Public land that may allow hunting in Wisconsin
152 named public land units in Wisconsin from PAD-US 4.1: 43 state wildlife & game areas, 36 forests & grasslands, 30 wildlife refuges & WPAs, 1 BLM units, 1 lake & reservoir project lands, 41 other public land units. The largest are Chequamegon National Forest, Nicolet National Forest, Northern Highland State Forest.
Regulations & licenses: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
This site does not list seasons, bag limits, license or permit rules. Those change every year and differ by area. Check them with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (hunting information) before you go, and confirm the specific area is open to the hunting you plan.
All 152 areas, largest first
| Area | Acres (approx.) | Manager | Access | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chequamegon National Forest National Forest land | 863,667 | U.S. Forest Service (USDA) | Open access | Bayfield County, Ashland County + 4 more |
| Nicolet National Forest National Forest land | 663,369 | U.S. Forest Service (USDA) | Open access | Forest County, Oconto County + 4 more |
| Northern Highland State Forest State forest | 176,586 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Vilas County, Iron County |
| Flambeau River State Forest State forest | 90,845 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Sawyer County, Rusk County + 2 more |
| Black River State Forest State forest | 68,954 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Jackson County |
| American Legion State Forest State forest | 60,994 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Oneida County |
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 52,684 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Crawford County, La Crosse County + 4 more |
| Brule River State Forest State forest | 47,125 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Douglas County |
| Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Other state land | 46,366 | State: department of natural resources | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Grant County, Iowa County + 4 more |
| Necedah National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 44,104 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Juneau County |
| Turtle Flambeau Scenic Waters Area Other state land | 36,010 | State: department of natural resources | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Iron County |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit-Iansr State forest | 30,189 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Sheboygan County, Fond du Lac County + 1 more |
| Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area Other state land | 25,947 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Oneida County |
| Horicon National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 21,881 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Dodge County, Fond du Lac County |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit State forest | 21,501 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Waukesha County, Walworth County + 1 more |
| Governor Knowles State Forest State forest | 21,267 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Burnett County, Polk County |
| Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest State forest | 11,813 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Marinette County, Oconto County |
| Glacial Habitat Restoration Other state land | 9,956 | State: department of natural resources | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Fond du Lac County, Winnebago County + 2 more |
| Scattered Forest Lands State forest | 8,290 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Vilas County, Oneida County + 6 more |
| Chippewa Flowage Other state land | 7,342 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Sawyer County |
| Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 6,960 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Trempealeau County, Buffalo County |
| Statewide Habitat Areas Other state land | 6,732 | State: department of natural resources | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Dodge County, Dane County + 29 more |
| St. Croix County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 6,437 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | St. Croix County |
| South Shore Lake Superior Fish Other state land | 6,120 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Bayfield County |
| Ms Rv Pools 11-22 Recreation Area Army Corps of Engineers project land | 6,062 | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers | Open access | Grant County |
| Stream Bank Protection Fee Program Other state land | 5,240 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Sheboygan County, Dane County + 10 more |
| New Wood Wildlife Area 1 State wildlife / game area | 5,000 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Oneida County, Vilas County |
| Pike Wild River Other state land | 4,715 | State: department of natural resources | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Marinette County |
| Waterloo Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 4,199 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Jefferson County, Dodge County |
| Mc Millan Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 4,177 | State: department of natural resources | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Marathon County |
| Columbia County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 3,897 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Columbia County |
| Statewide Wildlife Habitat State wildlife / game area | 3,698 | State: department of natural resources | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | Oneida County, St. Croix County + 17 more |
| Gift Lands Other state land | 3,156 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Marinette County, Grant County + 17 more |
| Coulee Experimental Forest State forest | 2,961 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | La Crosse County |
| Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 2,841 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Rock County, Green County |
| St. Croix National Scenic Riverway Other state land | 2,517 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Burnett County, Polk County |
| Totogatic Wild River Other state land | 2,486 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Washburn County, Douglas County |
| Winnebago County Waterfowl Production Area Of Wi Waterfowl Production Area | 2,463 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Winnebago County |
| Winnebago County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 2,421 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Winnebago County |
| Danbury Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 2,218 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Burnett County |
| Statewide Spring Ponds Other state land | 2,145 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Langlade County, Marathon County + 6 more |
| BLM Northeastern States District Office Public Lands BLM public land | 2,129 | Bureau of Land Management | Open access | Columbia County, Adams County + 16 more |
| Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area - Dick Steffes Unit Other state land | 2,037 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Oneida County |
| Lima Marsh Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 1,993 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Rock County |
