Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,871 acres of Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area open to hunting in Lawrence County, 3 miles from Lawrenceville. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,404 deer in Lawrence 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 landEmbarras River Bottoms State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,871 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lawrence County |
| Deer harvest unit | Lawrence County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant, Woodcock and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Site type (IDNR) | state natural area |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Lawrenceville (3 mi), St. Francisville (4 mi) and Bridgeport (6 mi) |
What is Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 2 hunting areas: North, South.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant, woodcock and waterfowl (walk-in) for Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area.
What are the rules on Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area?
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, deer muzzleloader, 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 Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area?
Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area lies in Lawrence County. Hunters took 1,404 deer in Lawrence County in 2025-26, against 1,424 in 2024-25.
| County | Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | 1,871 | 1,404 | 1,424 | 1,327 |
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 Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Lawrenceville (3 miles), St. Francisville (4 miles), Bridgeport (6 miles) and Allendale (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 50, IL 1, IL 250 and IL 33.
What other public land is near Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Red Hills State Park: 798 acres, 9.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area
Counting Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area itself, 2,515 of the 38,729 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 1,871 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 355 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 265 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 24 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area?
In Lawrence County, 3 miles from Lawrenceville.
Can you deer hunt on Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; muzzleloader, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area?
2,515 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Red Hills State Park (9.2 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.