National Wildlife Refuge · Wyoming · FWS Region 6

Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Hunting & Fishing Guide 2026–27

Located in Albany County, Wyoming, Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with about 1,637 acres of land owned in fee by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For the 2026–2027 season the refuge has 3 mapped hunt units: 2 open with special regulations and 1 closed, covering about 1,650 huntable acres.

2 with special regs1 closed
View hunt map Directions Official hunting page ↗
3hunt units
1.7Khuntable acres
1.6KFWS-owned acres
5game categories

Hutton Lake NWR hunt unit map

Hunt units are colored by 2026–2027 status. Toggle layers for FWS-owned land, the approved refuge boundary and private easements. Use satellite imagery to scout marshes, timber edges and access points.

Loading interactive map…
OpenSpecial regulationsClosedFWS-owned landWPA (public)Refuge boundaryEasement (private) Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
Take it into the field: KML (Google Earth / onX) GPX waypoints GeoJSON

Hunting at Hutton Lake NWR

Hunting opportunities include big game, waterfowl, wild turkey, upland birds, and small game, subject to state seasons and refuge-specific rules.

Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge is in a high-plains ecosystem known as the Laramie Basin. It is a high-elevation, dry grassland surrounded by mountains in the southern part of the Laramie Plains.

Big GameWhite-tailed and mule deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bear and other large mammalsWaterfowlDucks, geese, brant, swans (where legal) and cootsWild TurkeySpring and fall wild turkeyUpland BirdsPheasant, quail, grouse, prairie chicken and partridgeSmall GameSquirrel, rabbit, hare, raccoon, opossum and other small mammals

Categories are those listed by USFWS for this station; exact species, seasons and bag limits follow Wyoming regulations plus refuge-specific rules.

Hunt units (3)

Acreage by status
Special regulations: 1,650 (83%)Closed: 340 (17%)1.7Khuntable acres
  • Special regulations1,650 ac 83%
  • Closed340 ac 17%
Units by size (acres)
Open, Excluding Waterfowl
901 ac
Open, Waterfowl Only
750 ac
No Hunting
340 ac
UnitStatusAcresPermitDetails
Open, Excluding Waterfowl
Show on map · Directions		 Special regs 901 —
Open, Waterfowl Only
Show on map · Directions		 Special regs 750 —
No Hunting
Show on map · Directions		 Closed 340 —

Hutton Lake NWR by the numbers

With about 1,650 huntable acres, Hutton Lake NWR ranks #5 of 6 refuges and stations with mapped hunting land in Wyoming and #339 of 420 nationwide. Roughly 83% of the acreage inside its mapped hunt units is open to hunting in some form.

The largest huntable unit is Open, Excluding Waterfowl (901 acres, special regulations), while the smallest, Open, Waterfowl Only, covers 750 acres.

1 unit totaling 340 acres is closed to hunting (No Hunting). Closed areas often serve as sanctuaries — learn their boundaries before you set up nearby.

Besides 1,637 acres of federally owned land, the station administers conservation easements on about 2.0 acres of private land. Easement land protects habitat but is not open to public hunting.

When to hunt Hutton Lake NWR

Typical U.S. season windows for the game categories offered here. Wyoming sets the exact dates, and refuges often open fewer days than the statewide season — use this to plan scouting, then confirm the 2026–2027 dates in the state regulations and the refuge hunt brochure.

Typical season windows — Big Game, Waterfowl, Wild Turkey, Upland Birds, Small Game
AugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
🦌 Big Game
Archery deerFirearm deer
🦆 Waterfowl
Early teal & gooseRegular duck & goose
🦃 Wild Turkey
Spring gobblerFall (some states)
🐦 Upland Birds
Pheasant, quail, grouse
🐇 Small Game
Squirrel & rabbit

Permits & licenses

Refuge permit

Not listed

USFWS does not list a separate refuge permit for this station. Specific units or hunts (e.g. quota deer hunts) may still require one — check the hunt brochure.

You'll also need

  • A valid Wyoming hunting license and any required tags or stamps — Wyoming Game and Fish Department
  • Federal Duck Stamp (waterfowl hunters 16+) and HIP certification for migratory birds
  • Non-toxic shot for waterfowl (federal requirement)
  • Hunter education certification where your state requires it
  • The current refuge hunt brochure / regulations (often must be signed and carried)

Fishing at Hutton Lake NWR

USFWS does not list fishing opportunities for Hutton Lake NWR.

