Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 2,532 acres of Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Lee County, 5 miles from Harmon. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,404 deer in Lee 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 landLand trusts and other open landGreen River State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineHighway
| Size | 2,532 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Lee County |
| Deer harvest unit | Lee County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant and Woodcock |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, CWD season (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 fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Harmon (5 mi), Ohio (5 mi) and Walnut (6 mi) |
What is Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 20 hunting areas: Equestrian Campground, F-1, F-2, E, G, D, C, B, A, H and more.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and CWD season), turkey (spring and fall archery), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant, woodcock and controlled pheasant for Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Green River 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; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm, deer cwd season 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 Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in Lee County. Hunters took 1,404 deer in Lee County in 2025-26, against 1,493 in 2024-25.
| County | Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 2,532 | 1,404 | 1,493 | 1,213 |
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 Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Harmon (5 miles), Ohio (5 miles), Walnut (6 miles) and Deer Grove (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 26.
What other public land is near Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Sand Prairie State Habitat Area: 299 acres, 4 miles away
- Maytown State Habitat Area: 158 acres, 4.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 2,581 of the 36,773 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 2,532 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 30 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 19 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Lee County, 5 miles from Harmon.
Can you deer hunt on Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; CWD season, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Green River State Fish and Wildlife Area?
2,581 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Green River 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 Sand Prairie State Habitat Area (4 miles).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
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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.