Flooded bottomland hardwood forest
Public land · Tennessee

Meeman-Shelby Forest WMA and State Park

Wildlife management area · Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Tennessee State Parks

Open to duck huntingRules checked Oct 22, 2026
Flooded bottomland hardwood forest. Photo: USFWS
State
Tennessee
Type
Wildlife management area
Managed by
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Tennessee State Parks
Size
About 13,000 acres
Official page
Agency page

About 13,000 acres of Mississippi River bottomland north of Memphis: cypress-tupelo swamp, Eagle Lake and two man-made lakes. TWRA sets the waterfowl rules; Tennessee State Parks runs the park.

Spot guideMeeman-Shelby ForestTips, access, rules and live water levels
Official rules

Waterfowl rules

  • All hunters must register and get a free permit at park headquarters.Source: TWRA Meeman-Shelby Forest WMA · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
  • Draw zone: everything south of Pleasant View Rd (Check Station Rd), allocated by TWRA computer draw. Temporary blinds at numbered stakes only; decoys must come out on the last day of your hunt. Drawn days are the late-season opening days, every Thursday–Saturday, the Saturday youth hunts and the Sunday veterans and military hunts.Source: TWRA Meeman-Shelby Forest WMA · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
  • Non-draw zone: north of Check Station Rd and south of North Rd (Boat Ramp Rd). Open on opening day(s) and Thursday–Saturday within the statewide season.Source: TWRA Meeman-Shelby Forest WMA · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
  • Leftover quota drawings for Meeman-Shelby are held at the Covington Civic Center, 100 W. Washington Ave., Covington. Parties are 4 to 8 people.Source: TWRA public land duck hunting · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
Access

Access and ramps

  • Park headquarters: take TN-388 north to its end, go left 1 mile to the four-way stop at the Shelby Forest General Store, turn right 1 mile, then left into the park.Source: TWRA Meeman-Shelby Forest WMA · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
  • Eagle Lake and the WMA bottoms: from Benjestown Rd take Island No. 40 Rd. A gate leads to a rough gravel road; it opens on an irregular schedule and closes during high water.Source: TWRA Meeman-Shelby Forest WMA · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
  • The Mississippi River ramp is free, and the Poplar Tree Lake ramp is open year-round. The park notes that One Way Road past the campground is closed due to erosion.Source: Tennessee State Parks, Meeman-Shelby boating · Last checked Oct 22, 2026

Not confirmed yet

  • Draw permit fees are not listed on the TWRA pages we checked.

See something wrong or out of date? Report a correction.

Before you go

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.