Mad Island WMA: public hunting, 2026-27 seasons and access
Mad Island WMA is 7,719 acres of public hunting land in Matagorda County, Texas, TPWD unit #729. 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 and sandhill cranes, coots, dove, geese, rail, gallinule, and snipe as legal game here.
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 landCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| TPWD unit | #729 |
|---|---|
| Size | 7,719 acres (TPWD booklet); 7,258 acres mapped |
| County | Matagorda County |
| Permit | Annual Public Hunting Permit ($48), eOSR registration each day |
| Legal game listed | Waterfowl and Sandhill Cranes, Coots, Dove, Geese, Rail, Gallinule, and Snipe |
| Deer | No deer season for walk-in hunters in the booklet |
| White-tailed deer unit | TPWD unit 10 |
| Towns | Palacios (9 mi), Bay City (20 mi) and La Ward (26 mi) |
| Highways | TX 60 (2.3 mi) |
What can you hunt on Mad Island WMA in 2026-27?
TPWD's 2026-27 booklet lists 2 legal game entries for Mad Island WMA, none of them deer. Every line below is TPWD's own wording.
| Species or season | What TPWD's 2026-27 booklet says |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl | Shooting hours are 30 minutes before official sunrise and hunters must be checked out and exit the area by noon. Early Teal: Only on Saturdays and Sundays of the Early Teal season. South Zone Duck: Only on Saturdays and Sundays; also, on Tuesday the week of Thanksgiving. |
| Sandhill Cranes, Coots, Dove, Geese, Rail, Gallinule, and Snipe | may be taken during the seasons provided for these species only on dates listed for Early Teal and South Zone Duck hunts. |
Youth and special seasons
- Youth and Veteran/Active-Duty Military Only Waterfowl: On the Saturday of the established Special Season. See TPWD Outdoor Annual for Special Season information and regulations. Hunters must be checked out and exit the area by noon.
Drawn hunts
Hunts by E-POSTCARD Youth Deer and Youth Archery 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 Mad Island WMA?
- Permit and registration: OSR Required Each Day
- Means restriction: Shotguns with non-toxic shot are the only firearms allowed.
- Special regulations: Hunt party size is limited to 5 INDIVIDUALS. Hunts are no longer conducted on a first come/first served format. A lottery drawing will be conducted at 4:30 AM each day of a hunt to determine your position in line. Hunters arriving after 4:30 AM will be checked in as they arrive. Admittance to the area ends 30 minutes before legal shooting light. Hunters must be checked out and exit the area by noon. There will be 4 hunt locations set aside for youth/adult waterfowl hunters.
- Note: Most waterfowl hunting locations are accessed on foot. Boat use is restricted to compartments 9 and 10 and the impoundments. Boats must be hand launched. No trailers. Only electric motors are allowed. No outboards.
Source: TPWD 2026-27 Map Booklet for Public Hunting Lands, unit #729 (PDF).
How do you get to Mad Island WMA?
Mad Island WMA lies in Matagorda County. Nearest towns: Palacios (9 miles), Bay City (20 miles), La Ward (26 miles) and Sweeny (31 miles). Highways within 5 miles: TX 60 (2.3 miles). Water nearby: Crab Lake and Mad Island Lake.
TPWD's map points for Mad Island WMA: 1 info station.
TPWD's page says: Open on specific days during Early Teal Season and South Zone Waterfowl Season and drawn hunts for alligator, feral hog and white-tailed deer. TPWD's page gives the area as 7,714 acres. Area office: (979) 236-4765, 1102 CR 374, Collegeport, TX 77465.
From TPWD's Mad Island WMA page.
Which deer management unit is Mad Island WMA in?
Mad Island WMA lies in TPWD white-tailed deer management unit 10. 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 Mad Island WMA?
The closest other places on the Annual Public Hunting Permit with a page of their own, measured edge to edge:
| Area | County | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Matagorda Island WMA | Calhoun | 26 mi |
| Nannie M. Stringfellow WMA | Brazoria | 27 mi |
| Justin Hurst WMA | Brazoria | 35.2 mi |
| Guadalupe Delta WMA | Calhoun and Refugio | 44.7 mi |
Questions hunters ask
Do you need a permit to hunt Mad Island 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.
Can you hunt deer on Mad Island 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 Mad Island WMA?
TPWD's 2026-27 booklet prints no camping rules for Mad Island WMA. Ask the area office before planning to stay overnight.
Where is Mad Island WMA?
Mad Island WMA is in Matagorda County. The nearest towns: Palacios (9 miles), Bay City (20 miles) and La Ward (26 miles). Highways nearby: TX 60.
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 #729.
- 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 Matagorda County Matagorda Island WMA Nannie M. Stringfellow WMA Justin Hurst WMA