Lake County, Illinois: deer harvest and public hunting land
Lake County covers 471 square miles around Waukegan. Hunters took 319 deer here in the 2025-26 season, all seasons together, by IDNR's county summary. That is up 2% from 2024, and the most in the 5 years shown. 14.1% of Lake County is public land open to the public, the largest share forest preserves, county and city land (30,751 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: IDNR's county summaries, 2021-22 to 2025-26. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's land records.
IDNR sites open to huntingOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landLake CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 301,139 acres (471 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer taken, 2025-26 | 319 (ten-year average 311) |
| CWD detected (IDNR) | Yes |
| Public land | 14.1% (42,570 acres) |
| IDNR hunting sites | 5 (5,981 acres inside Lake County) |
| Towns in and near it | Waukegan, Lake Forest, Gurnee, Island Lake, Barrington and Lakemoor |
How many deer are harvested in Lake County?
Hunters took 319 deer in Lake County in the 2025-26 season, against a ten-year average of 311. Chronic wasting disease has been detected in the county.
| Season | Deer taken | Ten-year average | Firearm permits / quota | Muzzleloader permits / quota | CWD detected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 319 | 311 | Yes | ||
| 2024-25 | 314 | 323 | Yes | ||
| 2023-24 | 315 | 338 | Yes | ||
| 2022-23 | 289 | 349 | Yes | ||
| 2021-22 | 257 | 364 | Yes |
Source: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons), Lake County. Permit counts exclude landowner permits; archery and youth permits are statewide.
How much public land is in Lake County?
42,570 of Lake County's 301,139 acres are public land open to the public (14.1%). The biggest share is forest preserves, county and city land: 30,751 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 30,751 | 10.2% |
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 5,981 | 2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 5,133 | 1.7% |
| Other IDNR and state land | 705 | 0.2% |
| All public land open to the public | 42,570 | 14.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and IDNR's hunting area records. Hunting rules differ by manager: IDNR sites allow the seasons IDNR lists for each, some by permit or lottery only; national forest is open; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; Corps of Engineers land is open in many places under each project's own rules; forest preserves and city land are closed to most hunting.
IDNR hunting sites in Lake County
IDNR hunting sites in Lake County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Chain O' Lakes State Park: 4,085 acres
- Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park: 1,035 acres
- Volo Bog State Natural Area: 386 acres
- Redwing Slough State Natural Area: 346 acres
- Black Crown Marsh State Natural Area: 129 acres
How do you get to Lake County?
Highways through it: US 41 (about 52 miles inside), I-94 (about 51 miles inside), US 12 (about 44 miles inside), IL 59 (about 32 miles inside) and IL 83 (about 31 miles inside). Towns inside: Waukegan, Lake Forest, Gurnee, Long Grove, Highland Park and Mundelein. Nearby: Island Lake (on the line), Barrington (on the line), Lakemoor (on the line) and Fox River Grove (on the line).
Which counties border Lake County?
Lake County touches 2 other counties. Their latest IDNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 149 | 2025 | 5% |
| McHenry County | 1,139 | 2025 | 5.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Lake County in 2025-26?
319, all seasons together (IDNR). In 2024-25: 314.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Lake County?
Yes, by IDNR's 2025-26 county summary. Counties where CWD is found are usually open to IDNR's CWD deer season; IDNR's deer pages list the counties each year.
Is there public hunting land in Lake County?
42,570 acres, 14.1% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records, the largest share forest preserves, county and city land (30,751 acres). IDNR's records show 5 sites open to hunting here.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and IDNR's hunting area records. IDNR hunting sites: IDNR land records: sites and hunting areas (OMLP, Prairie Research Institute).
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from IDNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.