| Sauk Prairie Recreation Area 1 Other state land | 1,786 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Sauk County |
| Dane County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 1,724 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Dane County |
| Menard Island Resource Area Other state land | 1,644 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Lincoln County, Oneida County |
| Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area 15 Other state land | 1,561 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Oneida County |
| Kiezer Lake Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 1,390 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Burnett County |
| Mack Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 1,352 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Outagamie County |
| Dunn County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 1,272 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Dunn County |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest-Loew Lake Unit State forest | 1,232 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Washington County |
| Polk County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 1,218 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Polk County |
| Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Other state land | 1,209 | State: department of natural resources | Mixed (open and restricted parcels) | St. Croix County, Polk County |
| Fond Du Lac County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 1,161 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Fond du Lac County |
| Northern Highland State Forest 5 State forest | 1,147 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Vilas County |
| Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area 18 Other state land | 1,099 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Oneida County |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest-Lapham Peak Unit State forest | 1,071 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Waukesha County |
| Polk County Waterfowl Production Area Of Wi Waterfowl Production Area | 1,031 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Polk County |
| Fox River National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 999 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Marquette County |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest State forest | 977 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Waukesha County, Walworth County |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest-Mukwonago River Unit State forest | 971 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Waukesha County, Walworth County |
| Dodge County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 809 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Dodge County |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest-Pike Lake Unit State forest | 779 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Washington County |
| Storrs Lake Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 750 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Rock County |
| Sheboygan County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 727 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Sheboygan County |
| Ozaukee County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 710 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Ozaukee County |
| Grand River Marsh Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 661 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Marquette County |
| Lower Wolf River Bottomlands Natural Resource Area Other state land | 544 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Winnebago County, Shawano County + 1 more |
| Longtail Point Other state land | 541 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Brown County |
| Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 465 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Door County |
| Douglas Hallock Demo Forest State forest | 452 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Grant County |
| Rock County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 422 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Rock County |
| Rock County Waterfowl Production Area Of Wi Waterfowl Production Area | 421 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Rock County |
| Marquette County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 396 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Marquette County |
| One Stone Lake Hemlocks/Little Rice Lake Sna Other state land | 382 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Oneida County |
| Sauk Prairie Recreation Area 2 Other state land | 373 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Sauk County |
| Adams County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 341 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Adams County |
| Crex Meadows Wildlife Area 5 State wildlife / game area | 324 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Burnett County |
| Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 308 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Bayfield County |
| Miscellaneous Lands Other state land | 290 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Adams County |
| Waushara County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 272 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Waushara County |
| Manitowoc County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 255 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Manitowoc County |
| Lower Wisconsin State Riverway 127 Other state land | 244 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Iowa County |
| Jefferson County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 241 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Jefferson County |
| Crex Meadows Wildlife Area 10 State wildlife / game area | 241 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Burnett County |
| White River Fishery Area-Bayfield Other state land | 241 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Bayfield County, Ashland County |
| Stream Bank Protection Fee Program 37 Other state land | 234 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Lafayette County |
| Sauk County Waterfowl Production Area Waterfowl Production Area | 228 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Sauk County |
| Cylon Marsh Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 221 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | St. Croix County |
| Baileys Harbor Boreal Forest & Wetlands - Jonathan Ela Unit State forest | 212 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Door County |
| Black River State Forest 6 State forest | 203 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Jackson County |
| Dell Creek Wildlife Area 2 State wildlife / game area | 199 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Sauk County |
| St. Louis River Stream Bank Area Other state land | 192 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Douglas County |
| Pine Island Wildlife Area 3 State wildlife / game area | 182 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Sauk County |
| Mud Lake Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 180 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Kenosha County, Columbia County |
