Lower Fish Creek WMA: hunting, access and rules
Lower Fish Creek WMA is a 2,028-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Carbon County, in DWR's Southeastern Region, managed for big game, blue ribbon fishery. DWR's seasonal closure: Gates may be closed due to weather. Within 3 miles of it, 29.4% of the land is public, mostly BLM.
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)Lower Fish Creek WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 2,028 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Carbon |
| DWR region | Southeastern Region |
| Managed for | Big game, blue ribbon fishery |
| Seasonal closure | Gates may be closed due to weather |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1990 |
| Nearest towns | Scofield (6 mi), Helper (10 mi) and Price (16 mi) |
| A point inside it | 39.7876, -111.0584 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Lower Fish Creek WMA?
Seasonal closure: Gates may be closed due to weather. No camping on the south side of the river, motorized vehicles on existing roads only, no fires. DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet.
DWR runs Lower Fish Creek under its habitat management plan of 2011.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Lower Fish Creek WMA in?
Lower Fish Creek WMA lies in 3 units with a page of their own; on the Manti/San Rafael general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 2,518 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Manti/San Rafael | general-season deer | 100% |
| Manti | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| Wasatch Mountains/Central Mountains | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 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 Lower Fish Creek WMA?
Mule deer, elk, greater sage grouse, waterfowl, shore birds, fish.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Lower Fish Creek WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 29.4% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (5,684 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 5,684 | 13.3% |
| DWR wildlife land | 5,135 | 12% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 1,767 | 4.1% |
| State park (park rules) | 418 | 1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 29,799 | 69.6% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Lower Fish Creek WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Starvation WMA (8,022 acres, 9 miles northwest), Gordon Creek WMA (15,601 acres, 11 miles south), Horse Ridge WMA (14,283 acres, 16 miles northeast), Dairy Fork WMA (4,953 acres, 21 miles northwest), Strawberry River WMA (22,929 acres, 23 miles north) and Lasson Draw WMA (2,881 acres, 24 miles west).
How do you get to Lower Fish Creek WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 6 and UT 96. Nearest towns: Scofield (6 miles), Helper (10 miles), Price (16 miles) and Wellington (21 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Lower Fish Creek WMA closed?
Gates may be closed due to weather, by DWR's listing for the area. No camping on the south side of the river, motorized vehicles on existing roads only, no fires.
Do you need a permit to enter Lower Fish Creek WMA?
DWR lists no license or digital access permit requirement for this WMA yet, by DWR's 2026 listing for Carbon County.
How much public land is around Lower Fish Creek WMA?
29.4% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it BLM (5,684 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Lower Fish Creek WMA in?
The Manti/San Rafael general-season deer unit and the Manti limited-entry elk 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.