Farmington Bay WMA: hunting, access and rules
Farmington Bay WMA is a 28,699-acre waterfowl management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Davis and Salt Lake counties, in DWR's Northern Region, managed for waterfowl habitat. DWR's seasonal closure: End of the waterfowl hunting season until the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt. Within 3 miles of it, 5.4% of the land is public, mostly national forest.
Data updated October 2026. Property facts: DWR's public access properties layer. Units: DWR's 2026 boundaries. Land around it: UGRC, 2023.
National forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landState park (park rules)State sovereign land (lake and river beds)Farmington Bay WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 28,699 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Davis, Salt Lake |
| DWR region | Northern Region |
| Managed for | Waterfowl habitat |
| Seasonal closure | End of the waterfowl hunting season until the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1935 |
| Nearest towns | West Bountiful (next to it), Centerville (next to it) and Farmington (next to it) |
| A point inside it | 40.9156, -112.0236 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Farmington Bay WMA?
Seasonal closure: End of the waterfowl hunting season until the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt. Motorized travel is allowed only on the road along the Unit 1 dike to the four-way intersection, and no dogs from the end of the waterfowl hunting season through the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt. On parts of this WMA, anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit.
DWR runs Farmington Bay under its habitat management plan of 2016.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Farmington Bay WMA in?
Farmington Bay WMA lies in 1 unit with a page of their own; on the Box Elder general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 1,123 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Box Elder | general-season deer | 100% |
Shares measured by FilledTag from DWR's 2026 unit boundaries and the WMA boundary. Harvest: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025; each unit's page has it year by year.
What wildlife does DWR list for Farmington Bay WMA?
Year-round habitat for a variety of avian species, but particularly for waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds. Principle waterfowl species that nest at FBWMA include Canada geese and a variety of ducks, such as the northern pintail, mallard.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Farmington Bay WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 5.4% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (4,069 acres). State sovereign land (lake and river beds) covers 41.8% of the ring (34,524 acres); it is not counted above, and its own rules apply.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| State sovereign land (lake and river beds) | 34,524 | 41.8% |
| National forest | 4,069 | 4.9% |
| DWR wildlife land | 394 | 0.5% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 19 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 43,575 | 52.8% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Farmington Bay WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Blackhawk WMA (665 acres, 8 miles south), Lee Kay WMA (892 acres, 13 miles south), Howard Slough WMA (2,546 acres, 15 miles northwest), Weber Face WMA (563 acres, 18 miles northeast), Ogden Bay WMA (16,656 acres, 21 miles northwest) and East Canyon WMA (5,862 acres, 22 miles east).
How do you get to Farmington Bay WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: I-15, US 89, I-80 and I-215. Nearest towns: West Bountiful (next to it), Centerville (next to it), Farmington (next to it) and Woods Cross (2 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Farmington Bay WMA closed?
End of the waterfowl hunting season until the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt, by DWR's listing for the area. Motorized travel is allowed only on the road along the Unit 1 dike to the four-way intersection, and no dogs from the end of the waterfowl hunting season through the Thursday before the Youth Waterfowl Hunt.
Do you need a permit to enter Farmington Bay WMA?
On parts of this WMA, anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit, by DWR's 2026 listing for Davis and Salt Lake counties.
How much public land is around Farmington Bay WMA?
5.4% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (4,069 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Farmington Bay WMA in?
The Box Elder general-season deer unit, by DWR's 2026 boundaries. Hunting on the WMA follows that unit's seasons and DWR's rules for the property.
Get a Utah hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Utah 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, Utah included.
Sources: DWR property data, DWR's WMA page, DWR unit boundaries, UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023). FilledTag is not part of DWR.