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Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area

  • Goose Pond FWA Alerts (1)
    • Avian influenza has long been present in Indiana. This year, we are seeing an increase in cases of avian influenza across the state, including at Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area. As a result, you will see more sick and dead cranes and waterfowl throughout the property. Although the risk to humans is low, we urge visitors to avoid contact with sick or dead birds. For more information about avian flu in the state, visit on.IN.gov/avian-flu.

Address
13540 W. 400 S.
Linton, IN 47441

Link to this page
on.IN.gov/goosepondfwa

Email
GoosePondFWA@dnr.IN.gov

Admission
Free

Time Zone
Eastern

Hours
Office:
Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday noon to 4 p.m.

Property: Always open. Some activities may have specific open times, especially if there is a draw. Please call property for questions.


Description

Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area (FWA) in Greene County provides quality outdoor recreational opportunities on 9,098 acres of prairie and marsh habitat. About 12,000 wildlife watchers visit each year, and the property records about 3,500 annual hunting efforts with one hunter visit for one day.

Goose Pond FWA features a new office and Visitor’s Center with a panoramic observation deck, large windows to view wildlife, interpretive displays and staff, and restrooms. The 6,840-square-foot building, which opened in 2016, uses sustainable and energy-efficient materials. A geothermal system provides
heating and cooling.

Visitors are required to sign in at the office or any self-service centers on the property.

Indiana DNR purchased the property in 2005 with the help of The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), United States Fish & Wildlife Service, and many other organizations. Before that purchase, the previous landowner entered into a permanent easement with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This permanent easement was part of the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and consisted of 7,200 acres. NRCS then assumed responsibility for the wetland restoration.

  • Amenities

    Visitors Center includes interpretive displays and staff; picnic tables; wildlife viewing scopes; and an accessible, packed-gravel-surface .5-mile trail. Modern restrooms are located outside of the center and are accessible 24 hours a day.

More activities

Map

Other properties managed by this office

  • Hillenbrand Fish & Wildlife Area in Greene County provides quality outdoor recreational opportunities while maintaining 3,631 acres of upland game and wetland habitat, lakes, and shallow impoundments. It is located east and west of S.R. 59 approximately 5 miles north of Linton. Hillenbrand FWA is open for public use.
  • Fairbanks Landing Fish & Wildlife Area in Sullivan County provides quality outdoor recreation opportunities on 8,030 acres of bottomland hardwoods, agriculture fields, prairie, and riparian habitat. Fairbanks Landing FWA rests along the Wabash River and is a great spot for fishing and birdwatching. Fairbanks Landing is open for public use.
  • Morgan Bluff Wildlife Management Area (WMA) includes 455 acres of bottomland hardwoods, ephemeral wetlands, and an oxbow lake bordering the West Fork of the White River in southwestern Greene County. In 2020, INDOT transferred the property to the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife, and restoration work was completed as part of Interstate 69 mitigation. The property provides excellent hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, and waterfowl. Morgan Bluff WMA is open for public use; all regulations for Division of Fish & Wildlife properties apply. Access to the area crosses private land. Visitors should only drive on the gravel access lane and park only in the designated parking lot.
  • Ashcraft Wildlife Management Area (WMA) includes 62 acres of mixed hardwood forest in eastern Greene County. This property provides hunting opportunities for squirrel, deer, and turkey. Ashcraft WMA is open for public use; all regulations for Division of Fish & Wildlife properties apply.
  • Swamper Bend Wildlife Managements Area (WMA) is a 108-acre tract of bottomland hardwood in Knox County located in a bend of the White River. Swamper Bend WMA was purchased to protect the state endangered swamp rabbit and its associated habitat. The swamp rabbit is the largest member of the cottontail genus, with individuals weighing 3-6 pounds. Rabbit hunting is strictly prohibited due to the similarities between the Eastern cottontail and the swamp rabbit. Other forms of hunting are allowed, as are fishing and trapping.

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