Wisconsin Duck Season
2026–2027

That portion of Wisconsin north of a line following U.S. Highways 10 and 41. Per the WI DNR's official 'Management Zones and Units' page: 'For both the Canada goose and duck zones, the northern and southern zones are divided by U.S. Highways 10 and 41.' Applies identically to both the Northern Duck Zone and the Northern Goose Zone.

DUCK-ONLY zone (no goose equivalent). Per NR 10.001(20), Wis. Adm. Code: waters greater than 500 feet from the mainland shore of Lake Michigan and Green Bay; for purposes of this zone, 'mainland shore' includes all adjacent rooted vegetation, adjacent floating cattail, and Long Tail and Little Tail points (Brown County). River mouths are treated as mainland shoreline via an imaginary line drawn shore-to-shore at the mouth; the zone begins 500 ft out from that line. Islands (or portions of islands) more than 500 ft from the mainland are themselves in the Open Water Zone. Carved out of the Southern Zone in 2021 (NRB Order WM-15-21(E), made permanent 2023-10-25 by NRB Order WM-16-22/CR 23-048) to give hunters a later-closing season for late-season diving ducks on Green Bay/Lake Michigan. Source: WI DNR Chief Warden directive 'Open Water Zone Boundaries' (5-1-24).

That portion of Wisconsin south of the U.S. Highway 10/41 line (see Northern Zone), EXCLUDING the Open Water Zone (waters >500 ft from the mainland shore of Lake Michigan and Green Bay — duck hunting only) and, for GOOSE hunting only, excluding the Mississippi River Zone's six western river counties. Ducks: this is the Southern Duck Zone; there is no separate Mississippi River duck zone in the current framework, so duck hunters in the western river counties are in this zone. Geese: this is the Southern Goose Zone. Applies identically to both.