Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 1,455 acres of Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in Tazewell County, 3 miles from Kingston Mines. Deer archery: open at the site. Hunters took 1,548 deer in Tazewell 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 landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landSpring Lake State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,455 acres in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Tazewell County |
| Deer harvest unit | Tazewell County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel and Waterfowl |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Kingston Mines (3 mi), Goofy Ridge (4 mi) and Banner (4 mi) |
What is Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 6 hunting areas: South Park, South Lake, North Park, North Lake, Main Ditch, Spring Lake Bottoms.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery), turkey (fall archery), squirrel, waterfowl (walk-in) and waterfowl (blinds) for Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery.
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 Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in Tazewell County. Hunters took 1,548 deer in Tazewell County in 2025-26, against 1,598 in 2024-25.
| County | Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tazewell County | 1,455 | 1,548 | 1,598 | 1,398 |
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 Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Kingston Mines (3 miles), Goofy Ridge (4 miles), Banner (4 miles) and Glasford (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IL 9 and US 24.
What other public land is near Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Sand Ridge State Forest: 7,276 acres, next to it
- Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area: 5,104 acres, next to it
- Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area: 3,259 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Clear Lake SWMA: 417 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Manito State Habitat Area: 79 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Henry Allan Gleason State Natural Area: 112 acres, 3.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 16,574 of the 54,411 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (30.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 12,371 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 3,941 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 262 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In Tazewell County, 3 miles from Kingston Mines.
Can you deer hunt on Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site.
How much public land is around Spring Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area?
16,574 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Spring 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 Sand Ridge State Forest (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.