Rooks State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area: hunting, rules and access
Rooks State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area is 313 acres by KDWP's count, centered about 3 miles southwest of Stockton, in Rooks County and deer Unit 3. 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 landWalk-in (WIHA)Rooks State Fishing Lake and Wildlife AreaOther wildlife areasDeer unit lineLakeHighway
| Acres | 313 acres (KDWP); 308 inside the mapped boundary, water included |
|---|---|
| Location (KDWP) | 1 1/2 mi. S, 2 W of Stockton |
| Phone | (785) 425-6775 |
| Camping | Yes, in designated areas |
| Boating | Yes, fishing and hunting only |
| Equipment restrictions | None |
| Daily check-in/check-out | Not listed for this area |
| County | Rooks |
| Deer unit | Unit 3 |
What are the rules on Rooks State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
KDWP's 2026-27 listing puts no equipment restriction on the area. Its other rules:
- No alcoholic beverages allowed. Refuge closed to hunting year-round.
Source: KDWP's Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, page 8.
Refuge or special-rule zones KDWP maps here: Rooks WA Refuge (132 acres; Closed to all hunting except by special permit).
Source: KDWP refuge and special regulation areas at reservoirs.
Which deer unit is Rooks State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area in?
Deer Unit 3, 4,307 square miles, with 3,394 deer taken across the whole unit in 2021. Only the first Whitetail Antlerless-only permit is valid on the area.
Unit 3 gets 689 nonresident whitetail permits in 2026, and its extended antlerless firearm season runs Jan. 1-10, 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 Rooks State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Within five miles: 463 acres of KDWP land (this area included), and 333 acres of WIHA walk-in land on 3 tracts. The biggest walk-in tracts reaching into that ring: 1,120 acres 4.9 miles east (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31), 160 acres 3.6 miles southeast (Sept. 1 to Jan. 31) and 160 acres 2.6 miles southwest (Nov. 1 to Jan. 31). Nearest wildlife areas: Webster Wildlife Area (4.7 mi).
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and KDWP Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) tracts. County walk-in totals: Rooks County.
How do you get to Rooks State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
KDWP's directions: 1 1/2 mi. S, 2 W of Stockton. Highways within five miles, longest stretch first: US 183 and US 24.
| Town | Miles from the boundary | Direction from the area |
|---|---|---|
| Stockton | 2 | northeast |
| Plainville | 11 | south |
| Woodston | 12 | east |
| Zurich | 12 | southwest |
| Damar | 15 | west |
Questions hunters ask
Can you camp at Rooks 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 Rooks State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Not by KDWP's 2026-27 list of check-in areas.
Where is Rooks State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area?
Its middle is about 3 miles southwest of Stockton, in Rooks County and deer Unit 3.
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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.