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Wilcox County · Corps lake
Alabama River Lakes (Corps of Engineers) hunting
Hunting access on public ground across Wilcox County and 7 other counties.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Alabama River Lakes (Corps of Engineers)
Parking, trailheads and gates near Alabama River Lakes (Corps of Engineers)
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Alabama River Lakes (Corps) hunting access
Alabama River Lakes (Corps) needs a free Corps hunting permit, and only areas on the permit map are open. ADCNR Where to Hunt: "All hunters must obtain a free permit from the appropriate US Corps of Engineers office." The district site for Alabama River Lakes (Corps) refused our reader, so only what ADCNR and the Corps summary say is shown. Permits in person at Gunter Hill Campground, Six Mile Creek Park, East Bank Park, Chilatchee Creek Park or Isaac Creek Park, or by mail; driver's license number or hunting license number required. Hunt only in areas shown on the permit map; additional restrictions on permit. The lake surface covers 30,316 acres in Alabama; that is water, not huntable land. Hunting deer or hogs over bait is a private-land privilege in Alabama and does not extend to Alabama River Lakes (Corps).
Hunting only on Corps lands shown on the project hunting map/permit, under 36 CFR 327.8 and Alabama law; a (free) USACE hunting permit is required (ADCNR Where to Hunt: "All hunters must obtain a free permit from the appropriate US Corps of Engineers office"). ADCNR deer rules: special muzzleloader, air rifle and unantlered seasons on USACE land as on private land in the county unless USACE restricts further.
Hunting permits for the Alabama River properties are issued at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office located at 8493 U.S. Hwy 80 West, Hayneville, AL 36040. The phone number for the office is 334-872-9554.
Sources: official page, ADCNR Where to Hunt. Checked November 1, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Alabama River Lakes (Corps of Engineers)
The Alabama River Lakes (Corps) file
Alabama River Lakes (Corps) land acreage was not readable from the Corps site. Day to day, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District manages it, in WFF District V. It is part of the USACE Civil Works recreation lands. 11,089 acres of Wilcox County are mapped as public land.
From the agency record (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District); checked November 1, 2026.
Alabama River Lakes (Corps): the county rules that apply
| Zone or rule | Wilcox County | Dallas County | Autauga County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer zone | B (map) | B/A (map) | A (map) |
| CWD zone | Outside | Outside | Outside |
| Turkey zone | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Fall turkey | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Dove zone | North | North | North |
| Dog deer | Permit only | Allowed | Allowed |
| Waterfowl zone | Statewide | Statewide | Statewide |
| Alligator area | West Central | West Central | None |
| Turkeys, 2025 | 297-444 | 297-444 | 209-296 |
| WFF district | V | III | III |
The A/B boundary through Wilcox County, Dallas County and Autauga County follows US 80, the Alabama River, I-65, I-85 and other roads, so the ADCNR deer zone map is the reference. In Wilcox County deer dogs need a permit; no dogs on open-permit public land there. The season limit is three antlered deer (one per day), and one must show 4 or more points on one antler. Turkey reports for Wilcox County in 2025: 297-444 birds (ADCNR class). Deer harvest by county is not released.
ADCNR deer zones, turkey zones, dove zones, dog deer rules, CWD rules and the 2025 Alabama Wild Turkey Report; checked November 1, 2026.
When Alabama River Lakes (Corps) is open to hunt
2026-27 windows that reach Alabama River Lakes (Corps), with an open-or-closed badge.
| Quarry | Season | Where | Opening | Closing | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery, bucks only | Deer Zone B | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Deer Zone B | Oct 25, 2026 | Feb 10, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth gun | Deer Zone B | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 16, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader and air rifle | Deer Zone B | Nov 16, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Deer Zone B | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Deer Zone B | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun, stalk, public land | Deer Zone B | Jan 4, 2027 | Feb 10, 2027 |
Unless the Corps restricts them, the special deer seasons run on Corps land as on private land.
From the ADCNR seasons and bag limits, the 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest and the 2026-27 Waterfowl Hunting Guide; checked November 1, 2026. All Alabama seasons.
Public ground around Alabama River Lakes (Corps)
Rows run from nearest to farthest, beginning with Portland Landing SOA (9.5 mi, east).
| Neighbor | Category | Acreage | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Landing SOA | SOA | 9,940 | Dallas | 9.5 mi | east |
| Cedar Creek SOA | SOA | 7,357 | Dallas | 17 mi | northeast |
| Old Cahawba Prairie Tract (Forever Wild) (4,586 acres) | Forever Wild tract | 4,586 | Dallas | 20 mi | northeast |
| Red Hills WMA | WMA | 13,930 | Monroe | 24 mi | south |
| Marengo PDHA | PDHA | 442 | Marengo | 33 mi | northwest |
| Prairie Creek PDHA | PDHA | 129 | Lowndes | 37 mi | northeast |
| Lowndes WMA | WMA | 15,920 | Lowndes | 39 mi | northeast |
| Thigpen Hill SOA | SOA | 3,427 | Butler | 39 mi | east |
Points: USACE Reservoirs layer (lake surface in Alabama) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Supplies and help around Alabama River Lakes (Corps)
The nearest town page is Boykin, 2.3 mi from Alabama River Lakes (Corps). Selma (16,312 residents) has the most services, 29 mi away. The WFF district office for this county is at 30571 Five Rivers Blvd., Spanish Fort.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boykin | Wilcox | – | 2.3 mi | east |
| Camden | Wilcox | 1,695 | 6.1 mi | southeast |
| Pine Hill | Wilcox | 706 | 16 mi | southwest |
| Selmont-West Selmont | Dallas | – | 28 mi | northeast |
| Selma | Dallas | 16,312 | 29 mi | northeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024); offices and businesses from services.json (ADCNR offices and business listings, chain stores left out); straight-line miles. Checked November 1, 2026.
