Geary State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Geary State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area is 185 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 9 miles south of Junction City, in Geary County and deer Unit 8. 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)Geary State Fishing Lake and Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 185 (KDWP); 461 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 8 1/2 mi. S, 1 W of Junction City |
| Phone | (785) 461-5402 |
| 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 | Geary |
| Deer unit | Unit 8 |
What are the rules on Geary 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 10.
Which deer unit is Geary State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 8, 4,427 square miles, with 4,585 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 8 gets 1,841 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 Geary State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 480 acres of KDWP land and 35 acres of other public (this area included), and no WIHA walk-in land. Nearest wildlife areas: Milford Wildlife Area (10 mi) and Kansas River Wildlife Area, K-18 (Ogden) (13.1 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Geary County.
How do you get to Geary State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 8 1/2 mi. S, 1 W of Junction City. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 77 and KS-157.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Woodbine | 8 | southwest |
| Junction City | 8 | north |
| White City | 9 | southeast |
| Chapman | 9 | northwest |
| Grandview Plaza | 9 | north |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Geary 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 Geary State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is Geary State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 9 miles south of Junction City, in Geary County and deer Unit 8.
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.