Chain O' Lakes State Park: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 4,437 acres of Chain O' Lakes State Park open to hunting in Lake and McHenry counties, next to Channel Lake. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 319 deer in Lake 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 landLand trusts and other open landChain O' Lakes State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,437 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Lake County and McHenry County |
| Deer harvest unit | Lake County, McHenry County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Dove, Pheasant and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state park |
| IDNR region | 2 |
| Nearest towns | Channel Lake (next to it), Fox Lake (next to it) and Pistakee Highlands (next to it) |
What is Chain O' Lakes State Park like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 7 hunting areas: Grass Lake, Nippersink Lake, Campgrounds, Hay Lease, East Main, West Main, Oak Point.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Chain O' Lakes State Park?
IDNR's records list deer (archery and firearm), turkey (spring and fall archery), dove, pheasant and waterfowl (walk-in) for Chain O' Lakes State Park.
What are the rules on Chain O' Lakes 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 and turkey spring.
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 Chain O' Lakes State Park?
Chain O' Lakes State Park lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 319 deer in Lake County in 2025-26, against 314 in 2024-25.
| County | Chain O' Lakes State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 4,085 | 319 | 314 | 315 |
| McHenry County | 351 | 1,139 | 1,177 | 1,006 |
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 Chain O' Lakes State Park?
Nearest towns: Channel Lake (next to it), Fox Lake (next to it), Pistakee Highlands (next to it) and Lake Catherine (next to it). Highways within 5 miles: US 12, IL 173, IL 59, IL 83 and IL 134.
What other public land is near Chain O' Lakes State Park?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Volo Bog State Natural Area: 833 acres, 3 miles away
- Redwing Slough State Natural Area: 346 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Moraine Hills State Park: 1,526 acres, 6 miles away
- Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area: 129 acres, 6.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Chain O' Lakes State Park
Counting Chain O' Lakes State Park itself, 7,105 of the 51,129 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (13.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 4,437 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 1,402 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,232 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 34 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Chain O' Lakes State Park?
In Lake and McHenry counties, next to Channel Lake.
Can you deer hunt on Chain O' Lakes State Park?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Chain O' Lakes State Park?
7,105 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Chain O' Lakes State Park included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Volo Bog State Natural Area (3 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.