Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Rocky Neck State Park is also closed until further notice due to a brush fire. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at a 'very high' or 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Connecticut Migratory Bird Hunting Guide

Waterfowl Hunting Areas

The following areas are open for waterfowl hunting. This list is not inclusive; however, it represents areas where a majority of waterfowl hunting occurs and that have good access. Maps and a full list of areas that are open to waterfowl hunting are on the hunting area map section of the DEEP website (select the query button on the top right of the map to obtain a list of areas open to waterfowl hunting).

Town	Waterfowl Hunting Area
Andover	Bishops Swamp WMA
Barkhamsted	Peoples State Forest
Bloomfield	Bloomfield Flood Control Area (Site 2)^d
Burlington	Sessions Woods WMA^d
Canaan	Robbins Swamp WMA
Canterbury, Plainfield	Quinebaug River WMA
Colchester	Salmon River State Forest (including Holbrook Pond)
Colebrook, Hartland	MDC-Colebrook Reservoir/Hogback Dam
Cornwall	Wyantenock State Forest
Cromwell, Middletown	Cromwell Meadows WMA
Durham	Durham Meadows WMA
East Haddam, Colchester	Babcock Pond WMA^a
East Haddam, Haddam	Salmon River Cove and Haddam Neck^b
East Lyme	Nehantic State Forest^c
East Windsor, Enfield	East Windsor-Enfield Area^d
East Windsor	Scantic River State Park^{c, d}
Eastford	Natchaug State Forest^c
Eastford, Union, Ashford	Yale-Myers Forest (owned by Yale University)^d
Enfield, Suffield	Eversource Kings Island Cooperative WMA
Greenwich	Stewart B. McKinney NWR (Calf Island Unit)^e
Guilford	East River Marsh WMA^b
Guilford	Great Harbor WMA
Haddam	Higganum Meadows WMA
Haddam	Cockaponset State Forest^c
Hartland	Tunxis State Forest
Harwinton	Roraback WMA
Hebron	Raymond Brook WMA
Kent	Housatonic River WMA
Killingly, Sterling	Ross Marsh WMA
Lebanon	Bartlett Brook WMA
Lebanon	Moween State Park (Red Cedar Lake)
Lebanon, Colchester	Lebanon Coop Mgmt. Area^d
Lyme	Lords Cove WMA^b
Lyme	Nott Island WMA^b
Lyme	Selden Neck State Park (Selden Island)^b
Mansfield	Mansfield State-leased Field Trial Area
Mansfield, Chaplin	Mansfield Hollow State-leased WMA^c (excluding State Park and Field Trial Area)
Middlefield	Black Pond WMA
New Harford	MDC-Greenwoods Pond
North Franklin	Franklin Swamp WMA
North Haven	Quinnipiac River Marsh WMA^b
Norwalk	Stewart B. McKinney NWR (Chimon and Sheffield Islands)^e
Old Lyme	Roger Tory Peterson WMA^b
Old Saybrook	Plum Bank Marsh WMA
Old Saybrook	Ragged Rock Creek Marsh WMA^b
Old Saybrook	South Cove WMA^b
Oxford, Beacon Falls	Naugatuck State Forest
Portland	Wangunk Meadows WMA
Portland, etc.	Meshomasic State Forest
Ridgefield	Bennett's Pond State Park
Salem	Zemko Pond WMA
Salisbury	East Twin Lakes Water Access Area
Scotland	Mohegan State Forest (including Waldo Tract)
Sharon	Eversource Skiff Mountain Cooperative WMA^d
Sharon	Housatonic State Forest
Simsbury	Simsbury WMA
Stafford	Ellithorpe Flood Control Area
Stafford	Shenipsit State Forest
Stonington	Barn Island WMA
Stratford	Stewart B. McKinney NWR (Great Meadows Unit)^e
Stratford, Milford, Orange	Charles E. Wheeler WMA^b
Thompson	West Thompson Dam (Army Corps)
Tolland	Kollar WMA
Torrington	John Minetto State Park
Torrington	Paugnut State Forest
Torrington	Sunnybrook State Park (west of Newfield Rd.)
Union	Nipmuck State Forest
Voluntown	Pachaug State Forest^c

^a Handicap accessible blind available.
^b Access by boat only.
^c Some areas designated as firearm restricted, bowhunting only.
^d Permit required. (Season permits for Bloomfield Flood Control Area Site 2, contact the Bloomfield Town Hall. Permits for Yale-Myers Forest are available on the Online Outdoor Licensing System. Yale University will contact hunters through the address email listed in their license profile to provide parking and access information.)
^e Permit required through Stewart B. McKinney NWR

Main Hunting and Trapping Webpage

Content last updated in May 2024.

Connecticut State Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Connecticut Migratory Bird Hunting Guide

Waterfowl Hunting Areas

Waterfowl Hunting Areas