Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 9,373 acres of Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Jefferson County, next to Bonnie. Deer archery: open at the site and special hunt permit from Springfield. Deer firearm: county permit. Hunters took 5,124 deer in Jefferson 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 landRend Lake State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 9,373 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Deer harvest unit | Jefferson County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail, Pheasant, Woodcock and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site and special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | county permit |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall firearm (IDNR) | county permit |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 5 |
| Nearest towns | Bonnie (next to it), Nason (next to it) and Waltonville (next to it) |
What is Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 5 hunting areas: Northeast, Special Hunt Area, Northwest, Bow Deer Only, Waterfowl Only.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Rend 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, pheasant, woodcock and waterfowl (walk-in) for Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site and special hunt permit from Springfield, depending on the hunting area for deer archery; county permit for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader, turkey spring and turkey fall firearm; open at the site for turkey fall archery.
IDNR's exceptions: Archery Deer only available in October.
Part of the site is marked as a wildlife refuge in IDNR's records.
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 Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in Jefferson County. Hunters took 5,124 deer in Jefferson County in 2025-26, against 4,834 in 2024-25.
| County | Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 9,373 | 5,124 | 4,834 | 4,247 |
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 Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Bonnie (next to it), Nason (next to it), Waltonville (next to it) and Ina (2 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-57, IL 148, I-64, IL 37 and IL 15.
What other public land is near Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Mt. Vernon Game Propagation Center: 653 acres, next to it
- Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area: 1,597 acres, 1.2 miles away
- Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area: 6,979 acres, 5.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 14,621 of the 90,050 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (16.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 11,108 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 3,148 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 300 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 65 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Jefferson County, next to Bonnie.
Can you deer hunt on Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site and special hunt permit from Springfield; firearm, county permit; muzzleloader, county permit.
How much public land is around Rend Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
14,621 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Rend 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 Mt. Vernon Game Propagation Center (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.