Rush Lake - Palo Alto: hunting and access
Rush Lake - Palo Alto is 533 acres of public hunting land in Palo Alto County, 6 miles from Ayrshire, managed by the DNR's wildlife bureau. Hunters reported 279 deer in Palo Alto 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 atlasCounty conservation board and city landRush Lake - Palo AltoCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 533 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Palo Alto County |
| Deer harvest unit | Palo Alto County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Squirrel, Pheasant, Waterfowl and Rabbit |
| Managed by | the DNR's wildlife bureau |
| Habitat (DNR) | Marsh, Timber |
| Nontoxic shot | Required (DNR) |
| DNR contact | Prairie Lakes Wildlife Unit |
| Nearest towns | Ayrshire (6 mi), Curlew (6 mi) and Webb (6 mi) |
What is Rush Lake - Palo Alto like?
The DNR describes the habitat as marsh, timber.
From the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
What can you hunt on Rush Lake - Palo Alto?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, squirrel, pheasant, waterfowl and rabbit for Rush Lake - Palo Alto.
What are the rules on Rush Lake - Palo Alto?
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 Rush Lake - Palo Alto?
Rush Lake - Palo Alto lies in Palo Alto County. Hunters reported 279 deer in Palo Alto County in 2025, against 244 in 2024.
| County | Rush Lake - Palo Alto acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto County | 533 | 279 | 244 | 370 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Rush Lake - Palo Alto?
The DNR's directions: 6.5 miles N of Laurens on N28.
Nearest towns: Ayrshire (6 miles), Curlew (6 miles), Webb (6 miles) and Laurens (7 miles).
What other public land is near Rush Lake - Palo Alto?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Dry Mud Lake: 258 acres, 2 miles away
- Pickerel Lake: 356 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Pickerel Lake WPA: 69 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Swan Lake - Pocahontas: 384 acres, 4.2 miles away
- Larson Prairie: 33 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Silver Lake - Palo Alto: 848 acres, 5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Rush Lake - Palo Alto
Counting Rush Lake - Palo Alto itself, 936 of the 26,397 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.5%), 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 | 935 |
| Other DNR land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Rush Lake - Palo Alto?
In Palo Alto County, 6 miles from Ayrshire.
What can you hunt on Rush Lake - Palo Alto?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, squirrel, pheasant, waterfowl and rabbit. Nontoxic shot is required.
How much public land is around Rush Lake - Palo Alto?
936 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Rush Lake - Palo Alto included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. The closest other public hunting area is Dry Mud Lake (2 miles).
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.