National Wildlife Refuge · Texas · FWS Region 2

San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge Hunting & Fishing Guide 2026–27

San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge lies in Brazoria County, Texas, with about 74,455 acres of land owned in fee by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For the 2026–2027 season the refuge has 5 mapped hunt units: 4 open under general rules and 1 closed, covering about 6,965 huntable acres.

4 open units1 closedYouth hunts
View hunt map Directions Official hunting page ↗
5hunt units
7Khuntable acres
74.5KFWS-owned acres
1game categories

San Bernard 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 San Bernard NWR

  • Big Game
  • Waterfowl
  • Wild Turkey
  • Upland Birds
  • Migratory Birds
  • Small Game
  • Feral & Exotic
  • Fishing

Hunting opportunities include waterfowl, subject to state seasons and refuge-specific rules. Fishing is available — tidal / saltwater fishing and shellfishing & crabbing. Special youth hunting opportunities are offered.

San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge is known for the variety of birds that use this refuge throughout the year, from nesting terns and herons in the spring to migrating warblers in the fall.

Youth hunting

The Sargent Permit Waterfowl Hunt area is open during the first Saturday of the state youth-only waterfowl hunt.

All refuges with youth hunts →
WaterfowlDucks, geese, brant, swans (where legal) and coots

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

Hunt units (5)

Acreage by status
Open: 6,965 (9%)Closed: 66,827 (91%)7Khuntable acres
  • Open6,965 ac 9%
  • Closed66,827 ac 91%
Units by size (acres)
Closed
66,827 ac
Salt Bayou
2,723 ac
Cedar Lake
2,205 ac
Smith Marsh
1,421 ac
Sargent Permit
617 ac
UnitStatusAcresPermitDetails
Cedar Lake
Show on map · Directions		 Open 2,205 — 🧒 The Sargent Permit Waterfowl Hunt area is open during the first Saturday of the state youth-only…
Salt Bayou
Show on map · Directions		 Open 2,723 — 🧒 The Sargent Permit Waterfowl Hunt area is open during the first Saturday of the state youth-only…
Sargent Permit
Show on map · Directions		 Open 617 — 🧒 The Sargent Permit Waterfowl Hunt area is open during the first Saturday of the state youth-only…
Smith Marsh
Show on map · Directions		 Open 1,421 — 🧒 The Sargent Permit Waterfowl Hunt area is open during the first Saturday of the state youth-only…
Closed
Show on map · Directions		 Closed 66,827 — 🧒 The Sargent Permit Waterfowl Hunt area is open during the first Saturday of the state youth-only…

San Bernard NWR by the numbers

With about 6,965 huntable acres, San Bernard NWR ranks #11 of 16 refuges and stations with mapped hunting land in Texas and #232 of 420 nationwide. Roughly 9% of the acreage inside its mapped hunt units is open to hunting in some form.

The largest huntable unit is Salt Bayou (2,723 acres), while the smallest, Sargent Permit, covers 617 acres.

1 unit totaling 66,827 acres is closed to hunting (Closed). Closed areas often serve as sanctuaries — learn their boundaries before you set up nearby.

Besides 74,455 acres of federally owned land, the station administers conservation easements on about 364 acres of private land. Easement land protects habitat but is not open to public hunting.

When to hunt San Bernard NWR

Typical U.S. season windows for the game categories offered here. Texas 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 — Waterfowl
AugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
🦆 Waterfowl
Early teal & gooseRegular duck & goose

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 Texas hunting license and any required tags or stamps — Texas Parks and Wildlife 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 San Bernard NWR

  • 🌊 Tidal / saltwater fishing
  • 🦀 Shellfishing & crabbing

Fishing on the refuge is permitted year-round, sunrise to sunset. Boat-accessed fishing is permitted in bays/estuaries, the Intracoastal Waterway, Cedar Lake, Cow Trap Lake and Cedar Lake Creek, which are designated by refuge signs.

State fishing licenses and regulations apply. Some waters close seasonally to protect wildlife.

How to get to San Bernard NWR

Navigate

Destination: San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge (FWS reference point)

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
28.88100, -95.55076
DMS
28°52′51.6″N 95°33′02.7″W

Download for GPS / onX / Google Earth:KMLGPX

Nearest towns

  • Bay City, TX26 mi E of town
  • Galveston, TX54 mi SW of town
  • Houston, TX62 mi S of town
  • Victoria, TX88 mi E of town

Closest airports

  • IAH Houston Bush Intercontinental77 mi
  • CRP Corpus Christi Intl141 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 San Bernard NWR

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

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

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:29 AM6:59 AM7:45 PM12h 46m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:36 AM7:06 AM7:28 PM12h 22m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM7:09 PM11h 55m
Thu, Oct 15, 20266:52 AM7:22 AM6:53 PM11h 31m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:03 AM6:33 AM5:37 PM11h 04m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:15 AM6:45 AM5:29 PM10h 44m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:28 AM6:58 AM5:24 PM10h 27m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:37 AM7:07 AM5:26 PM10h 19m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:45 AM7:15 AM5:35 PM10h 20m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:46 AM7:16 AM5:45 PM10h 29m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:40 AM7:10 AM5:59 PM10h 49m

Computed for 28.881, -95.551 (CDT / 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 San Bernard NWR

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…

Fishing National Wildlife Refuges: Licenses, Seasons, Boats and Where to Go

What to know before fishing a National Wildlife Refuge or fish hatchery — state licenses, seasonal closures that…

How to Read a Refuge Hunt Brochure (and Not Miss the Rule That Matters)

What's inside a National Wildlife Refuge hunt brochure, where to find it, how it relates to 50 CFR Part 32 and state…

Hunting Safety on Public Land: Cold Water, Tree Stands, Crowds and Weather

The safety habits that matter most on refuges and WPAs — firearm rules, blaze orange, tree-stand harnesses, cold-water…

San Bernard NWR FAQ

Is hunting allowed at San Bernard NWR?

Yes. San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge offers hunting in 4 units (6,965 acres) during 2026–2027 for waterfowl. Seasons follow state regulations plus refuge-specific rules in 50 CFR Part 32.

Do I need a permit to hunt San Bernard NWR?

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

Can you fish at San Bernard NWR?

Yes. Fishing is permitted (tidal / saltwater fishing and shellfishing & crabbing). State fishing licenses and regulations apply along with refuge rules.

Where is San Bernard NWR located?

San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge is in Brazoria County, Texas, about 26 miles E of Bay City, TX (straight-line). GPS: 28.88100, -95.55076.

What are legal shooting hours at San Bernard 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

Big Boggy NWR

Matagorda County, TX · 18 mi SW

2 open1 closed
🦆

1.3K huntable acres

Brazoria NWR

Brazoria County, TX · 29 mi NE

5 open1 special1 closed
🦆🕊️🎣

10.9K huntable acres

Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR

Colorado County, TX · 71 mi NW

1 closed
No hunting listed

Aransas NWR

Calhoun County, TX · 79 mi SW

1 open2 special3 closed
🦌🦆🐗🎣

54.6K huntable acres

Jocelyn Nungaray NWR

Chambers County, TX · 84 mi NE

3 open1 closed
🦆🎣

12.9K huntable acres

McFaddin NWR

Jefferson County, TX · 96 mi NE

4 special1 closed
🦆🎣

21.6K huntable acres

All refuges in Texas →

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