Middle Fork WMA: hunting, access and rules
Middle Fork WMA is a 16,725-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Weber County, in DWR's Northern Region, managed for big game winter range. DWR's seasonal closure: Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April. Within 3 miles of it, 11.5% 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 forestBLMDWR wildlife landMiddle Fork WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 16,725 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Weber |
| DWR region | Northern Region |
| Managed for | Big game winter range |
| Seasonal closure | Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1986 |
| Nearest towns | Huntsville (2 mi), North Ogden (9 mi) and Harrisville (10 mi) |
| A point inside it | 41.3449, -111.7140 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Middle Fork WMA?
Seasonal closure: Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April. Parking only in designated areas, no motorized vehicles, walk in access only. Anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit to enter.
DWR runs Middle Fork under its habitat management plan of 2015.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Middle Fork WMA in?
Middle Fork WMA lies in 2 units with a page of their own; on the Ogden general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 566 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Ogden | general-season deer | 100% |
| Ogden | 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 Middle Fork WMA?
Mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, moose, Rio Grande turkey, upland game (grouse and dove), Bonneville cutthroat trout, neotropical migrant birds, small mammals, and bald eagle.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Middle Fork WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 11.5% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (7,148 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 7,148 | 10.9% |
| DWR wildlife land | 411 | 0.6% |
| BLM | 16 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 58,088 | 88.5% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Middle Fork WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Causey WMA (646 acres, 8 miles east), Cinnamon Creek WMA (8,148 acres, 9 miles northeast), East Fork Little Bear WMA (233 acres, 12 miles north), Weber Face WMA (563 acres, 16 miles southwest), Brigham Face WMA (4,595 acres, 17 miles northwest) and Millville-Providence WMA (5,874 acres, 19 miles north).
How do you get to Middle Fork WMA?
No numbered highway within 8 miles. Nearest towns: Huntsville (2 miles), North Ogden (9 miles), Harrisville (10 miles) and Pleasant View (11 miles). DWR also lists it under the older name Sunridge Summit Ranch.
Questions hunters ask
When is Middle Fork WMA closed?
Closed January 1 to second Saturday in April, by DWR's listing for the area. Parking only in designated areas, no motorized vehicles, walk in access only.
Do you need a permit to enter Middle Fork WMA?
Anyone 18 or older needs a Utah hunting, fishing or combination license or DWR's free digital access permit to enter, by DWR's 2026 listing for Weber County.
How much public land is around Middle Fork WMA?
11.5% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (7,148 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Middle Fork WMA in?
The Ogden 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.