Pickerel Lake: hunting and access
Pickerel Lake is 356 acres of public hunting land in Buena Vista and Clay counties, 3 miles from Marathon, managed by the DNR's wildlife bureau. Hunters reported 174 deer in Buena Vista County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's public hunting area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Iowa DNR harvest reporting, 2021 to 2025.
Public hunting areas on the DNR atlasPickerel LakeCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 356 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Buena Vista County and Clay County |
| Deer harvest unit | Buena Vista County, Clay County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Pheasant, Waterfowl, Rabbit and Dove |
| Managed by | the DNR's wildlife bureau |
| Habitat (DNR) | 3/4 Lake, 1/4 Upland |
| Nontoxic shot | Required (DNR) |
| DNR contact | Prairie Lakes Wildlife Unit |
| Nearest towns | Marathon (3 mi), Webb (5 mi) and Laurens (5 mi) |
What is Pickerel Lake like?
The DNR describes the habitat as 3/4 lake, 1/4 upland.
From the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
What can you hunt on Pickerel Lake?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant, waterfowl, rabbit and dove for Pickerel Lake.
What are the rules on Pickerel Lake?
The DNR's layer marks this area as nontoxic shot only.
Iowa's general hunting rules apply, and some DNR land is a posted wildlife refuge closed during set seasons; Iowa DNR wildlife management areas has area maps.
How many deer are taken around Pickerel Lake?
Pickerel Lake lies in 2 counties. Hunters reported 174 deer in Buena Vista County in 2025, against 134 in 2024.
| County | Pickerel Lake acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista County | 336 | 174 | 134 | 259 |
| Clay County | 20 | 461 | 427 | 462 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Pickerel Lake?
The DNR's directions: 3 miles E of Marathon on Hwy 10, 4 miles N on 180th.
Nearest towns: Marathon (3 miles), Webb (5 miles), Laurens (5 miles) and Albert City (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IA 10.
What other public land is near Pickerel Lake?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Pickerel Lake WPA: 69 acres, next to it
- Dry Mud Lake: 258 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Swan Lake - Pocahontas: 384 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Rush Lake - Palo Alto: 533 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Kindlespire Complex - Burr Cemetery: 41 acres, 7.4 miles away
- Kindlespire Complex - Heissel Addition: 380 acres, 7.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Pickerel Lake
Counting Pickerel Lake itself, 925 of the 27,064 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 924 |
| Other DNR land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Pickerel Lake?
In Buena Vista and Clay counties, 3 miles from Marathon.
What can you hunt on Pickerel Lake?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant, waterfowl, rabbit and dove. Nontoxic shot is required.
How much public land is around Pickerel Lake?
925 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Pickerel Lake included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. The closest other public hunting area is Pickerel Lake WPA (next to it).
Get a Iowa hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Iowa 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, Iowa included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: Iowa DNR public hunting areas (Hunting Atlas layer).
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries.
- Deer harvest: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.