Joice Island is a small island in Grizzly Bay (part of Suisun Bay) in California. It is part of Suisun Marsh, and has been used for hunting since the late 19th century. After a failed attempt to reclaim the land for asparagus and alfalfa farming in the early 1900s, Joice Island spent several decades as a wildlife refuge before being opened to the public for hunting in 1964. Currently, the upper portion of Joice Island is part of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Grizzly Island Wildlife Area; fishing, as well as the hunting of waterfowl and pigs, is permitted there on a limited basis. Geography Grizzly Bay, in which Joice Island is located, is part of Suisun Bay, itself a part of San Francisco Bay. It is part of Solano County, and partially administered by Reclamation District 2141. It is bordered on the east by Montezuma Slough, on the south by Morrow Island, on the west by Suisun Slough, and on the north by Cutoff Slough. Its coordinates are . Joice Island is a tidal wetland, and is part of Suisun Marsh; the northern part of the island is administered as part of the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area. In 2002, Joice Island was described as "a wetland area consisting of thick cattails, tules, some brush and standing water". History Prior to European settlement, Joice Island was inhabited by Patwin people, whose name for the broader area - "Suisun" - means "the place of the west wind". An unlabeled island, in the same approximate location as the southernmost part of Joice Island, is shown on an 1850 survey map of the San Francisco Bay Area made by Cadwalader Ringgold and also on an 1854 map of the area by Henry Lange. It is first seen labeled, along with Deadman Island, Grizzly Island, Simmons Island, Ryer Island and Roe Island, on a 1902 United States Geological Survey (USGS) map of the area. In the late 19th century, Joice Island was described as "a very valuable property", known for good hunting; in 1895, it was said that "the recent frosts, rain and cold weather have greatly improved the snipe grounds" on Joice Island. In 1903, the island was described as a tract of "rich dairy and stock land", one of the largest stock ranches in central California, which had been purchased and leveed in by B. F. Rush some years prior.