Mississippi River Pool #24: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 3,078 acres of Mississippi River Pool #24 open to hunting in Pike and Calhoun counties, 3 miles from Rockport. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 4,724 deer in Pike 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 refugesLand trusts and other open landMississippi River Pool #24County lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,078 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Pike County and Calhoun County |
| Deer harvest unit | Pike County, Calhoun 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 | Rockport (3 mi), Pleasant Hill (4 mi) and New Canton (5 mi) |
What is Mississippi River Pool #24 like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 7 hunting areas: Middleton Island, Denmark Island, Great River Refuge, Cosline Island, Cash Island, Crader Island, Pool 24 North.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Mississippi River Pool #24?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and late-winter antlerless), turkey (spring, fall archery and fall firearm), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail, woodcock, waterfowl (walk-in) and waterfowl (blinds) for Mississippi River Pool #24.
What are the rules on Mississippi River Pool #24?
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 #24?
Mississippi River Pool #24 lies in 2 counties. Hunters took 4,724 deer in Pike County in 2025-26, against 4,555 in 2024-25.
| County | Mississippi River Pool #24 acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | 3,010 | 4,724 | 4,555 | 4,306 |
| Calhoun County | 69 | 1,696 | 1,698 | 1,670 |
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 #24?
Nearest towns: Rockport (3 miles), Pleasant Hill (4 miles), New Canton (5 miles) and El Dara (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 96 and US 54.
What other public land is near Mississippi River Pool #24?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Ray Norbut State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,729 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Mississippi River Area - Dog Island: 2,907 acres, 6.1 miles away
- Mississippi River Pool #22: 4,099 acres, 6.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mississippi River Pool #24
Counting Mississippi River Pool #24 itself, 5,906 of the 95,591 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 3,092 |
| National wildlife refuges | 2,317 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 497 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mississippi River Pool #24?
In Pike and Calhoun counties, 3 miles from Rockport.
Can you deer hunt on Mississippi River Pool #24?
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 #24?
5,906 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mississippi River Pool #24 included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Ray Norbut State Fish and Wildlife Area (2.9 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.