Virgin Lake: hunting and access
Virgin Lake is 402 acres of public hunting land in Palo Alto County, 2 miles from Ruthven, 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 atlasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther DNR landIHAP landVirgin LakeCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 402 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Palo Alto County |
| Deer harvest unit | Palo Alto 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 | Ruthven (2 mi), Ayrshire (5 mi) and Dickens (6 mi) |
What is Virgin 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 Virgin Lake?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant, waterfowl, rabbit and dove for Virgin Lake.
What are the rules on Virgin 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 Virgin Lake?
Virgin Lake lies in Palo Alto County. Hunters reported 279 deer in Palo Alto County in 2025, against 244 in 2024.
| County | Virgin Lake acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto County | 402 | 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 Virgin Lake?
The DNR's directions: 0.5 mile W of Ruthven on Hwy 18, 2 miles S on N18, 0.5 mile E on 380th St.
Nearest towns: Ruthven (2 miles), Ayrshire (5 miles), Dickens (6 miles) and Gillett Grove (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 18 and IA 314. 1 IHAP tract within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Virgin Lake?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Elk Lake Wetland Complex WPA: 189 acres, next to it
- Elk Lake Wetland Complex: 532 acres, next to it
- Du Marsh: 229 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Barringer Slough WPA: 336 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Du Marsh WPA: 49 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Barringer Slough - CCB: 106 acres, 2.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Virgin Lake
Counting Virgin Lake itself, 1,875 of the 25,066 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7.5%), 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 | 1,862 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 11 |
| Other DNR land | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Virgin Lake?
In Palo Alto County, 2 miles from Ruthven.
What can you hunt on Virgin Lake?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant, waterfowl, rabbit and dove. Nontoxic shot is required.
How much public land is around Virgin Lake?
1,875 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Virgin Lake included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. The closest other public hunting area is Elk Lake Wetland Complex 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.