Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 2,183 acres of Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Madison County, 2 miles from Granite City. Deer archery: open at the site. Hunters took 2,051 deer in Madison 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 landChouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,183 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Deer harvest unit | Madison County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Woodcock and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 4 |
| Nearest towns | Granite City (2 mi), Venice (2 mi) and Mitchell (3 mi) |
What is Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 3 hunting areas: South Chouteau Field, Gabaret Island, Mosenthein.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, woodcock and waterfowl (walk-in) for Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery; county permit for 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 Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in Madison County. Hunters took 2,051 deer in Madison County in 2025-26, against 1,972 in 2024-25.
| County | Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | 2,183 | 2,051 | 1,972 | 1,875 |
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 Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Granite City (2 miles), Venice (2 miles), Mitchell (3 miles) and Hartford (3 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 3, IL 203, I-270, IL 111 and IL 255.
What other public land is near Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park: 3,205 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Cahokia Mounds: 854 acres, 6 miles away
- Frank Holten State Park: 265 acres, 9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 3,171 of the 51,225 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 2,183 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 682 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 195 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 111 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Madison County, 2 miles from Granite City.
Can you deer hunt on Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site.
How much public land is around Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area?
3,171 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park (3.9 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.