Idaho wildlife management areas for hunters
Idaho Fish and Game manages 31 wildlife management areas, 375,570 acres by its own figures, from wetlands kept for ducks to big game winter range. All of them allow hunting, under rules that differ from one to the next. The largest is Craig Mountain at 124,224 acres.
Data updated October 2026. IDFG's WMA pages, read October 18, 2026.
Clearwater Region
| WMA | Acres | Units | Main purpose (IDFG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Mountain | 124,224 | 11 | Protect and enhance wildlife populations and habitat; public use |
| Red River | 314 | 15 | Protect and enhance elk calving habitat; provide spring and summer habitat for big game; restore and enhance spring Chinook salmon spawning habitat; provide wildlife-based recreation and education opportunities. |
Magic Valley Region
| WMA | Acres | Units | Main purpose (IDFG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camas Prairie - Centennial Marsh | 6,240 | 45, 52 | Aquatic and upland habitat for breeding, nesting and feeding waterfowl and shorebirds |
| Big Cottonwood | 1,454 | 54 | Big game, upland game, and fishing opportunities |
| Niagara Springs | 976 | 53 | Wildlife habitat; hunting and fishing |
| Hagerman | 882 | 53 | Waterfowl winter habitat; wildlife and fish populations and habitat; recreational use |
| Carey Lake | 750 | 52A, 49 | Provide high quality wetlands for waterfowl production and migration. |
| Billingsley Creek | 275 | 53 | Waterfowl and upland birds |
Panhandle Region
| WMA | Acres | Units | Main purpose (IDFG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Peak | 32,292 | 9, 7 | Fish and wildlife habitat; backcountry hunting and fishing |
| Coeur d'Alene River | 8,638 | 3, 4, 5, 6 | Waterfowl production and habitat, hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing |
| Pend Oreille | 7,432 | 1, 4A, 2 | Provide habitat for waterfowl production and waterfowl migration; cover and food for migrating waterfowl, waterbirds, shorebirds and other wildlife; and provide high quality wetland, conifer forest and grassland habitat for a diverse array of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates. Provide public access to hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing. |
| Boundary-Smith Creek | 2,072 | 1 | Waterfowl production, wildlife viewing and other recreation. |
| McArthur Lake | 1,891 | 1 | Waterfowl breeding, nesting, migration habitat; hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing |
| Farragut | 1,418 | 2, 4A | White-tailed deer winter range; boating and fishing access |
Southeast Region
| WMA | Acres | Units | Main purpose (IDFG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown Summit | 4,353 | 75, 76 | Winter range for deer and elk and year-round habitat for wildlife |
| Sterling | 4,106 | 68A | Waterfowl and ring-necked pheasant production |
| Portneuf | 3,950 | 71 | Preserve and enhance deer winter range and sharp-tailed grouse habitat. |
| Blackfoot River | 2,400 | 76 | Protect and enhance habitat for Yellowstone cutthroat trout and waterfowl production. |
| Montpelier | 2,137 | 76 | Elk and mule deer winter range |
Southwest Region
| WMA | Acres | Units | Main purpose (IDFG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise River | 41,500 | 39 | Provide winter habitat for mule deer and elk, and year-round habitat for other wildlife species |
| Cecil D. Andrus | 23,928 | 31, 22 | Year-round and winter range for elk and mule deer. |
| C.J. Strike | 11,008 | 38, 41, 45, 46 | Provide hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife viewing opportunities and waterfowl production |
| Fort Boise | 1,548 | 38 | Waterfowl and upland bird nesting habitat; public recreation |
| Montour | 1,350 | 32 | Waterfowl and upland bird production |
| Payette River | 1,066 | 38, 32 | Waterfowl and upland bird production |
Upper Snake Region
| WMA | Acres | Units | Main purpose (IDFG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tex Creek | 35,218 | 69 | Terminal winter range for migratory mule deer and elk, and year-round habitat for Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. |
| Sand Creek | 32,489 | 60A, 60 | Winter habitat for migratory big game and resident wildlife. |
| Mud Lake | 11,468 | 63 | Habitat for waterfowl and waterbird production and migration. Opportunities for hunting, fishing, trapping, recreation, wildlife viewing, and photography. |
| Market Lake | 6,062 | 63A | Waterfowl production; wildlife habitat; wildlife based recreation |
| Deer Parks Wildlife Mitigation Units | 3,101 | 63A, 60A | High quality habitat for white-tailed and mule deer, as well as migratory habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds and waterbirds. |
| Cartier Slough | 1,028 | 63A | Provide habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds and waterbirds. |
Acres: IDFG's page for each WMA. Units: measured from IDFG's unit boundaries and each WMA's outline in PAD-US.
Questions hunters ask
How many wildlife management areas does Idaho have?
IDFG's WMA list has 31 areas covering 375,570 acres by IDFG's own figures, from Billingsley Creek (275 acres) to Craig Mountain (124,224 acres).
Can you hunt on Idaho WMAs?
Yes. Every WMA on this list allows hunting, but many have their own rules: short-range weapons only on several, archery only at Farragut, seasonal closures for wintering or nesting wildlife, and no vehicles on many. Each page lists them.
Do you need a permit to hunt an Idaho WMA?
A hunting license and the right tag for the season. Pheasant hunting on Sterling WMA also needs a WMA Upland Game Bird Permit, and some areas need a key or permit for roads or dog training (see each page).
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