Home › Georgia › Public land › Lake Walter F. George WMA
Clay County, Georgia
Lake Walter F. George WMA Hunting Notes
2026-27 dates for whitetails, gobblers, ducks and geese and squirrels and rabbits, quota lines, reported harvest, access rules and the nearest towns.
Photo: David Dugan (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Getting to Lake Walter F. George WMA
Parking, trailheads and gates near Lake Walter F. George WMA
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Pataula Creek Public Use Area parkingParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.8 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.
Where Lake Walter F. George WMA sits and who runs it
Lake Walter F. George WMA is a wildlife management area run by WRD in Clay and Quitman counties. It falls in Game Management Region 5, served by the Albany office. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. Size: 1,100 acres, number 98 of 121 WMAs. Look south of Georgetown (the nearest town we cover), about 8 miles out.
County context for Lake Walter F. George WMA
| County | Seat | People (2024) | Private-land deer zone | Bear zone | Gator zone | Deer checked 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | Fort Gaines | 2,815 | Green | None | Zone 1 | 1,047 |
| Quitman County | Georgetown | 2,323 | Green | None | Zone 1 | 718 |
From the source page (Georgia 2026-27 Hunting Regulations (eRegulations) area listing); counties and zones from the WRD county zone tables; county deer counts from WRD Game Check; population from the Census 2024 estimates. Checked October 13, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Lake Walter F. George WMA
When Lake Walter F. George WMA is open this season
Lake Walter F. George WMA has 5 season lines in the 2026-27 guide, for deer, turkey, waterfowl, coyote and small game.
| Species | Season | Days open | Symbols | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Jan. 10 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-May 15 | — | |
| Waterfowl | — | State Seasons | — | Waterfowl hunting permitted on portions of lake in Georgia, except within 300 yards of a public park, road, cabin, or other developed areas. Areas within Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge have separate regulations. |
| Coyote | — | No May 16-31 coyote & hog season. | — | |
| Small game | — | State Seasons | — |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Lake Walter F. George WMA harvest from Game Check
Game Check logged 13 deer from Lake Walter F. George WMA in 2025-26: 4 antlered, 9 antlerless. Since 2016-17, totals have run from 1 to 13. The 2026-27 season is under way: 7 deer reported so far. Turkey hunters reported 2 gobblers from Lake Walter F. George WMA in spring 2017, and 2 across the springs shown. Unadjusted Game Check reports, the finest level WRD publishes.
Deer by season at Lake Walter F. George WMA
| Year | Bucks | Does | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| 2025-26 | 4 | 9 | 13 |
| 2024-25 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| 2023-24 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | 4 | 7 | 11 |
| 2021-22 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 2020-21 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 2019-20 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 2018-19 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017-18 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2016-17 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Lake Walter F. George WMA turkey table
| Spring | Turkeys |
|---|---|
| Spring 2017 | 2 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
Hunting Lake Walter F. George WMA legally
The first card is specific to this ground; the rest are statewide rules that matter here.
Rules on Lake Walter F. George WMA
Entry at 16 and up takes a Georgia license that covers state land, or a Georgia Lands Pass. For deer, bear and turkey you register on Go Outdoors Georgia, starting the previous day.
- No Camping allowed on this property
- No camping
Paperwork for Lake Walter F. George WMA
A Sportsman's License bundles hunting, big game and fishing for residents; the Harvest Record is free but still required for deer, bear and turkey.
Lake Walter F. George WMA: orange, pink and baiting
Wear 500 sq in of fluorescent orange or blaze pink above the waist whenever deer or bear firearms or primitive weapons hunts are on. The private-land baiting allowance stops at the boundary; public land is bait-free. Log the animal on your Harvest Record, then report it to Game Check within a day.
Directions to Lake Walter F. George WMA
This WMA has 4 tracts along the lake shore. Directions and maps are available from the Region 5 Game Management Office, (229) 430-4254, or can be printed from gohuntgeorgia.com. The Army Corps of Engineers also manages additional properties that require a special permit from their Ft. Gaines office at (229) 768-2516.
Inside Lake Walter F. George WMA
Agency description, field lists and related areas.
Description from WRD
Lake Walter F. George Wildlife Management Area is 923 acres of land and islands along a 45,000 acre reservoir known as Lake Walter F. George (also called Lake Eufaula). The WMA offers opportunity for hunters and anglers to enjoy their day. Hunting opportunities include deer, turkey, small game and waterfowl.
