Pierce Co Islands State Wildlife Area

The Wisconsin DNR has announced a temporary closure of a portion of the Pierce County Islands State Wildlife Area near Bay City while habitat restoration and enhancement work is underway.

The closure is effective immediately and is expected to remain in place through September 2027.

The temporary closure includes the newly constructed islands, the southern portion of Pierce County Islands and access through Catherine’s Pass.

The DNR has undertaken a large-scale, multimillion-dollar habitat project in collaboration with the US Army Corps of Engineers and other local partners.

This project aims to restore access to the degraded backwaters of upper Lake Pepin and ultimately improve habitat of overwintering fish and floodplain forests.

The project will also restore healthy aquatic vegetation by improving water clarity and provide food and nesting habitat for waterfowl and other wetland birds.

The extensive restoration project features creation of four islands for improved floodplain forest habitat, mudflats for improved waterfowl habitat and habitat dredging to improve fish habitat.