Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,317 acres of Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Massac County, 3 miles from Joppa. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 734 deer in Massac 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 landMermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,317 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Massac County |
| Deer harvest unit | Massac County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Woodcock and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield and disabled hunters, Springfield permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit and disabled hunters, Springfield permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Joppa (3 mi), Belknap (5 mi) and Karnak (6 mi) |
What is Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 20 hunting areas: Southwest, Furbearer, Hunting Pool C, Hunting Pool K, Hunting Pool A, Waterfowl Walk-In 2, Hunting Pool D, Hunting Pool E, Hunting Pool F, Hunting Pool G and more.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, woodcock and waterfowl (walk-in) for Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Mermet Lake 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 deer firearm and deer muzzleloader; special hunt permit from Springfield and disabled hunters, Springfield permit, depending on the hunting area for turkey spring; county permit and disabled hunters, Springfield permit, depending on the hunting area for 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 Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in Massac County. Hunters took 734 deer in Massac County in 2025-26, against 834 in 2024-25.
| County | Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massac County | 1,317 | 734 | 834 | 808 |
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 Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Joppa (3 miles), Belknap (5 miles), Karnak (6 miles) and New Grand Chain (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 45, IL 169 and I-24.
What other public land is near Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Cache River State Natural Area: 15,651 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Sielbeck Forest: 394 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Skinner Farm State Habitat Area: 100 acres, 7.9 miles away
- Fort Massac State Park: 1,265 acres, 9.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 2,348 of the 34,647 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 1,383 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 948 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 17 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Massac County, 3 miles from Joppa.
Can you deer hunt on Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, county permit; muzzleloader, county permit.
How much public land is around Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
2,348 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mermet Lake 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 Cache River State Natural Area (2.8 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.