Lower Neches WMA: public hunting, 2026-27 seasons and access
Lower Neches WMA is 5,254 acres of public hunting land in Orange County, Texas, TPWD units #728 and #738. 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 feral hogs among the legal game, along with waterfowl, geese, woodcock, rails, gallinules, and snipe, rabbits and hares and early teal.
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 zonePrivate land insideCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| TPWD unit | #728 and #738 |
|---|---|
| Size | 5,254 acres (TPWD booklet); 7,816 acres mapped |
| County | Orange County |
| Permit | Annual Public Hunting Permit ($48), eOSR registration each day |
| Owned by | Entergy Texas LP |
| Legal game listed | Waterfowl, Geese, Woodcock, Rails, Gallinules, and Snipe, Rabbits and Hares, Early Teal, South Zone Duck, Geese, Woodcock, Rail, Gallinules, and Snipe, Rabbits & Hares and Feral Hogs |
| Deer | No deer season for walk-in hunters in the booklet |
| White-tailed deer unit | TPWD unit 13 |
| Towns | Bridge City (next to it), Groves (3 mi) and Port Neches (4 mi) |
| Highways | TX 87, TX 73 and TX 347 (3.8 mi) |
Which units make up Lower Neches WMA?
TPWD prints Lower Neches WMA as 2 units in its 2026-27 booklet:
| Unit | Name | Acres (TPWD) | County | Legal game entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #728 | Lower Neches WMA Old River Unit | 4,386 | Orange | 4 |
| #738 | Lower Neches WMA Nelda Stark Unit | 868 | Orange | 7 |
Lower Neches WMA, Old River Unit (#728): what can you hunt in 2026-27?
Lower Neches WMA, Old River Unit is 4,386 acres in Orange County. TPWD's 2026-27 booklet lists 4 legal game entries for this unit, none of them deer. Every line below is TPWD's own wording.
| Species or season | What TPWD's 2026-27 booklet says |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl | Hunts begin at 4:30 AM and end at noon the same day. Early Teal: Each day of the Early Teal Season. South Zone Duck: Each day of the South Zone Duck Season as established for Orange County. East of Hwy. 87/73.: Only on Wed., Fri., and Sun. The hunt area between Lake Street and Hwy 87/73 is non-motorized access only. West of Hwy. 87/73: Only on Tues., Thurs., and Sat. Motorized access restricted to perimeter waters of Wetland Restoration Area and the Leveed impoundment west of Hwy 87. |
| Geese, Woodcock, Rails, Gallinules, and Snipe | During the established seasons for these species only on hunt dates and times designated for waterfowl. |
| Rabbits and Hares | Feb. 1-28 (no bag limit). Hunting from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. |
| Fishing | Within the designated hunt area, fishing is allowed Sept. 1-Oct. 31 and Feb.1- Aug. 31. Closed Nov. 1-Jan. 31. Fishing is restricted to 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset. No commercial crabbing or bait fishing allowed on the Area. Bank anglers must possess a valid APH or LPU Permit. |
Youth and special seasons on Lower Neches WMA, Old River Unit
- Youth and Veteran/Active-Duty Military Only Waterfowl: See TPWD Outdoor Annual for Special Season information and regulations.
- Youth/Adult Only Area: Each day of Early Teal Season and each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of Regular Waterfowl Season as established for Orange County. Hunts begin at 4:30A and end at noon the same day. No more than 2 participating adults per party, each party is required to have one hunting youth participant (under 17). Maximum of 5 persons per party.
Rules on Lower Neches WMA, Old River Unit
- Permit and registration: OSR Required Each Day. Bank anglers must possess a valid APH or LPU Permit.
- Means restriction: Shotguns with non-toxic shot only.
- Special regulations: Hunters may enter the WMA no earlier than 4:30 a.m. During the period of Sept. 1-Feb. 28, access to the WMA is restricted to foot and non-motorized boats EXCEPT from 4:30 a.m. to end of legal shooting hours on designated hunt days. Temporary blinds may be constructed using natural vegetation (brush, cane, etc. - no lumber, wire, or other construction materials allowed). The WMA is open year round to permitted users. See Prohibited Acts for further restrictions. Maximum of 5 persons per party.
- Note: Motorboat operators are advised that disturbance of soils and plants on the WMAs is prohibited. Uprooting seagrasses using a propeller is prohibited by law.
- Rule: Map legend: Public Hunting Area Non-motorized access only
Source: TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet for Public Hunting Lands, unit #728 (PDF).
Lower Neches WMA, Nelda Stark Unit (#738): what can you hunt in 2026-27?
This areaOther public hunting landNo hunting zoneCounty lineLake or riverHighway
Lower Neches WMA, Nelda Stark Unit is 868 acres in Orange County. TPWD's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 legal game entries for this unit, none of them deer. Every line below is TPWD's own wording.
| Species or season | What TPWD's 2026-27 booklet says |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl | Hunts begin at 4:30 AM and end at sunset the same day. |
| Early Teal | Each day of the Early Teal Season. |
| South Zone Duck | Only on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. |
| Geese, Woodcock, Rail, Gallinules, and Snipe | during the established seasons for these species on hunt dates and times designated for waterfowl. |
| Rabbits & Hares | Feb. 1-28 (no bag limit). Hunting is restricted to 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. |
| Feral Hogs | Feb. 1-April 30 (no bag limit). |
| Fishing | Within the designated hunt area, fishing is allowed Sept. 1-Oct. 31 and Feb. 1-Aug. 31. Closed Nov. 1-Jan. 31. The rest of the WMA is open year-round. Fishing is restricted to 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. No commercial crabbing or bait fishing allowed on the area. Bank fisherman must possess an APH or LPU Permit. |
Youth and special seasons on Lower Neches WMA, Nelda Stark Unit
- Youth and Veteran/Active-Duty Military Only Waterfowl: Each day of the special season. Hunts begin at 4:30 AM and end at sunset the same day. See TPWD Outdoor Annual for Special Season information and regulations.
