Kanopolis Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Kanopolis Wildlife Area is 13,000 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 8 miles east of Kanopolis, in Ellsworth County and deer Unit 4. Camping: primitive camping available in Riverside and Venango parks; equipment: all game cameras, tree stands and blinds left on the wildlife area overnight must be tagged with a free hunting equipment permit that can be obtained at the Information Center downstream of the Kanopolis Dam. Archery/shotshell hunting only on wildlife area downstream of the dam (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landArmy Corps of EngineersState park or recreation areaWalk-in (WIHA)Kanopolis Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 13,000 acres (KDWP); 4,881 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 7 mi. W, 3 mi. N of Marquette |
| Phone | (785) 546-2294 |
| Camping | Primitive camping available in Riverside and Venango parks |
| Boating | Yes |
| Equipment restrictions | All game cameras, tree stands and blinds left on the wildlife area overnight must be tagged with a free hunting equipment permit that can be obtained at the Information Center downstream of the Kanopolis Dam. Archery/shotshell hunting only on wildlife area downstream of the dam. |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Ellsworth |
| Deer unit | Unit 4 |
What are the rules on Kanopolis Wildlife Area?
Equipment, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing: all game cameras, tree stands and blinds left on the wildlife area overnight must be tagged with a free hunting equipment permit that can be obtained at the Information Center downstream of the Kanopolis Dam. Archery/shotshell hunting only on wildlife area downstream of the dam. No other rule is listed.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 16.
Refuge or special-rule zones KDWP maps here: Kanopolis Lake (wildlife refuge, 1,967 acres; Closed to all access Sept 1 - Jan 1 except by special permit).
Source: KDWP refuge and special regulation areas at reservoirs.
Which deer unit is Kanopolis Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 4, 2,628 square miles, with 2,752 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 4 gets 442 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 Kanopolis Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 12,755 acres of Army Corps of Engineers, 4,855 acres of KDWP land and 92 acres of state park or recreation area (this area included), and 357 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 2 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 252 acres 4.5 miles west (Sept. 1 to May 31) and 163 acres next to it on the west side (Sept. 1 to May 31).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Ellsworth County.
How do you get to Kanopolis Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 7 mi. W, 3 mi. N of Marquette. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: KS-141 and KS-140.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Kanopolis | 6 | west |
| Geneseo | 10 | southwest |
| Ellsworth | 10 | west |
| Brookville | 10 | northeast |
| Marquette | 12 | southeast |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Kanopolis Wildlife Area?
KDWP lists camping as: Primitive camping available in Riverside and Venango parks.
Do you have to check in to hunt Kanopolis Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
What guns can you use on Kanopolis Wildlife Area?
KDWP restricts equipment here: All game cameras, tree stands and blinds left on the wildlife area overnight must be tagged with a free hunting equipment permit that can be obtained at the Information Center downstream of the Kanopolis Dam. Archery/shotshell hunting only on wildlife area downstream of the dam.
Where is Kanopolis Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 8 miles east of Kanopolis, in Ellsworth County and deer Unit 4.
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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.