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Oklahoma public waterfowl areas
7 Waterfowl Refuge Portions, the Sooner Lake waterfowl area and 23 ODWC areas with Wetland Development Units: closures, 1 p.m. closes and nontoxic shot.
Photo: Pondfishfarmer (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Waterfowl Refuge Portions
A Waterfowl Refuge Portion is part of a WMA set aside for resting birds: it is closed to all public use and access from October 15 to January 31, except for controlled hunt permit holders on their hunt days, and nontoxic shot is required.
| Refuge portion | County | Acres | Parent WMA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton WRP | Blaine, Dewey | 700 | Canton WMA |
| Fort Gibson WRP | Wagoner | 3,500 | Fort Gibson WMA |
| Hackberry Flat WRP | Tillman | 4,000 | Hackberry Flat WMA |
| Hugo WRP | Choctaw | 3,820 | Hugo WMA |
| McClellan-Kerr WRP | Muskogee | 250 | McClellan-Kerr WMA |
| Red Slough WRP | McCurtain | – | Red Slough WMA |
| Wister WRP | Le Flore | 1,000 | Wister WMA |
Department-Managed Area Rules, ODWC area pages. Checked November 3, 2026.
Areas with Wetland Development Units
Wetland Development Units are managed wetlands on ODWC areas where waterfowl hunting closes at 1 p.m. daily and only nontoxic shot may be used. The table lists the areas whose pages name WDUs.
| Area | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Copan WMA | Washington | 7,532 |
| Deep Fork WMA | Creek, Okfuskee | 12,820 |
| Drummond Flats WMA | Garfield | 5,122 |
| Eufaula WMA | Latimer, McIntosh… | 48,614 |
| Fort Cobb WMA | Caddo | 3,500 |
| Fort Gibson PHA | Cherokee, Mayes… | 21,798 |
| Fort Supply WMA | Woodward | 5,462 |
| Grassy Slough WMA | McCurtain | 1,651 |
| Hackberry Flat WMA | Tillman | 7,566 |
| Hugo WMA | Choctaw, Pushmataha | 18,916 |
| Hulah WMA | Osage | 16,162 |
| John Dahl WMA | Osage | 480 |
| Keystone WMA | Creek, Osage… | 20,686 |
| Love Valley WMA | Love | 7,746 |
| McClellan-Kerr WMA | Haskell, Muskogee… | 9,366 |
| Mountain Park WMA | Kiowa | 5,000 |
| Okmulgee GMA | Okmulgee | 5,939 |
| Okmulgee PHA | Okmulgee | 3,676 |
| Oologah WMA | Nowata, Rogers | 14,086 |
| Packsaddle WMA | Ellis | 19,659 |
| Red Slough WMA | McCurtain | 5,814 |
| Waurika WMA | Cotton, Jefferson… | 10,580 |
| Wister WMA | Le Flore | 35,500 |
ODWC Wetland Development Units page, area pages. Checked November 3, 2026.
Sooner Lake public waterfowl hunting
Sooner Lake in Pawnee and Noble counties is closed to all seasons except waterfowl. Ducks, mergansers and coots may be hunted by permit in designated areas on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, within 50 yards of staked, numbered blind sites; the rest of the lake is closed to hunting.
Statewide waterfowl dates behind these areas
Outside the refuge portions and WDU hours, waterfowl on these areas follows the statewide calendar: the Panhandle counties (Beaver, Cimarron and Texas) run their own duck dates, and Zones 1 and 2 share one set of dates because ODWC publishes no line between them. Area tables can still close or restrict a season.
| Species | Season | Zone | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ducks, mergansers and coots | Regular | Panhandle Counties (High Plains Mallard | Oct 10, 2026 | Jan 13, 2027 |
| ducks, mergansers and coots | Youth, Veteran & Active Military Day | Panhandle Counties (High Plains Mallard | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 3, 2026 |
| ducks, mergansers and coots | Youth, Veteran & Active Military Day | Panhandle Counties (High Plains Mallard | Jan 30, 2027 | Jan 30, 2027 |
| ducks, mergansers and coots | Regular segment 1 | Zones 1 & 2 | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 |
| ducks, mergansers and coots | Regular segment 2 | Zones 1 & 2 | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| ducks, mergansers and coots | Youth, Veteran & Active Military Day | Zones 1 & 2 | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| ducks, mergansers and coots | Youth, Veteran & Active Military Day | Zones 1 & 2 | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 6, 2027 |
| white-fronted goose | Segment 1 | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 |
| white-fronted goose | Segment 2 | Statewide | Dec 12, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 |
| dark geese (canada and other dark geese) | Segment 1 | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 |
| dark geese (canada and other dark geese) | Segment 2 | Statewide | Dec 12, 2026 | Feb 14, 2027 |
| ducks, mergansers and coots | Extended Falconry | Zones 1 & 2 | Feb 1, 2027 | Feb 22, 2027 |
ODWC waterfowl regulations. Checked November 3, 2026.
Oklahoma Public Waterfowl Areas: photos
Waterfowl area questions
When are Waterfowl Refuge Portions closed?
October 15 to January 31, except controlled hunt permit holders on their hunt days.
What time do Wetland Development Units close?
Waterfowl hunting ends at 1 p.m.
Is lead shot allowed?
No. Nontoxic shot is required in refuge portions and WDUs.
On which weekdays may waterfowlers use Sooner Lake?
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, by permit, at numbered blind sites.
Are the youth and veteran waterfowl days on these areas?
Statewide youth, veteran and active military days apply where the area table does not close them.
Which refuge portion is the largest?
Hackberry Flat WRP.
Other photos on this page: GlacierNPS (Public domain); GerryT (CC BY 2.0); Shiva Shenoy (CC BY 2.0).