Bourbon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Bourbon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area is 107 acres of land and 103 of water by KDWP's count, centered about 5 miles east of Elsmore, in Bourbon County and deer Unit 11. 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 landOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Bourbon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 107 land, 103 water (KDWP); 248 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 4 1/2 mi. E of Elsmore |
| Phone | (620) 449-2539 |
| 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 | Bourbon |
| Deer unit | Unit 11 |
What are the rules on Bourbon 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 14.
Which deer unit is Bourbon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 11, 6,559 square miles, with 15,611 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 11 gets 3,564 nonresident whitetail permits in 2026, and its extended antlerless firearm season runs Jan. 1-24, 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 Bourbon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 265 acres of KDWP land and 124 acres of other public (this area included), and no WIHA walk-in land. Nearest wildlife areas: Hollister Wildlife Area (11.5 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Bourbon County.
How do you get to Bourbon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 4 1/2 mi. E of Elsmore. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: KS-3, US 59 and KS-39.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Elsmore | 4 | west |
| Savonburg | 4 | southwest |
| Uniontown | 6 | northeast |
| Bronson | 7 | north |
| Stark | 7 | southwest |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Bourbon 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 Bourbon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is Bourbon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 5 miles east of Elsmore, in Bourbon County and deer Unit 11.
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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.