How it hunts
The Cache River bottoms are classic Arkansas flooded-timber country. Public ground comes in three pieces: Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMA and Rex Hancock Black Swamp WMA. Each has its own boat rules and draw areas.
Rain makes or breaks it
These are overflow bottoms. Good hunting depends on rain flooding the Cache, so watch the river gauge and the state's weekly waterfowl reports before you plan a trip.
Get in early on the refuge
On the refuge the first party to reach a spot has it, and entry opens at 4 a.m. Arrive early, keep 100 yards from the next group, and consider weekdays to avoid the draw-area closures.
Hunt the timber quietly
Walk in well before light, set a few decoys under a gap in the canopy, and kick water to mimic feeding birds. Never cut or clear shooting holes; it is illegal on the refuge.
Carry a compass or GPS
At high water the main channel is hard to pick out, and people get lost in these bottoms every season.
Learn the boat calendar
Each WMA has no-boat days and a 1 p.m. boat curfew, and the refuge allows motors only at certain ramps. Print the dates before you go.
Getting there and ramps
Cache River National Wildlife RefugeOpen to duck hunting
- Motorized boats may launch only from the two designated ramps on the west side of the Howell Unit. Only non-motorized boats are allowed on the Dixie Farm Unit.Source: Cache River NWR 2026 hunt brochure (PDF) · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
- Many walk-in and boat access points cross private land. Get landowner permission first.Source: Cache River NWR 2026 hunt brochure (PDF) · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMAOpen to duck hunting
- From I-40, take the Brinkley or Biscoe exit to Hwy 70 (6 miles west of Brinkley).Source: AGFC Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMA · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
- Five concrete ramps: Gator Pond, Big Robe Bayou, Little Robe Bayou, Apple Lake WRA and Hickson Lake.Source: AGFC Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMA · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
Rex Hancock Black Swamp WMAOpen to duck hunting
- Gregory Access (County Road 758; the canal runs to the Cache), Float Road Access (County Road 752, about 1 mile south of Gregory; a high-water ramp), and the LeBlanc Unit off Hwy 38 west of Cotton Plant.Source: AGFC Rex Hancock Black Swamp WMA · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
Rules
- Arkansas duck season: Nov 21–29, Dec 10–23, and Dec 26, 2026–Jan 31, 2027. On WMAs shooting ends at noon and you must be off the water by 1 p.m.Source: AGFC waterfowl dates and rules · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
- Refuge: signed free refuge permit, non-toxic shot, no entry before 4 a.m., all gear out by 1 p.m.Source: Cache River NWR 2026 hunt brochure (PDF) · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
- Refuge draw hunt areas: apply Monday noon to Tuesday noon (Central) during hunt weeks, through RecAccess.Source: USFWS Central Arkansas refuges 2026-27 · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
- Dagmar's Conway George Tract and Black Swamp's Wiville West Tract are hunted by online draw on set days. Apply 3 p.m. Thursday to midnight Sunday the weekend before the hunt period.Source: AGFC Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMA · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
Not confirmed yet
- The refuge's waterfowl draw-area permit fee is not clearly published.
Water levels
Best water level: No agency publishes a duck stage. NWS flood stage at Patterson is 9 ft.
Source: NWS PTTA4 · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Today2.4
- Fri2.4
- Sat2.4
- Sun2.4
- Mon2.4
Check the rules and the water
Confirm this season’s rules on our state law pages or the agency’s own site, check draw and permit deadlines, and look at today’s river levels on the migration map. Areas can close or flood on short notice.
