Mattapoisett River Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 11
Mattapoisett River Wildlife Management Area is 163 acres of MassWildlife land in Rochester (Plymouth County), in Wildlife Management Zone 11. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 4,153 deer in Zone 11 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Mattapoisett River WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landMattapoisett River WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 163 acres (MassWildlife) |
|---|---|
| Town | Rochester |
| County | Plymouth |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 11 |
| MassWildlife district | Southeast District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Deer taken in Zone 11, 2025 | 4,153 (2,120 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Acushnet (2 mi), Rochester (3 mi) and Mattapoisett (3 mi) |
What is Mattapoisett River WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Mattapoisett River WMA consists of mixed upland forest and red maple swamp. Common vegetation on the property includes white pine, red oak, white oak, red maple, sweet pepperbush, and common greenbrier, with a wide variety of upland and wetland herbaceous plants and grasses."
On wildlife: "MassWildlife acquired this property in 2005 from George and Katherine Church. This property was one of several large parcels owned by the Church family along both sides of the Mattapoisett River where the family owned and operated a lumber mill, harvested sustainable timber products, and maintained agricultural hay fields."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Mattapoisett River WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Mattapoisett River WMA?
"Mattapoisett River WMA provides great opportunities to pursue white-tailed deer, wild turkey, eastern coyote, gray squirrel, aquatic furbearers, fox, and waterfowl."
On fishing: "The WMA has over 4,000 feet of frontage on the Mattapoisett River, which serves as the WMA’s entire eastern boundary and a portion of the northern boundary, extending from Wolf Island Road to the north. MassWildlife stocks the river annually with trout. The river is easily accessed by the footpath mentioned above. For more information on trout stocking, visit mass.gov/trout."
How do you get into Mattapoisett River WMA?
"The area is accessed via a small gravel parking area off Wolf Island Road just west of where the road crosses the Mattapoisett River. There is a small footpath along the western bank of the river that extends from the crossing at Wolf Island Road north into the WMA that is primarily used by anglers. An old gated woods road extends into the property from Wolf Island Road approximately 75 yards west of the gravel parking area and can be accessed by either walking the edge of the road from the parking area or cutting through the woods."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Mattapoisett River WMA.
Highways within five miles: I-195, MA 105, MA 140, MA 18, US 6 and MA 240. Distances to the nearest town centers: Acushnet 2 miles, Rochester 3 miles, Mattapoisett 3 miles and Marion 5 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Haskell Swamp (2 miles), Hartley Reservoir (3 miles), South Shore Marshes (5 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Mattapoisett River WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 11: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31 and a winter season January 1 to 30, 2027. In 2025 the zone gave 2,139 deer to archers and 1,358 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 11 | 162 | 4,153 | 2,120 | 3,830 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Mattapoisett River 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 Mattapoisett River WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 11, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Mattapoisett River WMA in?
Zone 11, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 4,153 deer in Zone 11 in 2025, 2,120 of them adult males, after 3,830 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
How do you get into Mattapoisett River WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "The area is accessed via a small gravel parking area off Wolf Island Road just west of where the road crosses the Mattapoisett River. There is a small footpath along the western bank of the river that extends from the crossing at Wolf Island Road north into the WMA that is primarily used by anglers."
What can you hunt on Mattapoisett River WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Mattapoisett River WMA provides great opportunities to pursue white-tailed deer, wild turkey, eastern coyote, gray squirrel, aquatic furbearers, fox, and waterfowl."
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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).