Last week in review:
October 11 — October 18, 2026
Weather
The weather for the week started with very high unseasonable temperatures for Monday and Tuesday with high temperatures being in the mid to upper 80s with sunny, clear skies. Tuesday night saw the beginning of a cold front move into the area. High temperatures were in the low 60s with overnight low temperatures in the mid to lower 50s. Rain occurred Thursday night and temperatures continued a downward trend on Saturday with a morning low of 32 degrees for the South Zone Opener. Temperatures for Saturday and Sunday of the opening waterfowl weekend were clear, sunny skies with highs around 55 degrees and nightly lows in the upper 30s, winds were out of the west.
Waterfowl abundance
The colder temperatures towards the end of the week pushed some new birds into the area ahead of opening weekend. Mallards, wood ducks, wigeon, and Canadian geese are the main waterfowl observed on the area. There are still some number of teal present, pintail numbers are building consistently.
Hunting conditions
Wahl Rd Marsh (67-76): Unit is at fool pool. This marsh was drained down this past summer to repair the dike on the east side of Wahl Rd Marsh that separates it from zones 6-8. This resulted in a lot of new vegetation growing in historical boat channels, being prepared to motor through some vegetation to get to the open areas within Wahl Rd Marsh.
Rookery Unit (137-150): The Rookery is at full pool. The pullover from the flooded woods was redone this past September. This unit is primarily cattail marsh.
Flooded Woods (77-117): This unit is at full pool. DNR staff are no longer setting flood control structures to the height of where water is intentionally going over and flowing over the spillway. The spillway is an emergency spillway and to be used as such as indicated from the results of an engineering survey this past summer. Please take note of this change as some areas of the flooded woods may be shallower than in years past.
Federal Marsh Unit (23-28): This is a cattail marsh and is at full pool. Many parts of the zones are dense with cattails.
Zone 29: 29 will be dry this year as part of a draw down plan to perform earthwork in zone 29 next growing season.
River Zones (15-22): The river zones have low water. Many mudflats are exposed. Zone 19 cannot be motored by boat and is extremely dry with bare mud flats. It should be noted that all river systems are extremely low currently to where short shaft outboards may get prop damage.
Triangle Marsh (49-50): Triangle Marsh is at full pool. Work was done over the summer that mowed down cattails that previously had herbicide the year before. The mowed area was then followed by disking to break down the dead, mowed cattails and to open the soil seed bed for future moist soil plants.
Cropped & Moist Soil Units
Zones 1-4: Currently being flooded by pumping, 14.5inches of water is across these zones currently and can float a boat to most zones. More water will be added when proper water level is reached in zones 9-14. Corn is 7ft tall and has a good growing season. Filter strip around these zones was mowed before flooding. Rest of the field was soybeans this past growing season and were harvested before flooding began.
Zones 9-14: Corn strips are 6ft to 7ft tall, North and South ends of the corn strips have had some wildlife browsing from this summer, and overall good corn. The rest of the field was planted to soybeans which have been harvested. Filter strips around the field edges were mowed before flooding. Water level is 12inches deep on the staff gauge in the SE corner of zone 14. Zone 14 is lowest in field elevation and is the deepest of the 9-14 zones. Hunters should be able to motor ditches to their zones. Water is still currently being pumped into 9-14 zones.
Zones 6-8: Corn strips with moist soils. Drain tile was installed last season ahead of where this year’s corn was planted. The corn has never been better. 7ft – 7.5ft tall corn. The two blinds that were previously utilized in these zones have been removed because of good growth of corn. Water level is currently at 9.6inches
North Prior (55-66): Corn strips with a buffet of agricultural plantings millet, buckwheat, barley, milo have been planted throughout the North Prior fields. Corn is about 6ft to 7ft tall. The filter strips around the unit could not be mowed this year. Water is currently being pumped into North Prior, currently water depth is at 13.2 inches and shooting for a water depth of 16inches.
South Prior (61-66): Corn strips with moist soils. Corn was planted and saw severe damage from wildlife browsing. Corn is about 6ft to 6.5ft tall, taller corn exists in the more interior parts of the corn strips. Zone 62 was hit exceptionally hard by sandhill crane damage. 2 blinds have been placed in 62 in lieu of this to try to compensate for the lack of cover on the east end of 62. South Prior is currently being flooded via pump and is about 10.8 inches deep with the end goal being 16-inch-deep water.
30s (Zones 30-38): The 30s were planted corn strips with the rest of the field being planted to soybeans which have been harvested. The filter strip around the entire 30s was mowed once this summer resulting in knocking down read canary grass and saw various moist soil plants growing in the filter strip where mowing occurred. Corn here is about 7ft to 7.5ft tall and grew well this summer. The 30s are currently being flooded by gravity flowing from the 40s. Current water depth is 8.4inches and building slowly to allow waterfowl to feed on agriculture waste from the soybean harvest.
40s (Zones 39-46): The 40s are planted corn strips with rest of the field being moist soil management. The corn strips are 7ft to 7.5ft tall and have wonderful moist soil response. The filter strip around outer permitter of the 40s was mowed twice this season to set back reed canary grass to try to establish moist soil plants in the filter strips. The 40s is currently being flooded from the woods unit and water depth currently measures 4inches in the north end of 39. Zones 42, 44, 45, and 46 will have deeper water for the first week of duck season. This is to allow waterfowl to feed off the moist soil plants in the 40s.
Hunter numbers
The reserved weekend hunts at SRSGA had an average of 32 to 34 parties per reserved draw. Leftover draws were conducted for all 4 draws, and all 40 spots were filled.
Waterfowl harvest
No official data yet but getting reports of lots of successful hunters for the opening weekend reserved hunts. Seeing a lot of pictures online with successful youth hunters harvesting birds.
What to expect this week
Water will continue to build in the managed units as pumps continue to run. Look for a week of clear, sunny skies with high temperatures in the mid-60s, nighttime lows in the lower 40s, and no sign of any precipitation. Winds forecasted to be out of the Southwest for the first part of the week.
Upcoming events
• Oct 19: Normal draws begin
• Nov 1 PM: Non-reserved youth preference draw
o We will hold a regular draw after the preference draw for everyone else
• Nov 11: Non-reserved veterans/active military preference draw
o We will hold a regular draw after the preference draw for everyone else
• Dec 13: Last day of regular south zone season
• Dec 26-27: Two-Day South Zone Split season
• Oct 31: Youth Pheasant Hunt with Pheasants Forever and Saginaw County Conservation District. Sign up is through the Saginaw County Conservation District and is only open to residents of Saginaw County.
Other comments:
The morning draw start time has been moved back from 5am to 5:30am this year. This means the check station will open at 5am and the morning draws will occur at 5:30am. The afternoon draws will remain at the same start time, 11am. Registration for waterfowl hunts begin 30 minutes before draw time. Check station will operate draws twice a day, 7 days a week. Check station will close at 1pm. No leftover permits after 1pm.
Deer hunting Shiawassee River State Game Area requires an access permit that was awarded through an online drawing this past summer.
Trapping Permits are now available and can be obtained from the check station when a waterfowl draw is not occurring.