Other pages that share Lake Walter F. George WMA's land
| Name | Kind | County | Acres | Deer reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter F. George Lake (Lake Eufaula) | Corps lake | Clay, Quitman | — | 1 |
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
What Lake Walter F. George WMA is hunted for
Listed game for Lake Walter F. George WMA: whitetails, gobblers, ducks and geese and squirrels and rabbits.
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
Lake Walter F. George WMA on the map, with its neighbours
Lake Walter F. George WMA sits at the orange pin, with 2 public neighbours inside 30 miles. That is 11,184 acres of listed ground.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Straight line | Direction | Game Check deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter F. George Lake (Lake Eufaula) | Corps lake | — | 9 mi | south | 1 |
| Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | 11,184 | 17 mi | north | 30 |
Points from WRD, USFS, USFWS, NPS, DoD and Recreation.gov layers (WRD WMA Boundary GIS (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Lake Walter F. George WMA: nearest ranges
Hannahatchee Creek Shooting Range in Stewart County is the nearest range on the WRD list, 30 miles out. Closer private options sit beside it.
Facilities: 175-yard Range, 35-yard Range – handguns only
Lines for trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, rifle, handgun, smallbore, muzzleloader, air gun, action pistol, archery, benchrest, highpower, 3-gun and shotgun
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Lake Walter F. George WMA: nearest towns and businesses
Closest towns first; businesses by county and distance.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | Quitman | 8 mi | 2,323 | 6,117 |
| Fort Gaines | Clay | 9 mi | 978 | 624 |
| Cuthbert | Randolph | 15 mi | 2,912 | — |
| Lumpkin | Stewart | 25 mi | 944 | 5,540 |
Counties covered: Clay County, Quitman County.
Help near Lake Walter F. George WMA
Lake Walter F. George WMA contacts
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from WRD, USFS, USFWS and DoD layers; businesses from WRD lists, store locators and listings; offices from WRD, DNR Law Enforcement and USFS pages. Checked October 13, 2026. Call ahead.
A week of shooting light for Lake Walter F. George WMA
WRD’s rule: half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset, with migratory birds ending right at sunset.
Worked out for Lake Walter F. George WMA in Eastern time from the rule in the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division guide (hunting hours). Hogs, coyotes, raccoons and some furbearers may be hunted at night on private land; check the guide. Shooting hours for every county.
Lake Walter F. George WMA, asked and answered
Must I register before hunting Lake Walter F. George WMA?
Online sign-in on Go Outdoors Georgia is required for big game and turkey.
When is the first deer hunt at Lake Walter F. George WMA?
The guide lists Sept. 12-Jan. 10 first for deer. The table has every segment.
When do gobbler hunts run on Lake Walter F. George WMA?
Apr. 3-May 15. Take one gobbler per area at most.
What game is listed for Lake Walter F. George WMA?
The area lists whitetails, gobblers, ducks and geese and squirrels and rabbits.
Are there drawn hunts on Lake Walter F. George WMA?
No application is needed; the area has no quota lines.
Can I camp during a hunt at Lake Walter F. George WMA?
No overnight camping.
How many deer get reported from Lake Walter F. George WMA?
Hunters reported 13 deer in 2025-26 (4 bucks).
Are alligators hunted around Lake Walter F. George WMA?
It is in zone 1; apply in the alligator draw.
What areas neighbour Lake Walter F. George WMA?
Try Walter F. George Lake (Lake Eufaula) (9 miles) and Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (17 miles); each has its own page.
How much orange does Lake Walter F. George WMA require?
500 square inches of orange or blaze pink above the waist during primitive weapons and firearms deer and bear hunts.
What reporting applies at Lake Walter F. George WMA?
Log it on the Harvest Record before moving it, then report it to Game Check the same day or next.
Is it legal to bait hogs on Lake Walter F. George WMA?
Not here: the baiting allowance covers private land only.
Lake Walter F. George WMA: confirm before you go
Public land rules change more often than the printed guide. Recheck Lake Walter F. George WMA with the manager before you go.
Sources for this page: WRD: lake walter f george wma · Georgia regulations: wma regulations i p · WRD GIS · WRD GIS · WRD GIS; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Joe K Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0); seabamirum (CC BY 2.0).