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Swan Lake To Swing Open the Gates Saturday

The Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge will swing open the gates this Saturday.  The Refuge will open to the public for the season Saturday at 6:00 am.  The refuge is closed each year from late October until early March to allow for undisturbed habitat for migrating and wintering waterfowl.

Once spring arrives the place becomes a Refuge for people as well as wildlife. Whether it’s fishing, bird watching, a relaxing drive or a hike through the woods, Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a place for everyone to enjoy.  The refuge offers an abundance of outdoor public use opportunities, including the 2,000 acre Silver Lake, which is open to fishing, there is also the Auto Tour Route, which provides a relaxing drive

There are also plenty of hiking opportunities available, as the entire refuge is open to foot traffic during this time.

Trumpeter Swans

Refuge Manager Steve Whitson says at this time there are great wildlife viewing opportunities as there are hundreds of Trumpeter Swans on the refuge and snow goose numbers can reach in the hundreds of thousands this time of year.  March and early April good times to view lots of different species of waterfowl that are migrating back north for the summer.  An early morning or late evening drive through the refuge is a good time to see whitetail deer.  Mid-April through May provides great viewing opportunities in habitat mudflat areas for the many species of shorebirds that also stop over at Swan Lake NWR on their migration routes.