Goodman State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Goodman State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area is 265 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 6 miles southeast of Ness City, in Ness County and deer Unit 5. 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 landState park or recreation areaWalk-in (WIHA)Goodman State Fishing Lake and Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 265 (KDWP); 262 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 5 mi. S, 2 1/2 E of Ness City |
| Phone | (620) 276-8886 |
| Camping | Yes, in designated areas |
| Boating | Yes, fishing and hunting only, when water is present. |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Ness |
| Deer unit | Unit 5 |
What are the rules on Goodman 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 12.
Which deer unit is Goodman State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 5, 3,393 square miles, with 3,096 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 5 gets 679 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 Goodman State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 262 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and 2,935 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 12 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 480 acres 1.4 miles east (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31), 442 acres 2.1 miles south (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31), 387 acres 4.6 miles south (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31) and 321 acres 2 miles south (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Ness County.
How do you get to Goodman State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 5 mi. S, 2 1/2 E of Ness City. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 283 and KS-96.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Ness City | 5 | northwest |
| Bazine | 9 | northeast |
| Alexander | 17 | east |
| Ransom | 18 | north |
| Brownell | 18 | north |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Goodman 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 Goodman State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is Goodman State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 6 miles southeast of Ness City, in Ness County and deer Unit 5.
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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.