Rules on Lower Neches WMA, Nelda Stark Unit
- Permit and registration: OSR Required Each Day. Bank fisherman must possess an APH or LPU Permit.
- Means restriction: Shotguns are the only means allowed on the area. Non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl, rabbits, and hares. Buckshot is allowed for feral hogs.
- Special regulations: Hunters may enter the WMA (main gate) no earlier than 4:30 a.m. and must leave by one hour after sunset. No unattended vehicles except during permitted hunts. Access to the designated hunt area is restricted to foot and non-motorized boats only during the Early Teal and South Zone Duck Season. Temporary blinds may be constructed using natural vegetation. Airboats restricted to non-vegetated areas only. No overnight camping. See Prohibited Acts for further restrictions. Note: There are no longer designated hunt sites on this unit, a 200-yard distance must be kept between all hunt parties. Maximum of 5 persons per hunt party.
- Note: Access to the designated hunt area on designated hunt days is restricted to hunters only. The remainder of the WMA is open year-round. The designated hunt area is by foot only and requires up to one-half mile walk on improved trails. Canoes and pirogues are recommended. Motorboat operators are advised that disturbance of soils and plants on WMAs is prohibited. Uprooting seagrasses using a propeller is prohibited by law.
Source: TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet for Public Hunting Lands, unit #738 (PDF).
Which parts of Lower Neches WMA are closed or limited?
TPWD's map of Lower Neches WMA marks no hunting zones, private land inside the boundary and hunting compartments (open to hunting). No hunting zones are closed to all hunting. Hunting compartments are the numbered blocks hunters register for and hunt. Measured inside the boundary from TPWD's own polygons:
| Zone | Acres | Share of Lower Neches WMA |
|---|---|---|
| No hunting zones | 3,081 | 39.4% |
| Private land inside the boundary | 13 | 0.2% |
| Hunting compartments (open to hunting) | 4,022 | 51.5% |
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 Lower Neches WMA?
Lower Neches WMA lies in Orange County. Nearest towns: Bridge City (next to it), Groves (3 miles), Port Neches (4 miles) and West Orange (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: TX 87 (it crosses or touches the area), TX 73 (it crosses or touches the area) and TX 347 (3.8 miles). Water nearby: Sabine Lake.
TPWD's map points for Lower Neches WMA: 2 boat ramps, 1 parking area and 2 info stations.
TPWD's page says: The WMA is open for fishing and other recreational activities from September 1 to October 31 and February 1 through August 31. The WMA is closed to fishing and other recreational activities November 1 through January 31 except for waterfowl hunting each day during the Early Teal Season and of the South Zone Duck Season as established for Orange County. See the Public Hunting Lands booklet or go to Annual Public Hunting What You Need to Know for the days and times units are open for hunting during the waterfowl season. TPWD's page gives the area as 7,998 acres. Area office: (409) 736-2551, 10 Parks & Wildlife Dr., Port Arthur, TX 77640.
From TPWD's Lower Neches WMA page.
Which deer management unit is Lower Neches WMA in?
Lower Neches WMA lies in TPWD white-tailed deer management unit 13. 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 Lower Neches WMA?
The closest other places on the Annual Public Hunting Permit with a page of their own, measured edge to edge:
| Area | County | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Houseman WMA | Orange | 7.8 mi |
| J.D. Murphree WMA | Jefferson | 10.3 mi |
| Sea Rim State Park | Jefferson | 19.4 mi |
| Angelina-Neches/Dam B WMA | Jasper and Tyler | 59.8 mi |
TPWD also leases 3 dove and small game areas within 40 miles, the nearest Bordages Road (1,272 acres, 7.5 mi), Latta Road (1,641 acres, 9.6 mi) and South China Road (1,036 acres, 23.1 mi). All of them are on the Texas dove leases page.
Questions hunters ask
Do you need a permit to hunt Lower Neches 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. Bank anglers must possess a valid APH or LPU Permit.
Can you hunt deer on Lower Neches WMA?
Not on the Annual Public Hunting Permit: TPWD's 2026-27 booklet lists no deer season here.
Can you camp on Lower Neches WMA?
TPWD's booklet: No overnight camping.
Where is Lower Neches WMA?
Lower Neches WMA is in Orange County. The nearest towns: Bridge City (next to it), Groves (3 miles) and Port Neches (4 miles). Highways nearby: TX 87, TX 73 and TX 347.
Get a Texas hunt plan when they open
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Where these facts come from
- Legal game, dates, rules, permits and closures: TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet for Public Hunting Lands, units #728 and #738.
- 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 Orange County Tony Houseman WMA J.D. Murphree WMA Sea Rim State Park