Argyle Lake State Park: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 948 acres of Argyle Lake State Park open to hunting in McDonough County, next to Colchester. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,607 deer in McDonough County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: IDNR's IDNR hunting site data, read 2026-10. Harvest: IDNR county summaries, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
IDNR sites open to huntingOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landArgyle Lake State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 948 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | McDonough County |
| Deer harvest unit | McDonough County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove and Quail |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, late-winter antlerless (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state park |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Colchester (next to it), Tennessee (3 mi) and Macomb (5 mi) |
What is Argyle Lake State Park like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 5 hunting areas: Zone 1, Zone 4, Zone 2, Zone 5, Zone 3.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Argyle Lake State Park?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and late-winter antlerless), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove and quail for Argyle Lake State Park.
What are the rules on Argyle Lake State Park?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm; county permit for deer late-winter antlerless, turkey spring and turkey fall firearm.
Site-specific rules are in IDNR's Hunting Digest and the site's hunter fact sheet; IDNR's public hunting areas list has the site's permit details.
How many deer are taken around Argyle Lake State Park?
Argyle Lake State Park lies in McDonough County. Hunters took 1,607 deer in McDonough County in 2025-26, against 1,651 in 2024-25.
| County | Argyle Lake State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonough County | 948 | 1,607 | 1,651 | 1,600 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting site alone: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
How do you get to Argyle Lake State Park?
Nearest towns: Colchester (next to it), Tennessee (3 miles), Macomb (5 miles) and Sciota (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 110, IL 336 and US 136.
What other public land is near Argyle Lake State Park?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Cecil White Prairie State Natural Area: 33 acres, 8.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Argyle Lake State Park
Counting Argyle Lake State Park itself, 1,751 of the 32,551 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 948 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 785 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 18 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Argyle Lake State Park?
In McDonough County, next to Colchester.
Can you deer hunt on Argyle Lake State Park?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; late-winter antlerless, county permit.
How much public land is around Argyle Lake State Park?
1,751 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Argyle Lake State Park included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Cecil White Prairie State Natural Area (8.1 miles).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Illinois are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Illinois included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: IDNR land records: sites and hunting areas (OMLP, Prairie Research Institute).
- Boundary and acres: IDNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and IDNR's hunting area records.
- Deer harvest: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Check IDNR's rules and posted signs before you go.