3 boat launch.
• Weber Delta: South Weber Delta was much drier this summer than last year and is in fair condition. There is water in the river impoundment and most ponds at the north entrance. Sago pondweed growth was great in this area.
• Pintail: There were over 2,000 acres of phragmites sprayed in this area in 2023 and then it was burned this spring. A helicopter re-sprayed the phragmites that grew this year. This area is much more open than it was last year, but there was an abundance of water in this area all summer long. The habitat should be better than it was in year’s past, but will be excellent if we can get another burn done in the spring of 2025.

Generally, all major impoundments are full and overflowing onto the westward flats. Marsh conditions are good to excellent in most areas. As of now, the Great Salt Lake elevation is 4192.2 feet, which is very similar to what it was last year at this time.

Access: All outer gates to lower parking lots and boat launches will be open on Thursday, Sept. 19. There is good vehicle access with most roadways and parking lots mowed and in good shape. Most access roads will be graded by the general opener.

Unit 1 boat channel into main impoundments is clear and usable. The Unit 3 boat channel will be clear and usable.

Bird numbers: Duck production was excellent once again this year. Thousands of ducks were produced at Ogden Bay, Howard Slough and Harold Crane WMAs.

• Unit 1: Great bird numbers are present in the main impoundments. Great numbers of birds are starting to build in the larger interior flats, which were reopened by grazing and are now flooded. Good numbers of ducks are starting to use secondary ponds, also.
• Unit 2: Bird numbers are increasing with additional water in the area. Farther west flats and far north-end ponds are expected, like last year, to gain a large number of birds when these areas totally refill and interior hunting forces them out there.
• Unit 3: Good bird numbers in the main impoundment. The west flats are just starting to get water and bird numbers will increase as it floods. The east flats have good numbers of birds.
• Weber Delta: Fair numbers in general on North Weber Delta and fair numbers on South Weber Delta, but numbers will increase as these areas refill.
• Pintail: Great numbers now, with an expectation of increasing to excellent numbers later on west side flats toward the Great Salt Lake.

Generally, birds are mostly concentrated on larger impoundments or ponds, and flats in Unit 1 and 3. Remote ponds and flats way west of impoundments will increasingly hold larger numbers of birds as they are displaced in easily accessible areas by hunters’ pre-hunt scouting activities and the Youth Waterfowl Hunt.

General information: The Youth Waterfowl Hunt should be great in the main impoundments and adjacent flats. The general opener should also be great. Hunting should be good as the season progresses and new birds arrive after all the pre-hunt scouting and weekend pressure subsides. In general, hunters will find the best hunting in the better habitat and bird concentration areas detailed above. Duck production was incredible nearly everywhere and there are going to be a lot more young and inexperienced birds flying around this year.

The Ouray National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Please see the following resources for more information:

• Ouray National Wildlife Refuge website
• Hunting and other activities at the Refuge
• Ouray NWR hunting brochure and map
• National Wildlife Refuge general hunting laws
• General Refuge rules and policies
• Contact the Refuge or call 435-545-2522

Water/marsh conditions: Water conditions have been fair this year. Pondweed and other waterfowl food production was good to excellent throughout Public Shooting Grounds.

• Most impoundments held water all summer with the exceptions of West Crocker and Crocker Lake on North Public, and Avocent on South Public.
• Wetlands outside of impoundments — including south of Hull Lake, south of Wigeon Lake and the West Marsh — have been dry most of the summer.
• Both West Crocker and Crocker Lake will have water for the Youth Waterfowl Hunt but slightly lower than normal.
• Avocet will likely be dry for the Youth Waterfowl Hunt.
• All impoundments will be at full pool for the general waterfowl opener on Oct. 5.
• Water outside of impounded areas will be decent for the Youth Waterfowl Hunt and should be completely flooded by the general opener.

Access: Gates will open the afternoon of Sept. 19. All roads and parking lots have been (or will be) mowed and graded before the general opener. Speed bumps and a speed limit of 15 mph has been installed on the main road near the blinds designated for physically challenged hunters. Please be careful and slow down.

Bird use: As of Sept. 9, bird numbers are excellent and seem to be showing up earlier this year. They should continue to build in numbers as we approach the Youth Waterfowl Hunt and general opener. Mallards, pintails, green-winged teal, gadwalls, cinnamon teal and some redheads are present now. Wigeons are starting to show up in good numbers. There are also a good number of Canada geese right now.

