Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area is an area deticated to providing hunting and fishing opportunities while maintaining 9956 acres (40.3 km²), 1,800 of which are open water, marshes, and flooded crop land.It is located at 2042 S. 500 W., Morocco, Indiana

Morocco, Indiana

Morocco is a town in Beaver Township, Newton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,129 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Morocco is located at ....

.

History

Willow Slough began with the purchase of 7800 acres (31.6 km²) of land in 1949. Further purchasing continued to bring the total size of the park to 9956 acres (40.3 km²). J.C. Murphey Lake, the park reservoir, was completed in 1951. Most parts of Willow Slough were once formerly grazed, hayed, and cultivated. A railroad also ran through the property at one time, and portions of an old train station can still be found in the area. It was also a mob dumping place for bodies in the 1920s-1980s.

Rules and Regulations

Besides the state fish and wildlife laws, the property is governed by posted regulations licensed by the Department of Natural Resources. The following regulations are listed below:

• Any violating of the regulations may cause forfeiting for your hunting, fishing, or visiting privileges.
• Must obtain a permit in order to hunt or fish.
• Night and predator hunting is only permitted by daily permit cards from the property manager.
• Camping, picnicking, and open campfires are allowed in designated areas only.
• Target ranges are open to the public on a first come first serve basis. All shooters must obey range rules and regulations.

Fishing

Willow Slough provides over 1200 acres (4.9 km²) of water available for fishing including numerous ponds. No check in is required for fishing, but fishing is prohibited during duck season. Primary species of fish include bass

Bass (fish)

Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...

, bluegill

Bluegill

The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...

, channel catfish

Channel catfish

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...

, redear, crappie

Crappie

Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...

,and northern pike

Northern Pike

The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...

. Shoreline fishing is available, but only along designated piers. Two boat ramps are provided near the headquarters but may only be launched at the headquarters area.

Hunting

Willow Slough contains a variety of hunting species. These species include deer

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

, quail

Quail

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...

, rabbit

Rabbit

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...

, squirrel

Squirrel

Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...

, dove

Dove

Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...

, woodcock

Woodcock

The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into Wallacea...

, waterfowl

Waterfowl

Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....

 and wild turkey

Wild Turkey

The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...

. Daily check-ins are required for hunting and all hunting seasons and bag limits apply.

Wildlife Watching

9956 acres (40.3 km²) of varied geography including a 1200 acres (4.9 km²) lake attract many wildlife species like deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, hawks, owls, osprey, bald eagles, and a variety of songbirds.

Additional information

Besides hunting and fishing, other opportunities are available at Willow Slough. These opportunities include wetland trapping, dog training, and wild fruit gatherings.