Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge is located on the southern extreme of the Great Salt Lake Desert, and the natural springs have been essential in meeting human and wildlife needs over the past 11,000 years. The area is the ancestral homelands to the once nomadic Goshute (Gosiuta) tribe. These critical life-sustaining waters make Fish Springs a true oasis in the desert.

Visit Us

Activities available at Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge include wildlife observation, wildlife photography, waterfowl hunting, environmental education and interpretation.

Location and Contact Information

      Satellite Imagery of Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge
      Refuge Hunt Conditions

      Updated September 6, 2025:

      Avocet, Mallard, and Shoveler Units are filling and are expected to be at target levels in time for the Youth Hunt. Vegetation plugs were removed on August 30, 2025 and September 4, 2025 to allow Harrison and Pintail Units to receive more water for hunt season. 

      While habitat conditions are improving, access may be limited in some places due to ongoing drought and limited staff capacity. Hunters are encouraged to plan accordingly and check current conditions before heading out. Refuge staff are doing everything possible to provide quality habitat and access for hunters. Thank you for your understanding. For more information on hunting regulations please visit the Utah Waterfowl Guidebook: https://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks/waterfowl_guidebook.pdf 

      About Us

      Fish Springs area played a part in many important historic activities including being a home and resupplying spot for the nomadic Goshute, and the resupplying post for the Pony Express, Central Overland Stage, and the Lincoln Highway. The Refuge provides managed wetlands habitats for a diversity of species, with priority given to a variety of migratory birds, including wading birds, shorebirds, and waterfowl, as well as to species at risk of becoming listed as federally endangered.

      What We Do

      Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
      A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

      Learn more about national wildlife refuge
      is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species.

      Our Species

      The Refuge’s establishing purpose is for migratory bird management within the Pacific Flyway. Early management focused on providing habitat for nesting and resting waterfowl. Over time, habitat management broadened into meeting the needs of a wider diversity of species, with emphasis on wetland-dependent migratory birds and species at risk to being listed as endangered. Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge is currently evaluating its priority species as part of a habitat management planning process.