How to get to Hutton Lake NWR

Navigate

Destination: Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge (FWS reference point)

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
41.17757, -105.71583
DMS
41°10′39.3″N 105°42′57.0″W

Download for GPS / onX / Google Earth:KMLGPX

Nearest towns

  • Laramie, WY11 mi SW of town
  • Walden, CO43 mi NE of town
  • Cheyenne, WY47 mi W of town
  • Fort Collins, CO52 mi NW of town

Closest airports

  • DEN Denver Intl106 mi
  • CPR Casper/Natrona County126 mi

Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.

The navigation point is the station reference location published by USFWS — often the headquarters or main entrance. For a specific hunt unit, open its page or click it on the map for coordinates and parking planning.

Sunrise, sunset & shooting hours

Today at Hutton Lake NWR

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Denver local time.

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20265:58 AM6:28 AM7:38 PM13h 10m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:12 AM6:42 AM7:14 PM12h 32m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:27 AM6:57 AM6:46 PM11h 49m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM6:23 PM11h 11m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:02 AM6:32 AM5:00 PM10h 27m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:20 AM6:50 AM4:45 PM9h 55m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:38 AM7:08 AM4:35 PM9h 27m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:50 AM7:20 AM4:34 PM9h 14m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:58 AM7:28 AM4:43 PM9h 15m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:56 AM7:26 AM4:56 PM9h 31m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:44 AM7:14 AM5:17 PM10h 03m

Computed for 41.178, -105.716 (MDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day hunting weather

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Guides for hunting Hutton Lake NWR

Deer Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges: Quota Hunts, Archery Units and Stand Rules

How refuge deer hunts work — lotteries and quota permits, archery-only and muzzleloader units, tree-stand rules…

Public-Land Duck Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges: Tactics That Work

How to find ducks, beat the crowds and set up on refuge marshes and WPAs — scouting, timing, small decoy spreads for…

Federal Duck Stamp Explained: Who Needs One, Where to Buy It and Where the Money Goes

Everything waterfowl hunters need to know about the Federal Duck Stamp — who must carry it, signing rules, the…

Nontoxic Shot Guide for Refuge and WPA Hunters

Why lead shot is banned for waterfowl, which nontoxic loads are approved, how steel, bismuth and tungsten compare, and…

Turkey Hunting on Wildlife Refuges: Lotteries, Pressured Birds and Safety

How spring and fall turkey hunts work on National Wildlife Refuges, how to scout and call public-land gobblers, and…

Pheasant and Upland Bird Hunting on Waterfowl Production Areas

Why WPAs are some of the best walk-in pheasant ground in the Midwest, how to hunt them early and late in the season…

Hutton Lake NWR FAQ

Is hunting allowed at Hutton Lake NWR?

Yes. Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge offers hunting in 2 units (1,650 acres) during 2026–2027 for big game, waterfowl, wild turkey, upland birds, and small game. Seasons follow state regulations plus refuge-specific rules in 50 CFR Part 32.

Do I need a permit to hunt Hutton Lake NWR?

FWS data does not list a separate refuge hunting permit for Hutton Lake NWR. You still need a valid state license, any required state tags or stamps, and (for waterfowl hunters 16+) a Federal Duck Stamp.

Where is Hutton Lake NWR located?

Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge is in Albany County, Wyoming, about 11 miles SW of Laramie, WY (straight-line). GPS: 41.17757, -105.71583.

What are legal shooting hours at Hutton Lake NWR?

Migratory game bird shooting hours are generally one-half hour before sunrise to sunset; big game and other seasons follow state rules. See the sunrise/sunset table on this page and confirm in the refuge hunt brochure.

Nearby refuges & public land

Wyoming Toad Conservation Area

Albany County, WY · 1.6 mi N

1 closed
No hunting listed

Mortenson Lake NWR

Albany County, WY · 5.4 mi NW

1 closed
No hunting listed

Bamforth NWR

Albany County, WY · 13 mi N

2 open
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇

1.2K huntable acres

Arapaho NWR

Jackson County, CO · 52 mi SW

2 special3 closed
🦌🦆🐦🕊️🐇🎣

15.4K huntable acres

Saratoga NFH

Carbon County, WY · 60 mi W

1 closed
No hunting listed

Rocky Flats NWR

Jefferson County, CO · 94 mi S

1 special1 closed
🦌

3.1K huntable acres

All refuges in Wyoming →

Data: USFWS National Hunt Units 2026–2027, Hunting & Fishing Opportunities, Realty Boundaries & Tracts. Page updated October 28, 2026.