Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area is 107,594 acres of public hunting land in Trigg and Lyon counties, in KDFWR's Purchase region. Hunters telechecked 455 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 233 antlered bucks among them. KDFWR's 2026-27 rule for the area: Land Between the Lakes Hunter use permit is required.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: KDFWR's page for the area. Harvest: KDFWR Telecheck reports, 2016-17 to 2025-26.
Land Between The Lakes National Recreation AreaOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 107,594 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Trigg County, Lyon County |
| KDFWR region | Purchase region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 455 (233 antlered bucks, 205 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum feet, maximum feet |
| Contact | (270) 924-2065 |
| Nearest towns | Kuttawa (next to it), Grand Rivers (next to it) and Eddyville (3 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area?
KDFWR lists these rules for the area. Where it says the area is open under statewide seasons, the county's zone rules apply.
Fall Hunting Season
- Land Between the Lakes Hunter use permit is required.
- Please Call (270-924-2065) or visit the Land Between the Lakes National Recreational Area’s website for more details including more information about full season dates and bag limits.
Source: KDFWR's page for Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area?
Hunters telechecked 455 deer on Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area in the 2025-26 season: 233 antlered bucks, 17 button bucks and 205 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 373 deer a season, from 209 in 2017-18 to 700 in 2024-25.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 455 | 233 | 205 | 255 | 151 | 40 | 9 |
| 2024-25 | 700 | 355 | 318 | 397 | 203 | 77 | 23 |
| 2023-24 | 496 | 292 | 183 | 192 | 232 | 57 | 15 |
| 2022-23 | 482 | 303 | 163 | 210 | 188 | 66 | 18 |
| 2021-22 | 296 | 197 | 87 | 129 | 118 | 46 | 3 |
| 2020-21 | 329 | 221 | 98 | 105 | 160 | 58 | 6 |
| 2019-20 | 311 | 206 | 85 | 143 | 118 | 40 | 10 |
| 2018-19 | 226 | 168 | 51 | 134 | 65 | 8 | 19 |
| 2017-18 | 209 | 140 | 60 | 121 | 74 | 5 | 9 |
| 2016-17 | 229 | 155 | 61 | 155 | 57 | 2 | 15 |
Source: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by public land. Antlered bucks are KDFWR's count of males with visible antlers; the rest of the males are button bucks.
Spring turkey telechecked on the area: 63 in 2025, 109 in 2024, 104 in 2023 and 66 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 90.03% forest, 7.12% open land, 1.82% wetland and 1.02% open water. Elevation runs from feet to feet.
Which county is Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trigg County | 65,293 | 1 | 1,804 | 24th |
| Lyon County | 42,199 | 1 | 853 | 74th |
Acres measured by FilledTag on KDFWR public hunting area boundaries and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. County harvest: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by county. Zones: KDFWR current deer zones.
How do you get to Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area?
Between Kentucky and Barkley lakes. Access by KY 453 (The Trace) and KY 80. Many secondary roads and trails within area. Terrain varies from gently rolling to fairly steep; much of area is forested with many clearings, old farm sites, plantings. Special hunting regulations. Scheduled field trials Sept. 1- March 31. For specific information, write Land Between the Lakes, Natural Resource Section, 100 Van Morgan Dr., Golden Pond, KY 42211-9001, or call (270) 924-2065. Hunter Use Permit ($25) required (Hunter Use Permit does NOT include LBL backcountry camping permit). Horseback riding on designated trails. Also hiking, camping, fishing, boating, nature and educational centers, captive elk and bison herd. Owned by U. S. Forest Service
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 453, KY 80, US 68 and KY 58. Nearest towns: Kuttawa (next to it), Grand Rivers (next to it), Eddyville (3 miles) and Cadiz (9 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Lake Barkley WMA (next to it) and Kentucky Lake WMA (1.3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area: Land Between the Lakes Hunter use permit is required. Please Call (270-924-2065) or visit the Land Between the Lakes National Recreational Area’s website for more details including more information about full season dates and bag limits.
How many deer were killed on Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area last season?
Hunters telechecked 455 deer on Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area in the 2025-26 season: 233 antlered bucks and 205 does. The most taken with firearms (255).
What county is Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area in?
Trigg County (65,293 acres) and Lyon County (42,199 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area in?
Trigg County is in Zone 1 and Lyon County is in Zone 1. Unlimited number of antlerless deer using the statewide deer permit plus additional deer permits. Area rules can be stricter than the zone's, as listed above.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area.
- Deer, elk and turkey harvest on the area: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by public land. County harvest: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by county.
- Boundary: KDFWR public hunting area boundaries. Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer. National forest and refuges: U.S. Forest Service national forest ownership; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. Numbers are copied from KDFWR or measured from public maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Kentucky hunting All Kentucky WMAs Trigg County deer harvest Lyon County deer harvest