Butte, Sutter County, California · 9,200 acres
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area Hunting 2026: Species & Access
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area covers 9,200 acres near Gridley in Butte, Sutter County. Wetlands, grassy fields and wooded riparian habitat on the Pacific Flyway, about 60 miles north of Sacramento — more than 300 bird and mammal species use the property, with over 1 million waterfowl passing through annually.
01 — What you can hunt here
| Species | Notes |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl | Hunted Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday during the Balance of State season — not every day of the week. |
| Deer | Shotgun only, draw-based with a required G-12 tag. |
| Pheasant, quail, rabbit and fall turkey | Only available on the same waterfowl hunt days as ducks — Wed/Sat/Sun. |
| Spring turkey | Reservation draw only, separate from the fall/waterfowl-day system. |
| Dove | Daily Sept. 1-15, then folds into the waterfowl-day-only schedule afterward. |
| Snipe | Same Wed/Sat/Sun schedule as waterfowl. |
02 — Access rules specific to this WMA
- A Type A Hunting Pass must be purchased in advance and exchanged for entry permits during waterfowl and pheasant seasons — buying it doesn't guarantee same-day entry, it's the ticket into the draw.
- Visitors 16 and older need a Lands Pass unless they're carrying a valid California hunting or fishing license.
- Mandatory on-site registration: general visitors at Parking Lot #14, hunters at the Entrance Check Station.
- Hunting is closed on Christmas Day; dedicated youth, veteran and active-military hunt days run separately from the regular schedule.
03 — Where this WMA differs from the statewide rules
- Portions of the wildlife area close periodically during winter due to flooding — the flood-up schedule changes with weather and water availability and can shift without much notice.
- Vehicles must stay on the 3-mile auto-loop through the Designated Viewing Area October through February during peak season.
04 — Facilities
Camping: Entrance Check Station parking lot only, the night before a scheduled waterfowl hunt. No shooting range on-site.
18 numbered parking lots, a 0.3-mile paved accessible Wetland Discovery Trail plus a 2-mile gravel Flyway Loop Trail, two wildlife observation hides, mobility-impaired hunter blinds, and a mobility-accessible fishing pier. Leashed dogs only (10-foot leash max outside of hunting), no e-bikes, no drones without a special permit, limited cell service and no Wi-Fi.
05 — Where to go next
Gray Lodge runs hunting on a fixed three-day-a-week schedule (Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday) rather than every day of the season — a structure that shapes almost everything else on the property, since pheasant, quail, rabbit and fall turkey all ride along on those same waterfowl days instead of running their own independent seasons. The Type A Hunting Pass is a ticket into that system, not a guarantee of entry, and winter flood-up closures can shift the map with little warning — check current conditions close to a planned trip rather than relying on a fixed season calendar alone.
California hunting license costs and permits →
Verified · California Department of Fish and Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-09
Publisher's note. Read from CDFW, retrieved 2026-08-09. Review due 2027-08-01. WMA-specific rules and closures can change between seasons — confirm before you hunt.