General information:

• Public Shooting Grounds WMA is in the Northern goose area. Dark goose hunting will be closed October 13–25.
• Camping is allowed in established parking areas, but with no facilities available.
• Fires are allowed in fire pits only and are the responsibility of the camper; if you lose it, you pay for it. Please be aware of state fire restrictions and follow these rules accordingly.
• Please respect posted signs and regulations along with regulations in the Utah Waterfowl Guidebook.
• Blinds for physically challenged hunters are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You must possess a DMV-issued physically challenged sticker or license plate to use these blinds.
• Wigeon Lake is a nonmotorized-boats-only lake.
• North Public Shooting Grounds (north of Highway 83) is still closed to tundra swan hunting.
• Remember: The harvest of trumpeter swans is now illegal; see the Utah Waterfowl Guidebook for more information about swan regulations.

Water/marsh conditions: All of Salt Creek WMA held water throughout the summer except for Stilt Pond in the northwest corner of the WMA. The units on the east side of Salt Creek, Gadwall, Canvasback, Redhead, Mallard Teal and Goose were full all summer and produced good to excellent pondweed. Both Ibis and Snipe ponds held water all summer and produced fair pondweed. The main bay of Salt Creek produced good to excellent pondweed. Managers anticipate having full water levels for both the Youth Waterfowl Hunt and general opener.

Waterfowl use: As of Sept. 9, bird numbers are excellent and seem to be showing up earlier this year. Hunters should see mallards, pintails, green-winged teal, gadwalls, cinnamon teal and wigeon at Salt Creek. There are a good number of Canada geese around right now.

Access: Gates will open the afternoon of Sept. 19. All roads and parking lots have been (or will be) mowed and graded before the general opener. Please be careful and slow down on WMA roads.

General information:

• Salt Creek WMA is in the Northern goose area. Dark goose hunting will be closed October 13–25.
• Camping is allowed in established parking areas, but there are no facilities available.
• Fires are allowed in fire pits only and are the responsibility of the camper, and if you lose it, you pay for it.
• Please be aware of state fire restrictions and follow these rules accordingly.
• Please respect posted signs and regulations, along with regulations in the Utah Waterfowl Guidebook.
• Salt Creek WMA is closed to tundra swan hunting.
• Blinds for physically challenged hunters are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You must possess a DMV-issued physically challenged sticker or license plate to use these blinds.

Water/march conditions: The Willard Spur WMA received a high volume of water again this spring as runoff was above average. This allowed the WMA to have excellent aquatic vegetation and pondweed growth. Northern Utah's dry/hot summer, extending into the fall, has evaporated some water. This lowered the Spur from the level it was at last hunting season, but there is still adequate water for both jon boats and airboats to utilize the area. In several locations on the WMA, phragmites were treated again this fall. Management efforts will continue to work in these areas this winter and spring to eliminate the invasive species and restore the wetlands to native and desired species.

Bird numbers: Bird numbers at Willard Spur WMA are looking fantastic again this season. This year's production was very successful, with many locals having successfully nested on the area. An influx of teal, northern shovelers and pintails have been noticed in the past few weeks. Generally, birds are concentrated in the larger open water areas. As pressure increases, the birds will tend to use the remote ponds and flats that exist along the exterior of the WMA.

Access: The main parking lot has changed slightly. The road that used to take you to the parking lot now has a Utah State Parks toll booth on it. Do not turn there. Instead, stay on the paved road and travel slightly farther, passing the Willard Bay State Park entrance. When you come to the "T" in the road, turn left. This road will lead you directly to the north parking lot of Willard Spur WMA.

General information:

• The Youth Waterfowl Hunt should be great in the central area of the Spur. The general opener should be good.
• The adjacent flats along the exteriors of the WMA might be lacking water in some areas. Weather will largely dictate whether water levels will rise this fall.
• Hunting should be fair as the season progresses and new birds arrive after all the pre-hunt scouting and weekend pressure subsides.
• Generally, hunters will find the best hunting in the better habitat and bird concentration areas detailed above.
• Duck production was up nearly everywhere, so there should be more young and inexperienced birds flying around this year.
• The WMA shares a boundary with the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Much of the refuge that borders the WMA is open to hunting. However, two sizable portions are not. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has marked these boundaries with signs. If you hunt along the boundary this season, please watch for these signs to ensure you're in an area open to hunting. Traveling through these restricted boundaries is strictly prohibited.