Description
This is gently rolling upland, well drained by a number of small streams that make their way to Sallee Creek, which flows northward across the entire management area on its way to the James River. Due to the area’s past use for farming, and some of the current wildlife management practices of burning and discing, much of the area is open fields. These openings, along with mature and newly emerging forests, assure a diversity of wildlife cover types. The area’s acreage is contiguous, although divided by Route 60 and has one privately owned interior property. Water on the area includes four “farm” ponds.
Powhatan is really like visiting two entirely different areas. The area south of US 60 is forests and fields with a large beaver impoundment at its center. Here you are as likely to see merlin, Acadian flycatcher, and wood duck as you are bald eagles. During migration, bobolinks have been seen in large flocks in the open fields. North of US 60 are the Powhatan Lakes, which host a variety of waterfowl. At the far western end of the lower lake, a medium-size heron rookery exists. With binoculars in hand in late winter and early spring, you can watch the daily comings and goings of great-blue heron parents fishing the lakes to feed their hungry young.
The eastern and northern portions of the area with their expansive open fields and brushy habitat make excellent areas for glassing a variety of warblers and other songbirds, woodpeckers, and raptors. The mature hardwoods attract a variety of interior forest species and make excellent locations to hear and possibly see owls. Both great horned and barred owls are common on the area. Deer and turkey can often be observed feeding along the edge of the fields that dot the landscape throughout the area. The beaver swamps, ponds, and lakes provide an attractive site to view wood ducks and geese along with a host of wetland bird species.
Notes:
- To Access the Site: A Restore the Wild Membership, Virginia hunting license, freshwater fishing license, boat registration, or an access permit is required.
- This site may be closed during certain times of year for hunting or land management. See seasonal access information on the Powhatan WMA website.
- If you are visiting this site during hunting seasons, please wear blaze orange/pink for safety.
Wildlife Sightings
141 species have been reported at this site to date.
Birds Recently Seen at Powhatan Wildlife Management Area:
Recent Checklists:
| Date | # of Species | Submitted By |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Jan 2026 | 2 | Susan McGee |
| 1 Jan 2026 | 7 | Henry Nase |
| 4 Oct 2025 | 10 | Kathy Richardson |
| 29 Sep 2025 | 21 | Barbara Pankratz |
| 29 Sep 2025 | 21 | Barbara Pankratz |
Amenities & Accessibility
Amenities
- On-site Parking
Other Amenities: Hiking Trails
Accessibility Considerations
This location does not have a Birdability Site Review available at this time
Learn more about Birdability’s efforts to map accessible outdoor spaces
Maps & Directions
Physical Address (Powhatan Lakes portion of the WMA): Powhatan Lakes Rd., Powhatan, VA 23139
Coordinates: 37.578361, -77.992333
To access the Powhatan Lakes portion of the WMA: From U.S. Route 60, turn north onto State Route 684. See WMA map for other entrances and parking areas.
In addition to the Powhatan Lakes entrance, the Wildlife Management Area can be accessed from several roads off to the right of Rt. 627 or entered at the main access from Rt. 662 4.2 miles north of SR 13.
Site Information
Access Requirements:
- Daily. Restore the Wild Membership, hunting license, freshwater fishing license, boat registration, or an access permit is required.
Contact Information:
- Virginia DWR - Region 4 office: 540-899-4169, Contact Us
- Visit Website
Sites, or portions of sites, can be closed periodically for management activities. Please always check the site’s website for additional information prior to visiting.