Barber State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Barber State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area is 80 acres by KDWP's count, centered just north of Medicine Lodge, in Barber County and deer Unit 16. Camping: yes, in designated areas; equipment: none (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landWalk-in (WIHA)Barber State Fishing Lake and Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 80 (KDWP); 186 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 1/4 mi. N of Medicine Lodge |
| Phone | (620) 895-6446 |
| Camping | Yes, in designated areas |
| Boating | Yes, fishing and hunting only |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Barber |
| Deer unit | Unit 16 |
What are the rules on Barber State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
KDWP's 2026-27 listing puts no equipment restriction on the area. No other rule is listed.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 11.
Which deer unit is Barber State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 16, 4,740 square miles, with 3,218 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 16 gets 1,740 nonresident whitetail permits in 2026, and its extended antlerless firearm season runs Jan. 1-17, 2027 (KDWP deer quotas and draw statistics; KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 30).
Harvest: KDWP deer harvest by unit (2017 to 2021).
What public and walk-in land is near Barber State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 209 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and no WIHA walk-in land. Nearest wildlife areas: Isabel Wildlife Area (12.5 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts.
How do you get to Barber State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 1/4 mi. N of Medicine Lodge. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 281 and US 160.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine Lodge | under 1 | south |
| Sharon | 9 | southeast |
| Isabel | 11 | north |
| Nashville | 13 | northeast |
| Sawyer | 14 | north |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Barber State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Yes, in designated areas, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing, for up to seven days in a row.
Do you have to check in to hunt Barber State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is Barber State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Its middle is just north of Medicine Lodge, in Barber County and deer Unit 16.
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Sources: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 7 to 16; KDWP wildlife areas; USGS PAD-US 4.1; KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts; KDWP deer harvest by unit (2017 to 2021). General KDWP public land rules: all wildlife areas. FilledTag is not part of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.