Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 3,205 acres of Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park open to hunting in Madison County, next to Pontoon Beach. Deer archery: open at the site and site permit from the site office. 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 landHorseshoe Lake-Madison State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,205 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Deer harvest unit | Madison County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site and site permit from the site office |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Site type (IDNR) | state park |
| IDNR region | 4 |
| Nearest towns | Pontoon Beach (next to it), Edwardsville (next to it) and Roxana (2 mi) |
What is Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 7 hunting areas: Horseshoe Lake, COE1, COE2, Walkers Island, Bend Road, Bohm Woods, Horseshoe Lake Perimeter.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park?
IDNR's records list deer (archery), turkey (spring), rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant and waterfowl (walk-in) for Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park.
What are the rules on Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site and site permit from the site office, depending on the hunting area for deer archery; special hunt permit from Springfield for turkey spring.
IDNR's notes: Bend Road Peninsula. Primitive Camping. 25 sites.
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 Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park?
Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park lies in Madison County. Hunters took 2,051 deer in Madison County in 2025-26, against 1,972 in 2024-25.
| County | Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | 3,205 | 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 Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park?
Nearest towns: Pontoon Beach (next to it), Edwardsville (next to it), Roxana (2 miles) and Fairmont City (2 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 3, I-70, I-255, IL 111 and US 40.
What other public land is near Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Cahokia Mounds: 854 acres, next to it
- Chouteau Island State Fish and Wildlife Area: 2,183 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Frank Holten State Park: 265 acres, 5.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park
Counting Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park itself, 7,997 of the 59,723 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (13.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 4,059 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 1,906 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 1,521 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 511 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park?
In Madison County, next to Pontoon Beach.
Can you deer hunt on Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site and site permit from the site office.
How much public land is around Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park?
7,997 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Horseshoe Lake-Madison State Park included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Cahokia Mounds (next to it).
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.