Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 2,811 acres of Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake open to hunting in Jersey County, 3 miles from Brussels. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,498 deer in Jersey 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 huntingNational wildlife refugesOther IDNR and state landLand trusts and other open landMississippi River Area - Stump LakeCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,811 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Jersey County |
| Deer harvest unit | Jersey 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 |
| Nearest towns | Brussels (3 mi), Batchtown (4 mi) and Fieldon (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm and muzzleloader), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, pheasant, woodcock and waterfowl (blinds) for Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake.
What are the rules on Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake?
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 Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake?
Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake lies in Jersey County. Hunters took 1,498 deer in Jersey County in 2025-26, against 1,443 in 2024-25.
| County | Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey County | 2,811 | 1,498 | 1,443 | 1,375 |
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 Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake?
Nearest towns: Brussels (3 miles), Batchtown (4 miles), Fieldon (6 miles) and Grafton (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 100 and IL 16.
What other public land is near Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Pere Marquette State Park: 5,360 acres, next to it
- Mississippi River Area - Glades: 1,177 acres, next to it
- Mississippi River Area: 2,508 acres, next to it
- Mississippi River Area - Twelve Mile Island: 240 acres, next to it
- Mississippi River Area - Fuller Lake: 1,015 acres, next to it
- Mississippi River Area - Helmbold Slough: 639 acres, 1.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake
Counting Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake itself, 10,976 of the 43,050 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (25.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 9,333 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 652 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 536 |
| National wildlife refuges | 455 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake?
In Jersey County, 3 miles from Brussels.
Can you deer hunt on Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake?
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 Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake?
10,976 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mississippi River Area - Stump Lake included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Pere Marquette State Park (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.