Big Lake Bottom WMA: public hunting, 2026-27 seasons and access
Big Lake Bottom WMA is 4,253 acres of public hunting land in Anderson County, Texas, TPWD unit #733. Adults hunt it on the $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit and register on site each day, in the Texas Hunt & Fish app (eOSR). TPWD's 2026-27 map booklet lists waterfowl, woodcock, gallinules and snipe and squirrel, rabbits & hares as legal game here. The entire area is closed Oct. 2-Nov. 30 and Feb. 5- Apr. 18.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons and rules: TPWD's 2026-27 Map Booklet for Public Hunting Lands. Boundaries: TPWD's Public Hunt Locator map.
This areaOther public hunting landNo hunting zoneCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| TPWD unit | #733 |
|---|---|
| Size | 4,253 acres (TPWD booklet); 4,249 acres mapped |
| County | Anderson County |
| Permit | Annual Public Hunting Permit ($48), eOSR registration each day |
| Legal game listed | Waterfowl, Woodcock, Gallinules and Snipe and Squirrel, Rabbits & Hares |
| Deer | No deer season for walk-in hunters in the booklet |
| Closed | Oct. 2-Nov. 30 and Feb. 5- Apr. 18. |
| White-tailed deer unit | TPWD unit 19 North |
| Towns | Oakwood (7 mi), Palestine (9 mi) and Elkhart (13 mi) |
| Highways | US 84 (1.7 mi), US 79 (1.7 mi) and TX 294 (2.3 mi) |
What can you hunt on Big Lake Bottom WMA in 2026-27?
TPWD's 2026-27 booklet lists 4 legal game entries for Big Lake Bottom WMA, none of them deer. Every line below is TPWD's own wording.
| Species or season | What TPWD's 2026-27 booklet says |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl | Dec. 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29, Jan. 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, and 30, provided these dates fall within the North Zone Duck season. Shooting hours are one half hour before sunrise to noon. |
| Woodcock, Gallinules and Snipe | May be taken during the shooting hours and hunt dates for waterfowl during the open seasons for these species. |
| Squirrel, Rabbits & Hares | (Rimfire, Air Gun, or Shotgun) Dec. 1-Feb. 4. |
| Fishing | Open year-round during daylight hours only; except dates entire area closed. |
Drawn hunts
E-Postcard selection hunts: Deer, Archery Deer, Feral Hog, Squirrel, and Youth Deer. See front section of booklet for "E-Postcard Selection Hunt" information. Apply through TPWD's Public Hunt Drawing System.
What are the rules on Big Lake Bottom WMA?
- Permit and registration: OSR Required Each Day. General access to the area is by APH and LPU Permit only during daylight hours at designated entry point.
- Closed: Entire area closed: Oct. 2-Nov. 30 and Feb. 5- Apr. 18.
- Special regulations: General access to the area is by APH and LPU Permit only during daylight hours at designated entry point. Dogs are prohibited except each permit holder may possess one dog while hunting waterfowl, squirrel, rabbits, or hares. See Prohibited Acts for further restrictions.
- Special regulations: No legal access from the Trinity River or from any location except a Designated Entrance. Camping allowed in Designated Campground Area only. Hunter access begins at 5:00 a.m. each day. Hunters may not leave the parking area before 5:00 a.m. each day.
- Rule: Map legend: No Hunting Zone
Source: TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet for Public Hunting Lands, unit #733 (PDF).
Which parts of Big Lake Bottom WMA are closed or limited?
TPWD's map of Big Lake Bottom WMA marks no hunting zones. No hunting zones are closed to all hunting. Measured inside the boundary from TPWD's own polygons:
| Zone | Acres | Share of Big Lake Bottom WMA |
|---|---|---|
| No hunting zones | 97 | 2.3% |
Measured by FilledTag from TPWD's Public Hunt Locator map. Posted signs and the booklet's map are the final word on the ground.
How do you get to Big Lake Bottom WMA?
Big Lake Bottom WMA lies in Anderson County. Nearest towns: Oakwood (7 miles), Palestine (9 miles), Elkhart (13 miles) and Fairfield (17 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 84 (1.7 miles), US 79 (1.7 miles) and TX 294 (2.3 miles). Water nearby: Blue Lake and Trinity River.
TPWD's map points for Big Lake Bottom WMA: 1 camp site, 1 parking area, 1 info station/designated entrance and 1 deer check station.
TPWD's page says: Open year round but closed for Drawn Hunts. TPWD's page gives the area as 4,253 acres. Area office: (903) 480-1221, 3479 ACR 2901, Tennessee Colony, TX 75861.
From TPWD's Big Lake Bottom WMA page.
Which deer management unit is Big Lake Bottom WMA in?
Big Lake Bottom WMA lies in TPWD white-tailed deer management unit 19 North. TPWD publishes its harvest survey statewide; across Texas in 2025-26 it estimates 714,424 white-tailed deer hunters took 782,405 deer. The page on Texas public hunting has the statewide table.
Units: TPWD white-tailed deer management units. Harvest: TPWD Big Game Harvest Survey, 2025-26.
What other public hunting is near Big Lake Bottom WMA?
The closest other places on the Annual Public Hunting Permit with a page of their own, measured edge to edge:
| Area | County | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Gus Engeling WMA | Anderson | 12.3 mi |
| Richland Creek WMA | Freestone and Navarro | 15.6 mi |
| Luminant Texas Public Hunting Land | Robertson | 40.2 mi |
| Lake Striker Public Hunting Land | Cherokee and Rusk | 49 mi |
| Alabama Creek WMA | Trinity | 58.8 mi |
TPWD also leases 2 dove and small game areas within 40 miles, the nearest Ivy (465 acres, 10.7 mi) and Germany (64 acres, 31.1 mi). All of them are on the Texas dove leases page.
Questions hunters ask
Do you need a permit to hunt Big Lake Bottom WMA?
Yes. Hunters 17 and older need the $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit along with a Texas hunting license; hunters under 17 may hunt free with a permitted adult. TPWD's booklet adds: OSR Required Each Day. General access to the area is by APH and LPU Permit only during daylight hours at designated entry point.
Can you hunt deer on Big Lake Bottom WMA?
Not on the Annual Public Hunting Permit: TPWD's 2026-27 booklet lists no deer season here. Some places offer drawn hunts; see the drawn hunts section above.
Can you camp on Big Lake Bottom WMA?
TPWD's booklet: Camping allowed in Designated Campground Area only.
Where is Big Lake Bottom WMA?
Big Lake Bottom WMA is in Anderson County. The nearest towns: Oakwood (7 miles), Palestine (9 miles) and Elkhart (13 miles). Highways nearby: US 84, US 79 and TX 294.
When is Big Lake Bottom WMA closed?
TPWD's 2026-27 booklet: the entire area is closed Oct. 2-Nov. 30 and Feb. 5- Apr. 18.
Get a Texas hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Texas 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, Texas included.
Where these facts come from
- Legal game, dates, rules, permits and closures: TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet for Public Hunting Lands, unit #733.
- Boundaries, zones and map points: TPWD Public Hunt Locator map. Acres and distances measured by FilledTag.
- Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 and Gazetteer. Lakes and rivers: USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
FilledTag is not part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. TPWD's booklet and posted signs are the final word on every rule; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Texas public hunting Anderson County Gus Engeling WMA Richland Creek WMA Luminant Texas Public Hunting Land