Ottawa State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Ottawa State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area is 617 acres of land and 111 of water by KDWP's count, centered about 6 miles north of Bennington, in Ottawa County and deer Unit 8. Camping: yes, in designated areas; equipment: shotgun and archery hunting only (KDWP 2026-27).
Data updated October 2026. KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 summary; KDWP GIS; WIHA 2026-27.
KDWP landOther publicWalk-in (WIHA)Ottawa State Fishing Lake and Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 617 land, 111 water (KDWP); 662 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 25 mi. NE of Salina |
| Phone | (785) 658-2465 |
| Camping | Yes, in designated areas |
| Boating | Yes, fishing and hunting only |
| Equipment restrictions | Shotgun and archery hunting only |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Ottawa |
| Deer unit | Unit 8 |
What are the rules on Ottawa State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Equipment, by KDWP's 2026-27 listing: shotgun and archery hunting only. Its other rules:
- Special hunts in selected areas. Portions of refuge may be open by special access permit; visit website for details.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 8.
Which deer unit is Ottawa 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 Ottawa State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 679 acres of KDWP land and 55 acres of other public (this area included), and 1,092 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 7 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 326 acres 1.4 miles southeast (Sept. 1 to May 31), 322 acres 2 miles south (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31, archery and shotshell only), 322 acres 2 miles south (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31, archery and shotshell only) and 153 acres 3 miles northeast (Sept. 1 to May 31, archery and shotshell only).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Ottawa County.
How do you get to Ottawa State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 25 mi. NE of Salina. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 81 and KS-106.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Bennington | 5 | south |
| Minneapolis | 7 | west |
| Manchester | 13 | east |
| Longford | 13 | east |
| Culver | 13 | southwest |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Ottawa 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 Ottawa State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
What guns can you use on Ottawa State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
KDWP restricts equipment here: Shotgun and archery hunting only
Where is Ottawa State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 6 miles north of Bennington, in Ottawa County and deer Unit 8.
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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.