Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 5,104 acres of Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Fulton County, next to Banner. Deer archery: open at the site. Hunters took 4,267 deer in Fulton 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 landRice Lake State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 5,104 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Fulton County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Banner (next to it), Goofy Ridge (3 mi) and Dunfermline (4 mi) |
What is Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 6 hunting areas: Rice, Big, and Goose Lakes, Ridge Field, Zone A, Copperas Creek Management Unit, Zone B, Big Lake Walk-In/Zone B.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery) and waterfowl (walk-in) for Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery.
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 Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in Fulton County. Hunters took 4,267 deer in Fulton County in 2025-26, against 4,255 in 2024-25.
| County | Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County | 5,104 | 4,267 | 4,255 | 3,924 |
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 Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Banner (next to it), Goofy Ridge (3 miles), Dunfermline (4 miles) and Liverpool (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 9, IL 78, US 24 and IL 100.
What other public land is near Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 1,455 acres, next to it
- Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area: 3,259 acres, next to it
- Sand Ridge State Forest: 7,276 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Clear Lake SWMA: 417 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Henry Allan Gleason State Natural Area: 112 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Manito State Habitat Area: 79 acres, 5.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 14,171 of the 47,748 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (29.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 10,025 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 3,430 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 535 |
| National wildlife refuges | 181 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Fulton County, next to Banner.
Can you deer hunt on Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site.
How much public land is around Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
14,171 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Rice 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 Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area (next to it).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
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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.