Fishing Bay Wildlife Management Area: deer harvest, hunting rules and map
Hunters reported 160 deer on Fishing Bay Wildlife Management Area in the 2025-26 season, 74 antlered and 86 antlerless, against 202 in 2024-25. It is a Maryland DNR wildlife management area of about 30,601 acres in Dorchester County, in deer management Region B.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II. Area: Maryland DNR owned lands (Maryland iMAP); DNR's page for Fishing Bay WMA. Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027.
Wildlife management areaState forestState parkNational wildlife refugeFishing Bay WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 30,601 acres (measured from DNR's map) |
|---|---|
| County | Dorchester County |
| Managed by | Wildlife and Heritage Service |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 160 (74 antlered, 86 antlerless) |
| Deer reported, 2024-25 | 202 |
| Sika among them, 2025-26 | 154 |
| Deer management region | Region B |
| Nearest towns | Elliott (next to it), Nanticoke Acres (2 mi) and Waterview (2 mi) |
How many deer are taken on Fishing Bay WMA each year?
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 74 | 86 | 160 |
| 2024-25 | 82 | 120 | 202 |
Source: the public land table (Appendix II) in DNR's report for each season (Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive). Totals include sika deer.
What is Fishing Bay WMA like?
DNR describes it: "With about 29,000 acres, Fishing Bay WMA is the state's largest wildlife management area and largest parcel of publicly owned tidal wetlands in Maryland. Large expanses of tidal marshes dominate eighty percent of this WMA, located adjacent to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Dorchester County."
On hunting and other uses: "Listen for the bugling and whistling of the sika deer stags from September through December. Mallards and black ducks are abundant on the inland ponds, while the best bet for bagging diving ducks, like scaup, is on the bays and river shoreline."
On wildlife: "Both the native white-tailed deer and the Asian sika deer can be found grazing on wetland plants. Muskrats and the exotic South American nutria compete for habitat."
Quoted from DNR's page for Fishing Bay WMA.
What are the rules on Fishing Bay WMA?
- Use of Fishing Bay WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year.
- Hunting is allowed in accordance with open seasons and shooting hours.
- All State and Federal Hunting Laws and Regulations are applicable.
- Trapping is by permit only. Trapping bids are available in September and units are awarded in October. Call the LeCompte WMA office for further information.
- Camping is prohibited; except for educational groups on Guinea Island with a permit.
From DNR's page for Fishing Bay WMA.
When can you hunt Fishing Bay WMA in 2026-27?
Seasons follow Region B: archery September 11 to January 31 with breaks, early muzzleloader October 22 to 24, firearm November 28 to December 12 and January 8 to 10, 2027, late muzzleloader December 19 to January 2. Spring turkey runs April 19 to May 24, 2027.
| County | Deer, 2025-26 | Antlered, 2025-26 | Spring turkeys, 2026 | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester County | 5,106 | 2,338 | 216 | 20.8% |
Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
How do you get to Fishing Bay WMA?
Highways within five miles: MD 349, MD 336, MD 363 and MD 352. Nearest towns: Elliott (next to it), Nanticoke Acres (2 miles), Waterview (2 miles) and Tyaskin (2 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are taken on Fishing Bay WMA?
160 in 2025-26: 74 antlered and 86 antlerless (Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026, Appendix II). In 2024-25: 202.
Do you need a permit to hunt Fishing Bay WMA?
DNR's page for Fishing Bay WMA says: "Use of Fishing Bay WMA is generally permitted seven days a week throughout the year. Trapping is by permit only. Trapping bids are available in September and units are awarded in October. Call the LeCompte WMA office for further information."
What county is Fishing Bay WMA in?
Dorchester County. Dorchester County reported 5,106 deer in 2025-26, 2,338 antlered, and is in Region B.
What can you hunt on Fishing Bay WMA?
DNR: "Listen for the bugling and whistling of the sika deer stags from September through December. Mallards and black ducks are abundant on the inland ponds, while the best bet for bagging diving ducks, like scaup, is on the bays and river shoreline."
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Where these facts come from
- Deer by area: the public land tables in Maryland DNR deer and big game report archive. Boundary: Maryland DNR owned lands (Maryland iMAP).
- Seasons: Maryland DNR Hunting Seasons Calendar for 2026-2027; Maryland DNR: 2026-27 archery deer season opens September 11. County harvest: Maryland DNR Annual Big Game Report 2025-2026.
- Public land around it: Maryland DNR owned lands (Maryland iMAP) for state land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.