Chickamauga WMA
Directions and Description
Site Directions: From Dayton Tennessee, go east on Hwy 30 several miles to Cottonport Road, follow Cottonport Road several miles to a four-way intersection at Maple Spring Road, and turn right. There is a small trailer park at the intersection. Follow the road to the WMA and boat ramp. Lat-Long: 35.488699, -84.882045
The WMA is open year-round during daylight hours, with access dependent on hunting seasons. License fees may apply.
TWRA Contact Information: Region 3 Office: 1-931-484-9571, Toll-Free: 1-833-402-4698, E-mail the office, TWRA Area Manager (Soddy Creek, Sale Creek, Cottonport, Yellow Creek and Washington Ferry) Brian Letner 1-423-365-9571; TWRA Area Manager (Candies Creek, Johnson Bottoms, Roger's Creek) Jason Jackson 1-423-614-3018; TWRA Area Manager (All other Chickamauga Units) Rob Klippel 1-423-693-6791
Description: Maple Springs Road provides access to views of backwater areas along the river, old fields, mixed woods, and ultimately river access. Nearby sites to also explore include Hiwassee Refuge and Yuchi Refuge. The woods along the roadsides can be excellent for birding, in fall, White-throated, Swamp, Song, and Vesper Sparrows can be present, if not abundant. There is a small Great Blue Heron rookery several hundred yards to the west of the boat ramp (looking to the right).
Bald Eagles may be seen. A pair of eagles used to nest in this area, but there are many nesting pairs in the area. When the river is low, look closely at the backwater areas and mudflats for shorebirds and other waterbirds. Winter Wren and Hermit Thrush are present in fall and winter.
Regulations & Dates
Soddy Creek, Sale Creek
Big Game, Small Game and Trapping - Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Closed to Quail hunting. Deer hunting with archery equipment only. Archery hunters must comply with blaze orange/pink requirements during the statewide deer gun or muzzleloader seasons. Shotguns loaded with No. 4 shot or smaller only (except waterfowl). Waterfowl hunting is restricted to the use of shotguns loaded with No. 2 shot or smaller.
Cotton Port, Washington Ferry, Shelton Bottoms, Mud Creek, New Bethal, Moon Island, Goodfield Creek, Gillespie Bend, Ledford Island, Agency Creek, Sugar Creek, South Mouse Creek Units
Big Game, Small Game. and Trapping - Same as statewide seasons. No waterfowl hunters permitted on units from two (2) hours after legal shooting hours have ended until 4 a.m. the following day during the duck season(s). Closed to quail hunting.
Candies Creek, Johnson Bottoms, Rogers Creek, Yellow Creek Units
Big Game, Small Game. and Trapping - Same as statewide seasons, except units closed to all forms of trespass including fishing, trapping and hunting for all species except waterfowl (excluding Candies Creek Upland Unit) from the first opening day of the late duck season until the last day of the late duck season and on the day before and during the Youth Waterfowl hunts. Closed to quail hunting.
Candies Creek Upland Unit
WMA Property east of Candies Creek and west of Lower River Road. Big Game and Small Game same as statewide hunting and trapping seasons.
Waterfowl - Waterfowl hunting is permitted on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and the first and last day of the duck season. Waterfowl hunting ends at 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday only. No waterfowl hunters or other activities are permitted on units from two (2) hours after legal shooting hours have ended until 4 a.m. the following day during the duck seasons. Hunting is allowed only from registered hunting sites. Hunting sites and hunting dates will be allocated through a computer drawing. See the Waterfowl page for more information. On the Yellow Creek Unit, a canoe or kayak may be beneficial for access. Hunters selected for a hunting site may bring up to seven (7) additional hunters. No more than eight (8) hunters per hunting site. No hunting site may be hunted unless a hunter selected for that assigned hunting site and date is present. Hunters may leave in place decoys and a temporary blind at their hunting site during their assigned hunt date but must remove all decoys at the end of their last hunt date. Young sportsmen and military hunters may hunt these sites during the youth and military waterfowl seasons on a first-come, first-served basis. Hunters during these seasons must enter the hunting area only from established TWRA parking areas.
Dog Training - Sept. 1, 2025 - March 15, 2026, except closed during late duck season.
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