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When to catch Boyer Chute Refugeat its best

Boyer Chute Refuge through the year: spring migration (local timing: In early spring (typically early March)) and winter wildlife (3 separate phases, from late October through early December, the peak months). Each has its own page with spots, sources and the latest reports.

RIGHT NOW · SEP 30

  • Latest reportNo dated report this season; the posters below show each usual window.
  • This weekend (NWS)Sat sunny, 68°F · Sun sunny, 67°F
  • Park alertsCheck the managing agency before you go

When are you going?

Fall at Boyer Chute Refuge

Good in fall

  • Peak waterfowl use, late October through early December

From each place's own sources; no peak claimed.

Where to go at Boyer Chute Refuge

Spots, visitor points and places nearby
  • Boyer Chute RefugeLocal timing: In early spring (typically early March)This page
  • DeSoto RefugeLocal timing: early December, and again in late February and early March

Best spots

Where each event's source says to go

Spring migration

  • Sauger Parking Lot observation platformA stop on the auto tour route: a short paved trail from the Sauger Parking Lot leads to a platform that reaches out over the chute, with a good view of the restored waterwayU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • North Island TrailA 3.6-mile mowed-grass trail, open all year, that starts just east of the bridge from the main parking lot and heads north across Boyer Island to views of the Missouri River and the restored backwaters; during migration, look for waterfowl and eagles along the river's edgeU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Winter wildlife

  • North Island TrailA 3.6-mile mowed-grass trail, open all year, that starts just east of the bridge from the main parking lot and heads north across Boyer Island to views of the Missouri River and the restored backwaters; during migration, look for waterfowl and eagles along the river's edgeU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • South Chute Confluence TrailAn easy 0.65-mile mowed-grass trail with a wooden bridge section from the South Chute Parking Lot, following the edge of the chute to where it meets the Missouri River; open all yearU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Next 7 days at Boyer Chute Refuge

Forecast: National Weather Service
  • TodayShowers And Thunderstorms72° / 63°98% rain
  • ThuSlight Chance Rain Showers67° / 49°20% rain
  • FriSunny65° / 50°–
  • SatSunny68° / 53°1% rain
  • SunSunny67° / 48°1% rain
  • MonSunny64° / 54°2% rain
  • TueMostly Sunny69° / 58°5% rain

Heads up: NWS Flood Watch: Flood Watch issued September 30 at 12:46AM CDT until October 1 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE.

Today: sunrise 7:20 a.m., sunset 7:09 p.m., light until 7:37 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 78% lit (our calculation)

Nearby, and when they peak

Straight-line miles; roads are longer

Towns nearby

Straight-line miles; each town page has frost dates and its nature year

Boyer Chute Refuge in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
Wide brown water along a wooded bank, with farm fields beyond
Aerial view of Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge (date not given). Photo: USFWS · public domain · resized

Questions people ask

Can flooding affect a visit?

Yes. The refuge sits on the Missouri River, flooding is a frequent issue and can limit access, so check the refuge's status before you go.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Boyer Chute NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

What should I bring?

Good footwear and clothes for the weather, plus water, food, binoculars, field guides, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent. Mornings and evenings are best for wildlife.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Boyer Chute NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Where do the first northbound waterfowl stop?

In the restored chute and the Missouri River backwaters, typically in early March, per the refuge.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Boyer Chute NWR: Species ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is spring migration all in that first wave?

No. The refuge says shorebirds and songbirds follow later in spring, using its wetlands, prairie and bottomland; it gives no month for that later wave.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Boyer Chute NWR: Species ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How we know

Every timing above, from these pages; checked Sep 29