Lovewell Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Lovewell Wildlife Area is 2,215 acres of land and 3,000 of water by KDWP's count, centered about 4 miles southwest of Webber, in Jewell County and deer Unit 7. Camping: no; equipment: shotgun and archery area only below the dam (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landBureau of ReclamationOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Lovewell Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 2,215 land, 3,000 water (KDWP); 4,529 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 5 mi. E, 9 N of Mankato |
| Phone | (785) 753-4971 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | Yes |
| Equipment restrictions | Shotgun and archery area only below the dam |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Required (Go Outdoors Kansas app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in) |
| County | Jewell |
| Deer unit | Unit 7 |
What are the rules on Lovewell Wildlife Area?
Equipment, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing: shotgun and archery area only below the dam. Its other rules:
- Electronic check-in/check-out required through the Go Outdoors Kansas mobile app or ksoutdoors.gov/check-in. Handicapped hunting access by permit; phone (785) 753-4971. Refuge: visit ksoutdoors.gov for details. Special hunts available.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 8.
Refuge or special-rule zones KDWP maps here: Lovewell Wildlife Area Refuge (498 acres; Refuge boundary from 1/8th mile west of the south end of the dam, following a buoy line northwest to the western boundary of the Cabin Area of the State Park. No hunting from top of dam), Lovewell Wildlife Area (Lovewell Wildlife Area Refuge, 381 acres; The boundary of this refuge extends from the north side of the dam, to the Lovewell Area Office, to the north property line) and Lovewell Wildlife Area (Lovewell Wildlife Area Refuge, 231 acres; This area is closed to ALL activities year-round).
Source: KDWP refuge and special regulation areas at reservoirs.
Which deer unit is Lovewell Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 7, 4,806 square miles, with 4,641 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 7 gets 1,372 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 Lovewell Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 3,495 acres of KDWP land and 469 acres of other public (this area included), and 962 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 7 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 400 acres 3.8 miles south (Sept. 1 to May 31), 160 acres 0.7 miles northwest (Sept. 1 to May 31), 110 acres next to it on the north side (Sept. 1 to May 31) and 80 acres 4.5 miles west (Sept. 1 to May 31). Nearest wildlife areas: Jamestown Wildlife Area (10.8 mi) and Jewell State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area (14.9 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Jewell County.
How do you get to Lovewell Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 5 mi. E, 9 N of Mankato. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: KS-14.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Webber | under 1 | northeast |
| Formoso | 7 | southeast |
| Mankato | 8 | southwest |
| Burr Oak | 9 | west |
| Courtland | 9 | southeast |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Lovewell Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt Lovewell Wildlife Area?
Yes, before and after each hunt, in the Go Outdoors Kansas app or at ksoutdoors.gov/check-in.
What guns can you use on Lovewell Wildlife Area?
KDWP restricts equipment here: Shotgun and archery area only below the dam
Where is Lovewell Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 4 miles southwest of Webber, in Jewell County and deer Unit 7.
Get a Kansas hunt plan when they open
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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.