Indian River Wildlife Management Area: hunting, parking and access
Indian River Wildlife Management Area is 968 acres (DEC) managed by DEC in the town of Theresa, Jefferson County, in WMU 6A (Northern Zone). DEC describes it as 432 acres of upland forest, 25 acres of crop land and 510 acres of wetland. DEC lists 2 parking areas with coordinates.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: DEC's page for Indian River WMA, read 2026-10-18. Boundary: DEC GIS.
DEC landIndian River WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 968 acres (DEC) |
|---|---|
| Location (DEC) | Town of Theresa, Jefferson County |
| WMU | WMU 6A |
| Zone | Northern Zone |
| DEC region | Region 6 |
| Open | Year-round |
| Fee | Free |
| Parking areas (DEC) | 2 |
| Activities DEC lists | Hunting, Trapping, Freshwater Fishing and Watchable Wildlife |
| Nearest towns | Redwood (3 mi), Theresa (3 mi) and Oxbow (4 mi) |
What kind of ground is Indian River WMA?
DEC breaks the area's 968 acres down this way:
| Cover (DEC's words) | Acres |
|---|---|
| upland forest | 432 |
| crop land | 25 |
| wetland | 510 |
From DEC's page for Indian River WMA.
Where do you park at Indian River WMA?
DEC lists 2 parking areas for Indian River WMA:
| DEC's description | Latitude, longitude |
|---|---|
| Red Lake Road, large parking area, gravel | 44.27030, -75.74680 |
| Red Lake Road, next to Indian River, gravel | 44.26480, -75.76060 |
From DEC's page for Indian River WMA.
What can you hunt on Indian River WMA, and when?
DEC's map of hunting on DEC-managed lands marks the area open to hunting. DEC lists these activities for the area: hunting, trapping, freshwater fishing and watchable wildlife. Hunting on a WMA follows the seasons of the WMU the ground is in. In WMU 6A, the 2026 regular firearms deer season runs October 24 to December 6.
| WMU | WMA acres in it | Deer harvested (whole WMU) | Adult bucks | Bears (whole WMU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 6A | 943 | 4,568 (2025) | 3,132 | 10 (2025) |
Harvest: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary. Seasons: DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October.
DEC's plans for the area: a Habitat Management Plan approved February 2017 and an Access and Public Use Plan approved January 2024.
What DEC says about each activity here
- Hunting. "The several ecological communities present on the Indian River WMA provide diverse habitat and supports a wide variety of game and non-game wildlife species."
- Trapping. "The several ecological communities present on the Indian River WMA provide diverse habitat and supports a wide variety of game and non-game wildlife species."
- Freshwater Fishing. "One car-top boat launch is located at the end of Red Lake Road, providing access to Red Lake, and the other is off Nelson Road, providing access to the Indian River."
- Watchable Wildlife. "The several ecological communities present on the Indian River WMA provides diverse habitat and supports a wide variety of game and non-game wildlife species for viewing."
From DEC's page for Indian River WMA.
How do you get to Indian River WMA?
Highways within five miles: NY 37 and NY 26. Nearest towns: Redwood (3 miles), Theresa (3 miles), Oxbow (4 miles) and Plessis (5 miles). State land nearby, as DEC names it: Pulpit Rock State Forest.
Which other WMAs are near Indian River?
| WMA | Miles away (straight line) | WMU | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perch River WMA | 16 | 6G | 7,932 |
| Fish Creek WMA | 17 | 6A | 4,537 |
| French Creek WMA | 21 | 6G | 2,300 |
| Brownville WMA | 24 | 6G | 241 |
| Ashland Flats WMA | 27 | 6G | 2,028 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Indian River WMA?
Yes. DEC's map of hunting on DEC-managed lands marks it open to hunting. Indian River WMA lies in WMU 6A, and seasons follow the WMU's: in 2026 the regular firearms deer season there runs October 24 to December 6.
Where do you park at Indian River WMA?
DEC lists 2 parking areas: Red Lake Road, large parking area, gravel (44.2703, -75.7468) and Red Lake Road, next to Indian River, gravel (44.2648, -75.7606).
What WMU is Indian River WMA in?
All of Indian River WMA is in WMU 6A. DEC estimates 4,568 deer were taken in the whole WMU in 2025.
What is the nearest town to Indian River WMA?
Redwood, about 3 miles away, by the Census map of places. Theresa is 3 miles away.
How big is Indian River WMA?
DEC gives 968 acres: 432 acres of upland forest, 25 acres of crop land and 510 acres of wetland.
Get a New York hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for New York are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, New York included.
Where these facts come from
- Area facts, habitat, parking and plans: DEC, Indian River WMA.
- Boundary: DEC Wildlife Management Areas. Public land around it: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1). Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
- WMU harvest: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary. Seasons: DEC, 2026-27 early big game hunting seasons in September; DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October.
FilledTag is not part of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.