Desha County
Freddie Black Choctaw Island WMA and Deer Research Area East Unit Watchable Wildlife Trails
From U.S. Highway 65 in McGehee, turn east on Arkansas Highway 4. Continue 10.6 miles to Arkansas City. Turn right on Sprague Street. Continue four blocks to the stop sign at the base of the levee. Drive straight over the levee and continue until you reach the Rocky Hole Trail Head at the access ramp to Rocky Hole Lake.
Quick Facts
Maps
- Choctaw Island WMA Nature Trails Levee Trail
- Choctaw Island WMA Nature Trails Mississippi River Trail
- Choctaw Island WMA Nature Trails Rocky Hole Trail
Important Numbers
Desha County EMS
911
Desha County Sheriff’s Office
870-877-2580
AGFC Monticello Regional Office
833-363-7638
Stop Poaching Hotline
833-356-0824
Distances
Levee Trail: 3.4 miles
Stroll through young timber and mature hardwood forest with barred owls and eastern wild turkey. Keep an eye on openings and edges for eastern bluebirds, orchard orioles and other songbirds.
Mississippi River Trail: 2.8 miles
Walk along the Mississippi River and watch riverbank traffic with Choctaw Bar Island in the background. Look for waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, gulls, endangered least tern, Mississippi kites, osprey and an occasional bald eagle.
Rocky Hole Trail: 1.5 miles
Watch for waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds along Rocky Hole Lake. Be on the lookout for wood stork and roseate spoonbill during fall migration. Old-growth bottomland hardwoods along the southern
end of the trail may hold migratory songbirds.
Old River Lake Trail: 1.7 miles
Waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds are common along Old River Lake, along with Acadian flycatchers, yellow-billed cuckoo, various warblers and alligators.
Freddie Black Choctaw Island Wildlife Management Area and Deer Research Area East Unit covers 7,580 acres.The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission manages this public land within the levees of the Mississippi River, one of the largest watersheds in the world.The river and its wetlands support more than 400 species of wildlife, including 40 percent of North America’s migratory waterfowl. Choctaw Island includes some of the most ecologically significant and productive habitat in the state. This is a prime area for hunting, fishing and wildlife watching. It’s managed for trophy white-tailed deer and provides habitat for the endangered least tern.
Four primitive campsites are available on the area.
Kate Adams Lake is a popular destination for anglers pursuing bream, bass, crappie and catfish. A boat launch on the area also offers anglers and boaters access to the Mississippi River.
Hunters pursue deer, turkey, waterfowl and small game on the area. Only permit holders are allowed on the area during deer and turkey permit hunts. Furbearer trapping is permissible on the WMA. Check the Arkansas Hunting Guidebook for details and wear hunter orange when appropriate. Leash pets for their safety.