Clinton Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Clinton Wildlife Area is 9,200 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 8 miles north of Overbrook, in Douglas and Shawnee counties and deer Unit 10. Camping: no; equipment: none (KDWP 2026-27). 7 managed dove fields for 2026.
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary and 2026 dove fields; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landArmy Corps of EngineersState park or recreation areaWalk-in (WIHA)Clinton Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 9,200 (KDWP); 9,737 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 8 mi. SW of Lawrence |
| Phone | (785) 887-6882 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | Yes |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Required (Go Outdoors Kansas app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in) |
| County | Douglas and Shawnee |
| Deer unit | Unit 10 |
| Managed dove fields, 2026 | 7 (68.2 acres) |
What are the rules on Clinton Wildlife Area?
KDWP's 2026-27 listing puts no equipment restriction on the area. Its other rules:
- Electronic check-in/check-out required through the Go Outdoors Kansas mobile app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in. Refuge closed to all activities Oct. 1 - Jan 15. Handicapped hunting access area by permit, (785) 887-6882.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 10.
Refuge or special-rule zones KDWP maps here: Clinton Lake (wildlife refuge, 18 acres; Waterfowl/Wildlife Refuge).
Source: KDWP refuge and special regulation areas at reservoirs.
Does Clinton Wildlife Area have managed dove fields in 2026?
KDWP lists 7 active fields here for 2026, 68.2 acres in all. Fields marked nontoxic need nontoxic shot.
| Crop | Acres | KDWP's expected dove use | Field work | Nontoxic shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflowers | 17.6 | Yes | ||
| Sunflowers | 11.8 | Yes | ||
| Sunflowers | 11.2 | Yes | ||
| Sunflowers | 8 | Yes | ||
| Sunflowers | 7.3 | Yes | ||
| Sunflowers | 7 | Yes | ||
| Sunflowers | 5.3 | Yes |
Source: KDWP public land dove fields.
Which deer unit is Clinton Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 10, 4,367 square miles, with 6,706 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 10 gets 1,304 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 Clinton Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 9,746 acres of KDWP land, 6,047 acres of Army Corps of Engineers and 148 acres of state park or recreation area (this area included), and 543 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 7 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 201 acres 1.4 miles north (Sept. 1 to May 31), 160 acres 2.8 miles west (Sept. 1 to May 31), 73 acres 4.7 miles northwest (Sept. 1 to May 31, archery and shotshell only) and 60 acres 4.4 miles northwest (Sept. 1 to May 31, archery and shotshell only). Nearest wildlife areas: Perry Wildlife Area (8.7 mi), Buck Creek Wildlife Area (10.4 mi) and Douglas State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area (10.7 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Shawnee County.
How do you get to Clinton Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 8 mi. SW of Lawrence. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: I-70, KS-10, US 40 and US 59.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Lawrence | 5 | east |
| Lecompton | 5 | northeast |
| Overbrook | 7 | south |
| Perry | 8 | northeast |
| Carbondale | 9 | southwest |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Clinton Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt Clinton Wildlife Area?
Yes, before and after each hunt, in the Go Outdoors Kansas app or at ksoutdoors.gov/check-in.
Where is Clinton Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 8 miles north of Overbrook, in Douglas and Shawnee counties and deer Unit 10.
Get a Kansas hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Kansas 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, Kansas included.
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.