Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit): 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
FWC's 2026-27 brochure for Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit) sets 2 deer seasons (archery and general gun); archery is on September 25-27, October 16-18. The area is 2,682 acres of public hunting land in Highlands County, a wildlife management area in FWC's southwest region. Around it, FWC estimates 4,506 deer were taken in DMU C1 in the 2023-24 season.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons and rules: FWC's 2026-27 regulations summary for the area. Harvest: FWC's statewide deer harvest survey by DMU, 2023-24.
Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit)Other FWC WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,682 acres, measured on FWC's boundary |
|---|---|
| County | Highlands |
| Deer management unit | DMU C1 |
| Deer seasons | Archery and general gun |
| Archery | September 25-27, October 16-18 |
| General gun | November 20-22 |
| Spring turkey | Youth Turkey: March 12-15; Spring Turkey: March 20-22, April 2-4 |
| Legal deer | Deer with at least 1 antler having 3 or more points (each point 1-inch or more in length) OR a main beam length of 10 inches or more |
| Deer dogs | No deer dog season on FWC's summary |
| Also on the area | Small game, hog hunting, horseback riding, hiking trails and fishing |
| Nearest towns | Lake Placid (4 mi), Sebring (8 mi) and Avon Park (16 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit)?
| Season | Dates, 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Archery Season | September 25-27, October 16-18 |
| General Gun Season | November 20-22 |
| Spring Turkey Season | Youth Turkey: March 12-15; Spring Turkey: March 20-22, April 2-4 |
| Small Game Season | December 11-13, 25-27, January 15-18, February 4-7 |
| Trapping | Prohibited. |
| Wild Hog-Still Season | 2026 hunt dates: May 9-10, 16-17 2027; Hunt dates: May 8-9, 15-16 |
| Fishing and Frogging | Allowed year round. |
Legal deer: Deer with at least 1 antler having 3 or more points (each point 1-inch or more in length) OR a main beam length of 10 inches or more.
Source: FWC Lake Wales Ridge - Royce Unit regulations summary, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, read October 2026. The brochure and FWC's rules are the final word.
What quota permits does Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit) need?
- Archery - 10, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. General Gun - 10, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Youth Turkey - 5, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey - 5, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts.
What rules apply on Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit)?
Dogs
- Hunting deer or wild hog with dogs is prohibited.
- Hunting with dogs is prohibited, except any dog may be used for hunting small game (quail, rabbit, squirrel and migratory birds) and non-protected birds during small game season.
- No person shall allow any dog to pursue or molest any wildlife during any period in which the taking of wildlife by the use of dogs is prohibited.
- Dogs on leashes may be used for trailing wounded game.
- Dogs are allowed during periods or in areas closed to hunting with dogs, but must be kept under physical restraint at all times.
Hunters, harvest reporting and other area rules
- Hunters must log in each harvested deer or turkey prior to moving it from the point of recovery and report any deer or turkey they harvest within 24 hours of recovery. See Florida Hunting Regulations handbook or MyFWC.com for deer and turkey harvest reporting instructions.
Guns
- Hunting at night with a gun is prohibited.
- Muzzleloading guns used for taking deer must be .30 caliber or larger, if firing a single bullet, or be 20 gauge or larger if firing 2 or more balls.
- Hunting deer with rimfire or non-expanding, full metal jacket (military ball) ammunition is prohibited.
- Hunting wildlife (other than migratory birds) with air guns is allowed. See Florida Hunting Regulations handbook for details.
Access and vehicles
- Open to public access year round but only from 1½ hours before sunrise until 1½ hours after sunset, except during the youth turkey hunt when public access is limited to only individuals participating in the hunt (which includes one non-hunting guest) or using the Peace Pond picnic area and observation platform. During non-hunting periods, public access other than by foot, bicycle or horseback is prohibited, except that motorized vehicles are allowed on Royce Road year round. Vehicle access is allowed on all named roads during all hunts and 1 day prior to all hunts except small game hunts.
- During quota hunts and one day prior to each quota hunt, only individuals authorized to participate in a hunt may have vehicle access to the area and during the youth turkey hunt one additional non-hunting guest per quota permit may also have vehicle access to the area.
- All persons must enter and exit the area at a designated entrance.
- Vehicles may be operated on named roads only, except for individuals who qualify for AMP or SUV permits. For more information visit the ADA for Hunters web page.
- Vehicles must be parked in designated parking areas or within 25 feet of a named road.
Camping
- Prohibited.
Bag limits
- A guest hunter must share the host’s bag limit deer, turkey, or quail, except when these bag limits are specified as per person. The host is responsible for violations that exceed the bag limit.
- Deer - No person shall exceed statewide bag limits. A. Area Limits - 2 antlered deer per quota permit, but only 1 per person. B. Statewide Limits - Annual limit 5 deer (only 2 of which may be antlerless), daily limit 2, possession limit 4. C. As part of the statewide annual deer limit, youth less than 16 years of age may harvest 1 deer annually not meeting antler point requirements but having at least 1 antler 5 inches or more in length.
- Wild hog - No size or bag limit.
From FWC Lake Wales Ridge - Royce Unit regulations summary, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
How many deer are taken around Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit)?
FWC does not estimate harvest for each WMA in its statewide survey; it does for each deer management unit. Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit) lies in DMU C1. FWC estimates 4,506 deer (3,179 bucks, 1,327 does) in DMU C1 in the 2023-24 season, 1,239 of them on public land.
Source: FWC 2023-24 Harvest Survey Results. FWC's per-area harvest figures are in its WMA harvest reports tool.
Which county is Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit) in?
| County | Acres of the area in it |
|---|---|
| Highlands County | 2,682 |
Measured by FilledTag on FWC Wildlife Management Areas Florida (open data) and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries.
How do you get to Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit)?
Highways within 5 miles: US 27 and US 98. Nearest towns: Lake Placid (4 miles), Sebring (8 miles), Avon Park (16 miles) and Frostproof (27 miles). FWC's page for the area: Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit).
The closest other Florida WMAs with a page here: Hickory Hammock WMA (9 miles), Kissimmee River PUA (9.9 miles), Kissimmee Bend Unit of the Everglades Headwaters WMA (16 miles) and Arbuckle WMA (17.3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit) in 2026-27?
Archery Season: September 25-27, October 16-18; General Gun Season: November 20-22. From FWC's 2026-27 brochure for the area.
What deer are legal on Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit)?
Deer with at least 1 antler having 3 or more points (each point 1-inch or more in length) OR a main beam length of 10 inches or more, by FWC's brochure. Antlerless deer only where and when a season says so.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit)?
Hunting deer or wild hog with dogs is prohibited.
Do you need a quota permit for Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit)?
Archery - 10, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts. General Gun - 10, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Youth Turkey - 5, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions). Spring Turkey - 5, no-cost, quota permits (no exemptions) for each of 2 hunts.
What county is Lake Wales Ridge WMA (Royce Unit) in?
Highlands County, measured on FWC's boundary.
Get a Florida hunt plan when they open
Florida plans are not open yet. They are coming soon. Join the waiting list; the first 50 hunters get one plan free.
Use the map while you wait for your plan.
You need a hunting license, a management area permit and any quota permit the area lists, plus deer and turkey permits as FWC requires. Statewide WMA basics. FilledTag is not part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; seasons and rules are copied from FWC's brochure, maps from FWC's WMA layer, each with its source above.