Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge

• The Refuge is open from sunrise to sunset, 365 days of the year.
• The speed limit is 25 mph unless otherwise posted.
• Legally licensed motor vehicles are allowed only on Refuge roads open to the public.
• Unlicensed off-highway vehicles (OHVs) may not be used anywhere on the Refuge.
• Off-road vehicle travel is prohibited.
• Wildlife observation, photography, hiking, walking, jogging, bicycling, and other similar activities are permitted only on roadways, the Thomas Ranch Watchable Wildlife Area, and in parking areas that are open for public use.
• Dogs must be under the direct control of a responsible person at all times.
• Stopping and parking is allowed only in designated parking areas or on the road shoulder. Please be mindful of other visitors and do not block access to roadways, parking lots, or kiosks.
• Fires and fireworks are prohibited.
• Camping or overnight parking, including RVs, is prohibited.
• Target shooting, including using air rifles and archery equipment, is prohibited.
• Persons possessing, transporting, or carrying firearms on National Wildlife Refuge System lands must comply with all provisions of State and local law. Persons may only use (discharge) firearms in accordance with Refuge regulations (50 CFR 27.42 and specific refuge regulations in 50 CFR Part 32).
• Recreational boating and swimming are prohibited.
• All plants, animals, rocks, and cultural artifacts are protected. Molesting, disturbing, injuring, destroying, or removing any plant, animal, rock, or cultural artifact, other than animals legally taken during the refuge hunting season, is prohibited.
• Takeoff or landing of any aircraft including drones or unmanned aircraft systems is prohibited.
• Littering is prohibited. Litter can cause harm or death to wildlife. Please help keep your Refuge beautiful and protect wildlife by taking all trash and personal belongings with you when you leave!
• Fishing is prohibited. For information on fishing in Utah, please visit the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website at http://wildlife.utah.gov/fishing/main-fishing-page.html
• Mule deer, pronghorn, waterfowl, chuckar partridge, mourning dove, and cottontail rabbit hunting are permitted in accordance with both federal and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources regulations and bag limits in designated areas. Please visit the Fish Springs NWR Hunting brochure for hunting specific rules and regulations.

• Hunting is permitted in accordance with Federal regulations governing public use on National Wildlife Refuges as set forth in Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
• Hunting is allowed on the Refuge in accordance with State regulations and the Refuge-specific regulations in the Refuge hunting brochure.
• See Hunting Regulations Table for regulations by species. Consult the Utah Waterfowl, Upland Game, and Big Game Hunting Guidebooks for a complete list of State regulations. https://wildlife.utah.gov/ hunting/hunting-regulation.html
• Some areas are closed to hunting. Be familiar with regulations and boundaries. Hunting is permitted in designated areas for species listed in the Hunting Regulations Table. Hunting of all other species is prohibited.
• Hunters may enter the Refuge two hours before legal sunrise and must exit the Refuge by one and a half hours after legal sunset.
• Boats that are 15 feet or less are allowed when hunting in open hunting areas. The use of gasoline motors and airboats are prohibited.
• Hunters must remove boats, decoys, portable blinds, personal property, and any other materials brought onto the Refuge by the end of each day.
• Reasonable attempts must be made to retrieve downed or crippled game.
• The use of dogs to retrieve downed game, as permitted under State hunting regulations, is strongly encouraged.
• Dogs must always be under the direct control of a responsible person. Hunters and dogs may not enter closed areas to retrieve game.
• Be sure to allow enough room between the closed area boundary and where you are hunting to retrieve your game.
• Legally licensed vehicles are allowed on Refuge roads which are open to the public. The speed limit is 25 mph unless otherwise posted.
• Parking is permitted in designated parking areas and on the road shoulder adjacent to open hunting areas (see map).
• Vehicles must not block access to roadways, parking lots, or dikes.

Firearms
Persons possessing, transporting, or carrying firearms on National Wildlife Refuge System lands must comply with all provisions of State and local law. Persons may only use (discharge) firearms in accordance with refuge regulations (50 CFR 27.42 and specific refuge regulations in 50 CFR Part 32).

Within a special-designated hunting area, accessible hunting blinds are available to persons with disabilities.  There is also an all-hunter blind area.  Both areas require advanced reservations made through Recreation.gov .  When reserving, please make sure to click on the start time, add your group size, and select 1 for vehicles.

Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge changed to an online reservation system using Recreation.gov to increase efficiency and customer service in 2022. Hunt blind access remains the same, one all-hunter blind and one ADA-accessible blind. Hunters can access the most current and up-to-date information by looking at the availability calendar, there is no waiting for staff to return emails or calls, and hunters are guaranteed blind access prior to driving to Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge. Recreation.gov offers a solution for hunters to quickly make reservations in real-time. Recreation.gov will charge $1 per reservation for their services and two reservations can be made at a time. This change is only applicable to the special hunt blinds, there is still no reservation needed for other hunt areas of the refuge. Reservations will be accepted at Recreation.gov starting at 8:00 AM Tuesday, September 5, 2023.

• Hunters may only use portable blinds or construct temporary blinds.
• Portable blinds must be removed from the Refuge each day.

Special Access Hunting Areas

• Accessible hunting blinds are available (see map). Hunters must register and receive reservation confirmation by email through Recreation.gov to use one of these blinds.
• Hunt blind areas are first come first serve with priority given to hunters needing accessible blinds.
• Reservable blind areas are reserved for the full hunting day; however, hunters may leave the blind area prior to the end of the allowed hunting hours.
• Hunters are limited to 2 reservations at a time.  If you have two reservations on the calendar, you must complete the first reservation prior to making another reservation. 
• Each reservable blind area has designated parking.  Hunters must park in the designated parking for the blind area they have reserved. 

South Blind Area

• Vehicles may be driven into the Special Hunting Area to the blind site to unload and load only. 
• There are three blinds in this area from which to choose.
• Two hunting blinds are designed for two people. A third newly installed blind is not wheelchair accessible but can otherwise be used by three people.
• Your party of hunters (maximum of three) must hunt together from one of those blind locations, though your party may move around.
• The allowed hunting area is within 100 feet around each blind site.
• The allowed retrieval area is 100 yards past the allowed hunting area.
• Loaded firearms are not allowed in the retrieval area.
• No one may enter closed areas of the Refuge at any time.

North (All Hunters) Blind Area

• There is only one blind in this area.
• Vehicles may be driven into the Special Hunting Area to the blind site to unload and load only. 
• Hunters may move away from the blind.
• No one may enter closed areas of the Refuge at any time.