| Waterloo Wildlife Area 16 State wildlife / game area | 177 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Jefferson County |
| Griffith Nursery Other state land | 174 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Wood County |
| Kimberly Clark Wildlife Area 4 State wildlife / game area | 155 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Price County |
| F G Wilson State Forest Nursery State forest | 155 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Grant County |
| Polk County Waterfowl Production Area Of Ia Waterfowl Production Area | 148 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Polk County |
| Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area 19 Other state land | 147 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Oneida County |
| La Crosse Marsh Natural Resource Area State wildlife / game area | 135 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | La Crosse County |
| Hayward Nursery Other state land | 130 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Sawyer County |
| Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 125 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | |
| Jackson Marsh Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 125 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Washington County |
| Tichigan Wildlife Area 1 State wildlife / game area | 125 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Racine County |
| Uhrenholdt Mem Timber Demo Forest State forest | 125 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Sawyer County |
| Land Other state land | 122 | State: other or unknown agency | Open access | Grant County |
| American Legion State Forest 16 State forest | 112 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Oneida County |
| Lower Wisconsin State Riverway 126 Other state land | 111 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Richland County |
| Vernon Wildlife Area 4 State wildlife / game area | 110 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Waukesha County |
| Tichigan Wildlife Area 2 State wildlife / game area | 102 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Racine County |
| Goose Lake Wildlife Area 3 State wildlife / game area | 101 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Dane County |
| Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Dodge State wildlife / game area | 100 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Dodge County |
| Pine Island Wildlife Area 2 State wildlife / game area | 100 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Sauk County |
| Tiffany Wildlife Area 6 State wildlife / game area | 88 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Pepin County |
| Ottawa National Forest National Forest land | 84 | U.S. Forest Service (USDA) | Open access | Vilas County, Forest County |
| Willow Creek Fishery Area Other state land | 84 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Richland County |
| Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | 82 | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Restricted access | Walworth County |
| Black River State Forest 3 State forest | 81 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Jackson County |
| Pershing Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 80 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Taylor County |
| Crex Meadows Wildlife Area 7 State wildlife / game area | 80 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Burnett County |
| Open Space Other state land | 80 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Dodge County |
| James J Rule Timber Demo Forest State forest | 80 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Iowa County |
| Black River State Forest 2 State forest | 79 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Jackson County |
| Peter Helland Wildlife Area State wildlife / game area | 78 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Columbia County |
| Scattered Wildlife State wildlife / game area | 78 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Chippewa County |
| Lacrosse Marsh Natural Resource State wildlife / game area | 75 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | La Crosse County |
| Forestry Exploration Center State forest | 70 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Milwaukee County |
| Loon Lake Wildlife Area 6 State wildlife / game area | 69 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Polk County |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit 24 State forest | 68 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Walworth County |
| Dunnville Wildlife Area 8 State wildlife / game area | 66 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Dunn County |
| Peter Helland Wildlife Area 10 State wildlife / game area | 66 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Columbia County |
| Green Co Prairies (Mural Bluff Prairie) Sna Other state land | 65 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Green County |
| Hardies Creek Timber Demo Forest State forest | 58 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Trempealeau County |
| Waterloo Wildlife Area 14 State wildlife / game area | 57 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Dodge County |
| Vernon Wildlife Area 3 State wildlife / game area | 54 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Waukesha County |
| Flambeau River State Forest 1 State forest | 53 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Sawyer County |
| Apple River Timber Demo Forest State forest | 52 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Polk County |
| Peter Helland Wildlife Area 7 State wildlife / game area | 51 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Columbia County |
| Champion Valley Timber Demo Forest State forest | 51 | State: department of natural resources | Restricted access | Vernon County |
| Waterloo Wildlife Area 13 State wildlife / game area | 45 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Jefferson County |
| Dunnville Wildlife Area 9 State wildlife / game area | 42 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Dunn County |
| Prairie River Fishery Area Other state land | 42 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Lincoln County |
| Lower Wolf River Bottomlands Natural Resource Area 26 Other state land | 40 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Outagamie County |
| White River Wildlife Area-Ashland State wildlife / game area | 40 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Ashland County |
| Western Prairie Habitat Restoration 15 Other state land | 40 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Polk County |
| Clam River Fishery Area Other state land | 40 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Burnett County |
| North Branch Beaver Creek Fishery Area Other state land | 40 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Marinette County |
| North Branch Milwaukee River Wildlife And Farm State wildlife / game area | 40 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Sheboygan County |
| Northern Highland State Forest 4 State forest | 40 | State: department of natural resources | Open access | Iron County |
Acreage is calculated from simplified PAD-US boundaries for the portion inside Wisconsin. “Access” is the PAD-US public access field, not a statement about hunting. National wildlife refuges are generally coded “restricted” in PAD-US because of seasonal or area closures.
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