Spencer Fork WMA: hunting, access and rules
Spencer Fork WMA is a 7,488-acre wildlife management area owned by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Utah and Sanpete counties, in DWR's Central Region, managed for big game winter range. DWR's seasonal closure: Closed December 1 to April 30. Within 3 miles of it, 52.5% 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 forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landSpencer Fork WMAGeneral-season deer unit lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 7,488 acres (DWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Utah, Sanpete |
| DWR region | Central Region |
| Managed for | Big game winter range |
| Seasonal closure | Closed December 1 to April 30 |
| Access | Legal Access, Public Access |
| DWR property since | 1973 |
| Nearest towns | Woodland Hills (11 mi), Elk Ridge (11 mi) and Fountain Green (12 mi) |
| A point inside it | 39.8397, -111.5683 (latitude, longitude) |
What are the rules on Spencer Fork WMA?
Seasonal closure: Closed December 1 to April 30. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads. 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 Spencer Fork under its habitat management plan of 2025.
What is allowed where on a WMA: DWR's WMA map.
Which hunt units is Spencer Fork WMA in?
Spencer Fork WMA lies in 5 units with a page of their own; on the Nebo general-season deer unit as a whole, hunters took 1,417 bucks in 2025 (DWR):
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of the WMA in it |
|---|---|---|
| Nebo | general-season deer | 100% |
| Nebo/San Pitch Mountains | limited-entry bull elk | 100% |
| Wasatch Mountains/Central Mountains | once-in-a-lifetime bull moose | 100% |
| Nebo | once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep | 100% |
| Nebo | once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat | 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 Spencer Fork WMA?
The property consists of sagebrush and grass habitats, with pinyon and juniper trees on the lower slopes. These habitats change to mostly oakbrush and other mountain shrubs as the elevation increases to the west. Cottontail Rabbit, Mourning Dove, Mule, D.
DWR's own words for the property's primary habitat and species.
What land surrounds Spencer Fork WMA?
Within 3 miles of the WMA's boundary, 52.5% of the land is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (22,150 acres).
| Manager | Acres | Share of the 3-mile ring |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 22,150 | 44.2% |
| DWR wildlife land | 3,413 | 6.8% |
| BLM | 401 | 0.8% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 320 | 0.6% |
| Private and other land not shown | 23,789 | 47.5% |
Measured by FilledTag from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
What other WMAs are near Spencer Fork WMA?
DWR's other wildlife management areas within 25 miles, as the crow flies from center to center: Lasson Draw WMA (2,881 acres, 4 miles east), Birdseye WMA (998 acres, 7 miles north), Lake Fork WMA (2,765 acres, 9 miles northeast), Santaquin WMA (4,851 acres, 13 miles northwest), Big Hollow WMA (825 acres, 13 miles south) and Dairy Fork WMA (4,953 acres, 13 miles northeast).
How do you get to Spencer Fork WMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 89. Nearest towns: Woodland Hills (11 miles), Elk Ridge (11 miles), Fountain Green (12 miles) and Fairview (13 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Spencer Fork WMA closed?
Closed December 1 to April 30, by DWR's listing for the area. Motorized vehicle use is restricted to existing roads.
Do you need a permit to enter Spencer Fork 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 Utah and Sanpete counties.
How much public land is around Spencer Fork WMA?
52.5% of the land within 3 miles of the WMA is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (22,150 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
Which deer and elk units is Spencer Fork WMA in?
The Nebo general-season deer unit and the Nebo/San Pitch Mountains 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.