Waterfowl habitat and refuges in California
California's best-known waterfowl ground runs from the 116,000-acre Suisun Marsh to the Sacramento Valley refuges, where Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge alone is 10,819 acres. The table lists each area's acreage as its own agency states it.
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Every acreage on this page was read from the property's own CDFW or USFWS page on October 27, 2026. Where a page gives no number, the table says so instead of filling one in.
Refuges and wildlife areas by acreage
The areas below are the ones California hunters most often name, listed from the Delta north through the Sacramento Valley and then south and east.
| Area | County | Acreage and facts from the owner's page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suisun Marsh | Solano | About 116,000 acres; largest contiguous brackish wetland in California; managed mostly by state and private duck clubs (other sources give 84,000 to 116,000 by definition) | Water Education Foundation |
| Grizzly Island Wildlife Area | Solano | About 12,900 acres, about 7,900 open to hunting; dogs on a leash of 10 feet at most when not actively hunting | CDFW |
| Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area | Yolo | About 16,600 acres, about 7,900 open to waterfowl and upland hunting; Type A pass; the page lists no dogs | CDFW |
| Sacramento NWR Complex | Glenn, Colusa, Sutter | 5 refuges and 3 wildlife management areas, nearly 70,000 acres; Sacramento NWR is 10,819 acres; peaks over 500,000 ducks and 250,000 geese late Nov to Dec | USFWS |
| Colusa NWR | Colusa | 5,077 acres, one mile southwest of Colusa; winter peaks over 150,000 ducks and about 60,000 geese | USFWS |
| Gray Lodge Wildlife Area | Butte, Sutter | About 9,200 acres near Gridley; more than 1 million waterfowl every year; dogs on a 10-foot leash when not actively hunting | CDFW |
| Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area | Butte, Glenn | Roughly 9,600 acres including the Butte Sink; limited-day waterfowl and pheasant | CDFW |
| Oroville Wildlife Area | Butte | About 11,800 acres; dove, quail, pheasant and Thermalito Afterbay waterfowl | CDFW |
| Spenceville Wildlife Area | Nevada, Yuba | Roughly 11,900 acres; valley quail and dove; dog training areas and field trials | CDFW |
| Los Banos Wildlife Area | Merced | About 6,200 acres; waterfowl and pheasant on limited days | CDFW |
| San Luis NWR | Merced | Over 26,800 acres (the complex total is not stated on the page) | USFWS |
| Mendota Wildlife Area | Fresno | About 11,800 acres; dog training in designated areas outside waterfowl season | CDFW |
| Honey Lake Wildlife Area | Lassen | About 7,600 acres, about 20 miles east of Susanville; waterfowl, pheasant, quail, dove | CDFW |
| Modoc NWR | Modoc | About 7,000 acres; 2026-27 waterfowl season; foot or non-motorized cart only | USFWS |
| Imperial Wildlife Area, Wister Unit | Imperial | About 7,900 acres, five miles northwest of Niland; Type A pass; pheasant closed until further notice | CDFW |
Sources: each area's page at wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit or fws.gov/refuge, and watereducation.org/aquapedia/suisun-marsh, all read October 27, 2026. Grasslands Ecological Area and Merced NWR acreage were not verified and are not listed.
Where hunters say they hunt
CDFW's 2024 Waterfowl Hunter Survey Technical Report (June 2025) was completed by 1,962 hunters, who named the counties where they hunt. Respondents could name several counties. The five most named were Colusa (13.19 percent), Merced (9.20), Butte (8.71), Yolo (5.52) and Glenn (5.49). Forty-two percent named Sacramento Valley counties and 13 percent named San Joaquin Valley counties.
The same report estimates about 79,835 adult licensed waterfowl hunters, built from the average annual duck validations sold in 2019-20 through 2023-24 (64,548) plus 15,287 lifetime validations, and says 53.3 percent primarily hunt public land. Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties are not in the published top five, and the survey does not rank them.
Dogs and access
Rules for dogs differ by property. Grizzly Island and Gray Lodge ask for dogs on a leash of 10 feet or less when not actively hunting, Mendota sets aside designated dog training areas outside waterfowl season, and Spenceville lists dog training and field trial areas. The Yolo Bypass page lists no dogs, and Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and Cosumnes River Preserve do not allow pets, so check each page before you bring a dog.
For the places closest to Richard Gebhart's training ground, see Suisun Marsh, Grizzly Island Wildlife Area and hunting in the Delta.
Continental context
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2025 breeding survey counted 33.98 million breeding ducks in the traditional survey area, essentially unchanged from 2024 and 4 percent below the long-term average (USFWS 2025 Waterfowl Population Status Report, September 2025, as summarized by Ducks Unlimited). That survey covers the northern prairies and boreal Canada, not California, so it is background and not a California count.
Sources (4)
- Water Education Foundation: watereducation.org/aquapedia/suisun-marsh (checked October 27, 2026)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: fws.gov/refuge/sacramento (checked October 27, 2026)
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife: wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Grizzly-Island-WA (checked October 27, 2026)
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife: nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233037&inline (checked October 27, 2026)
Your trainer
Richard Gebhart has trained dogs professionally since 2002, learned the Rex Carr method for Retriever Basics under Billy Sargenti, and has run and qualified at an AKC Master National.
Meet RichardHow big is Suisun Marsh?
The Water Education Foundation gives roughly 116,000 acres and calls it the largest contiguous brackish wetland in California. Other sources give 84,000 to 116,000 acres depending on how the marsh is defined.
Which California counties do waterfowl hunters name most?
In CDFW's 2024 hunter survey, Colusa (13.19 percent), Merced (9.20), Butte (8.71), Yolo (5.52) and Glenn (5.49), with respondents free to name several counties.
Can I bring my dog to these refuges?
It depends on the property. Grizzly Island and Gray Lodge allow dogs on a leash of 10 feet or less when not actively hunting; the Yolo Bypass page, Stone Lakes and Cosumnes River Preserve list no dogs or pets. Read each page first.
Book a consult
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