Dates tied to Alabama River Lakes (Corps of Engineers) and its surroundings
Kinds close by: SOA deer (gun) draw, SOA deer (gun, antlerless) draw, SOA deer (primitive weapons) draw, SOA feral hog draw, SOA small game draw, SOA turkey draw and SOA waterfowl draw. Count: 7 upcoming dates. Count 7 limited-quota SOA hunts, by draw only.
Upcoming dates
| Date | Event | Miles away | Location | Sign-up or details | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 5–Dec 13, 2026 | Portland Landing SOA deer hunt: Gun – Stalk Hunting Antlerless Only · SOA deer (gun, antlerless) draw | 10 | Event details | Source | |
| Nov 17–20, 2026 | Portland Landing SOA deer hunt: Primitive Weapons – Stalk Hunting Hunter's Choice · SOA deer (primitive weapons) draw | 10 | Event details | Source | |
| Dec 3–Feb 7 (2026-27) | Portland Landing SOA deer hunt: Gun – Stalk Hunting Hunter's Choice · SOA deer (gun) draw | 10 | Event details | Source | |
| Jan 2–3, 2027 | Portland Landing SOA waterfowl/woodcock hunt · SOA waterfowl draw | 10 | Event details | Source | |
| Feb 11–21, 2027 | Portland Landing SOA quail, rabbit & squirrel hunt: Regular · SOA small game draw | 10 | Register | Source | |
| Mar 5–7, 2027 | Portland Landing SOA feral swine (gun) hunt · SOA feral hog draw | 10 | Register | Source | |
| Apr 2–May 2, 2027 | Portland Landing SOA turkey hunt · SOA turkey draw | 10 | Register | Source |
Alabama River Lakes (Corps) shooting hours on key dates
ADCNR prints one sunrise and sunset table for downtown Birmingham and warns that other places can differ by 10 minutes or more, so the times below are worked out for Alabama River Lakes (Corps).
| Date | Opener or close | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Migratory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | Archery opens, A and C | 6:52 a.m. | 6:18 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 6:48 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 6:18 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer, A-C | 6:23 a.m. | 4:48 p.m. | 5:53 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | 5:53 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. |
| Nov 27, 2026 | Ducks open | 6:28 a.m. | 4:46 p.m. | 5:58 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 5:58 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 6:45 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 4:49 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Mid-January | 6:50 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 6:20 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Feb 10, 2027 | Deer close, A-C | 6:37 a.m. | 5:30 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | 6:07 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
| Mar 20, 2027 | Turkey opener | 6:55 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location (NOAA solar formula, Central Time), checked against the Digest’s Birmingham table; checked November 1, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Landscape and game photos for Alabama River Lakes (Corps)
Range options on the drive to Alabama River Lakes (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
Marengo County has the ADCNR range nearest Alabama River Lakes (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers): Marengo Public Shooting Range (35 miles).
From ADCNR’s range directory and range pages, operators’ pages and directory listings, checked November 1, 2026.
Alabama River Lakes (Corps) questions and answers
Which animals may be hunted on Alabama River Lakes (Corps)?
No per-project species list (USACE district pages blocked to scripted fetch).
Who looks after Alabama River Lakes (Corps)?
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District is the managing agency. Try the Montgomery ADCNR office.
Is there other public hunting land close to Alabama River Lakes (Corps)?
Portland Landing SOA sits 9.5 mi away. 9 more lie within 50 miles.
Hunter orange rules for Alabama River Lakes (Corps)?
Yes in gun deer season: 144 sq. in. above the waist or a full-size cap, orange or pink.
What time can I start hunting Alabama River Lakes (Corps)?
For deer on November 21, 2026: 5:53 a.m. until 5:18 p.m..
How do I place Alabama River Lakes (Corps) on a map?
Alabama River Lakes (Corps) lies in Wilcox, Dallas and 6 other counties, in WFF District V. Boykin is the closest town with a page here, about 2.3 mi away.
How large is Alabama River Lakes (Corps)?
We have no land size. GIS shows 30,316 acres of lake surface.
Which permits apply on Alabama River Lakes (Corps)?
The free Corps permit and an Alabama license.
Deer zone for Alabama River Lakes (Corps)?
Wilcox County, Dallas County, Autauga County, Lowndes County, Montgomery County, Elmore County, Monroe County and Clarke County also has Zone A or B ground, and that line follows roads and rivers, so check the ADCNR zone map.
Does Alabama River Lakes (Corps) allow dog hunting for deer?
Wilcox County is listed as permit only for dog deer hunting; open-permit public land in permit-only areas is closed to dogs.
Bait and feeders on Alabama River Lakes (Corps)?
No. ADCNR bans hunting with bait on WMAs, SOAs and federal land.
Alabama River Lakes (Corps): last-minute checks
Signs on the ground outrank any web page; look for posted safety zones and closed areas on Alabama River Lakes (Corps).
Sources: source · source · source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest. Checked November 1, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0); Civilengtiger (Public domain); Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0).