Meade State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Meade State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area is 420 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 9 miles southeast of Plains, in Meade County and deer Unit 18. Camping: no; 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)Meade State Fishing Lake and Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 420 (KDWP); 503 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 8 mi. S, 5 W of Meade |
| Phone | (620) 369-2384 |
| Camping | No |
| Boating | Yes, fishing and hunting only |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Meade |
| Deer unit | Unit 18 |
What are the rules on Meade State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
KDWP's 2026-27 listing puts no equipment restriction on the area. Its other rules:
- Refuge closed to hunting year-round
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 12.
Which deer unit is Meade State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 18, 4,532 square miles, with 587 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Whitetail Antlerless-only permits are not valid in Unit 18.
Unit 18 gets 228 nonresident whitetail permits in 2026 (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 Meade State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 837 acres of KDWP land and 427 acres of other public (this area included), and 473 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 3 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 320 acres 4.8 miles northwest (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31), 288 acres 1 mile west (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31) and 143 acres 1.5 miles west (Nov. 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: Meade County.
How do you get to Meade State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 8 mi. S, 5 W of Meade. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: KS-23.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Plains | 9 | northwest |
| Meade | 9 | northeast |
| Kismet | 13 | west |
| Fowler | 20 | northeast |
| Copeland | 26 | north |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Meade State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
No. KDWP's 2026-27 listing says no camping.
Do you have to check in to hunt Meade State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is Meade State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 9 miles southeast of Plains, in Meade County and deer Unit 18.
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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.