St. Johns County, Florida · 9,815 acres
Guana River Wildlife Management Area Hunting 2026: Species & Access
Guana River Wildlife Management Area covers 9,815 acres near Ponte Vedra Beach in St. Johns County. Salt marsh, maritime hammock and pine flatwoods along the Guana Reservoir and Tolomato River estuary, part of the GTM National Estuarine Research Reserve roughly midway between Jacksonville and St. Augustine.
01 — What you can hunt here
| Species | Notes |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl | The main draw — Game & Fish magazine named Guana River one of North Florida's top five waterfowl areas. Blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, mottled duck and wood duck are the common birds; duck hunts run on varying dates across September, November, December and January. |
| Deer | Quota permit required for archery, muzzleloading gun and general gun hunts. |
| Wild turkey | Spring season also runs on a quota permit. |
| Snipe | Available on the adjoining 2,342-acre Guana River–Lake Ponte Vedra Public Small-Game Hunting Area, along with weekend waterfowl on its own quota permit. |
02 — Access rules specific to this WMA
- A quota permit is required for archery, muzzleloading gun, general gun, waterfowl and spring turkey hunts — apply through the FWC quota system, not first-come walk-in.
- On every hunting and scouting date, public access to the upland portion is restricted to the Guana Dam entrance only.
- On quota-permitted hunt dates specifically, upland access is further restricted to quota permit holders, their hunting guests, and exempt hunters — the general public is shut out of the upland tract entirely on those days.
- The Department of Environmental Protection charges a $3 day-use fee at the dam entrance; WMA permit and quota holders don't pay it. The Six Mile Boat Ramp and Roscoe Boulevard Extension entrances are free.
- Roscoe Boulevard Extension is open sunrise to sunset for general public access but closes entirely during scouting, archery, muzzleloading, general gun, small game and spring turkey seasons.
03 — Where this WMA differs from the statewide rules
- Upland tract closed to non-permit-holders during every quota hunt date, not just to non-hunters — a stricter closure than most Florida WMAs run.
- Roscoe Boulevard Extension entrance closes completely for the duration of most hunting seasons, not just on active hunt days.
04 — Facilities
Camping: Not available on the WMA. No shooting range on-site.
Boat ramps at the dam and at Six Mile provide water access; restrooms are available at the main entrances. Built as a coastal estuary destination for paddling, birding and fishing as much as hunting.
05 — Where to go next
Guana River runs the tightest access lockdown of any WMA in this silo: on quota hunt days, the upland tract isn't just restricted for hunters — the general public loses access to it entirely, which catches non-hunting visitors off guard more than at almost any other Florida WMA. In exchange, hunters get one of North Florida's best-regarded duck marshes, tucked into a barrier-island estuary most of the state's public land doesn't have.
Florida hunting license costs and permits →
Verified · Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission · Last verified 2026-08-08
Publisher's note. Read from FWC, retrieved 2026-08-08. Review due 2027-08-01. WMA-specific rules and closures can change between seasons — confirm before you hunt.