Mississippi River Pool #21: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 9,297 acres of Mississippi River Pool #21 open to hunting in Adams County, 2 miles from Meyer. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 4,249 deer in Adams 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 huntingFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesForest preserves, county and city landMississippi River Pool #21County lineLakeHighway
| Size | 9,297 acres in 7 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Adams County |
| Deer harvest unit | Adams 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 |
| Deer, late-winter antlerless (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Nearest towns | Meyer (2 mi), Quincy (2 mi) and Ursa (5 mi) |
What is Mississippi River Pool #21 like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 11 hunting areas: Quincy Bay Waterfowl Management Unit, Deadman Island, Hogback Isle, Teal Island, Willow Island, Libby Island, Long Island, La Grange Island, Barns Island, Shandrew Island and more.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Mississippi River Pool #21?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and late-winter antlerless), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, woodcock and waterfowl (walk-in) for Mississippi River Pool #21.
What are the rules on Mississippi River Pool #21?
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, deer muzzleloader, deer late-winter antlerless, 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 Pool #21?
Mississippi River Pool #21 lies in Adams County. Hunters took 4,249 deer in Adams County in 2025-26, against 3,927 in 2024-25.
| County | Mississippi River Pool #21 acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 9,297 | 4,249 | 3,927 | 3,765 |
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 Pool #21?
Nearest towns: Meyer (2 miles), Quincy (2 miles), Ursa (5 miles) and Marcelline (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 96, US 24, IL 104, IL 57 and IL 110.
What other public land is near Mississippi River Pool #21?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Mississippi River Pool #22: 4,099 acres, 3.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mississippi River Pool #21
Counting Mississippi River Pool #21 itself, 10,566 of the 85,096 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 9,297 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 641 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 628 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mississippi River Pool #21?
In Adams County, 2 miles from Meyer.
Can you deer hunt on Mississippi River Pool #21?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, county permit; muzzleloader, county permit; late-winter antlerless, county permit.
How much public land is around Mississippi River Pool #21?
10,566 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mississippi River Pool #21 included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Mississippi River Pool #22 (3.6 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.