Old school is correct. You can only fish the river and sloughs. I checked a couple of summers ago, when I was looking for a place to belly-boat for bass. There are definitely some lunkers in there. They open it up for a day every summer for kids only. The kids keep all of the bass alive, and turn them in to FWP. Then, they transport the bass to Frenchtown Pond and Upsata Lake. Is Whistlers pond within the refuge boundary? I used to duck hunt on Metcalf, so I pretty much know it like the back of my hand. However, I have never heard of Whistlers. Metcalf is north of Stevensville. If it is not inside the refuge, and not on private land, you should be good to go.
