Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area

Willow Slough
Type Fish and Wildlife Area
Location Newton County USA
Nearest city Morocco, Indiana
Coordinates 40°58′39″N 87°31′01″W / 40.97755°N 87.51708°W / 40.97755; -87.51708Coordinates: 40°58′39″N 87°31′01″W / 40.97755°N 87.51708°W / 40.97755; -87.51708
Area 4,770 acres (1,930.4 ha)
Created 1943
Operated by Indiana DNR
Facilities
  • Wildlife Viewing
  • Picnicking
  • Ice Fishing
  • Hunting
  • Trapping
  • Shooting Range
  • Archery Range
  • Dog Training Area
  • Boat Ramp (Electric trolling motors only)
  • Dump Station
  • Camping
  • 50 non-electric
  • Primitive sites

Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area is an area dedicated to providing hunting and fishing opportunities while maintaining 9,956 acres (40.29 km2), 1,800 of which are open water, marshes, and flooded crop land. It is located at 2042 S. 500 W., Morocco, Indiana.

History

Willow Slough began with the purchase of 7,800 acres (32 km2) of land in 1949. Further purchasing continued to bring the total size of the park to 9,956 acres (40.29 km2). J.C. Murphey Lake, the park reservoir, was completed in 1951. Most parts of Willow Slough were once formerly grazed, hayed, and cultivated. A railroad also ran through the property at one time, and portions of an old train station can still be found in the area.[1] It was also a mob dumping place for bodies in the 1920s-1980s.

Rules and Regulations

Besides the state fish and wildlife laws, the property is governed by posted regulations licensed by the Department of Natural Resources. The following regulations are listed below:

Fishing

Willow Slough provides over 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) of water available for fishing including numerous ponds. No check in is required for fishing, but fishing is prohibited during duck season. Primary species of fish include bass, bluegill, channel catfish, redear, crappie,and northern pike. Shoreline fishing is available, but only along designated piers. Two boat ramps are provided near the headquarters but may only be launched at the headquarters area.

Hunting

Willow Slough contains a variety of hunting species. These species include deer, quail, rabbit, squirrel, dove, woodcock, waterfowl and wild turkey. Daily check-ins are required for hunting and all hunting seasons and bag limits apply.

Wildlife Watching

9,956 acres (40.29 km2) of varied geography including a 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) lake attract many wildlife species like deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, hawks, owls, osprey, bald eagles, and a variety of songbirds.

Additional information

Besides hunting and fishing, other opportunities are available at Willow Slough. These opportunities include wetland trapping, dog training, and wild fruit gatherings.

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/13/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.