Fish Brook Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 5
Fish Brook Wildlife Management Area is 143 acres of MassWildlife land in Royalston and Warwick (Worcester and Franklin counties), in Wildlife Management Zone 5. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 917 deer in Zone 5 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Fish Brook WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landState forest and park land (DCR)Fish Brook WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 143 acres (MassWildlife) |
|---|---|
| Town | Royalston and Warwick |
| County | Worcester, Franklin |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 5 |
| MassWildlife district | Central District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Deer taken in Zone 5, 2025 | 917 (541 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Warwick (3 mi), Royalston (4 mi) and Orange (4 mi) |
What is Fish Brook WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "This property is comprised of mature hardwood ridges, mature white pine, eastern hemlock stands, and steep rocky ledges. Fish Brook also flows through the interior valley surrounded by steep hillsides."
On wildlife: "Steep topography offers scenic views of Fish Brook WMA and the river valley to the east."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Fish Brook WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Fish Brook WMA?
"Mature mixed forest on this WMA supports white-tailed deer, bobcat, gray squirrel, raccoon, and eastern coyote providing hunting opportunities for these species. Fish Brook is a cold water resource that flows through the WMA with steep topography on the west side offering fishing opportunities for native brook trout."
How do you get into Fish Brook WMA?
"There is a parking area located on Bliss Hill Road with parking for approximately three vehicles for access to the WMA."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Fish Brook WMA.
Highways within five miles: MA 32, MA 78 and MA 68. Distances to the nearest town centers: Warwick 3 miles, Royalston 4 miles, Orange 4 miles and Athol 7 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Tully Mountain (2 miles), Warwick (3 miles), Orange (3 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Fish Brook WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 5: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 337 deer to archers and 411 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 5 | 258 | 917 | 541 | 798 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Fish Brook WMA?
Under 321 CMR 3.01, camping, fires and target practice need the Director's written permission, vehicles stay on roads open to traffic, and dogs must be leashed unless hunting or training with a licensed hunter.
Source: MassWildlife WMA regulations.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Fish Brook WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 5, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Fish Brook WMA in?
Zone 5, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 917 deer in Zone 5 in 2025, 541 of them adult males, after 798 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
How do you get into Fish Brook WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "There is a parking area located on Bliss Hill Road with parking for approximately three vehicles for access to the WMA."
What can you hunt on Fish Brook WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Mature mixed forest on this WMA supports white-tailed deer, bobcat, gray squirrel, raccoon, and eastern coyote providing hunting opportunities for these species. Fish Brook is a cold water resource that flows through the WMA with steep topography on the west side offering fishing opportunities for native brook trout."
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Sources: MassWildlife fact sheet; MassWildlife Lands (MassGIS); MassWildlife parking for recreation; MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates); MassWildlife WMA regulations; public land MassGIS Protected and Recreational OpenSpace for state and Army Corps land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land; towns U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, towns (county subdivisions). FilledTag is not part of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife).