Carr Creek Lake WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Carr Creek Lake WMA is 2,880 acres of public hunting land in Knott County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 21 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 17 antlered bucks among them. KDFWR's 2026-27 rule for the area: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: KDFWR's page for the area. Harvest: KDFWR Telecheck reports, 2016-17 to 2025-26.
Carr Creek Lake WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,880 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Knott County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 21 (17 antlered bucks, 4 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting unit 5 |
| Elevation | Minimum 1016 feet, maximum 1944 feet |
| Contact | (606) 654-2533 ; COE office (606) 642-3308 |
| Nearest towns | Vicco (2 mi), Hindman (5 mi) and Pippa Passes (6 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Carr Creek Lake WMA?
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
- Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
Source: KDFWR's page for Carr Creek Lake WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Carr Creek Lake WMA?
Hunters telechecked 21 deer on Carr Creek Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 17 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 4 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 23 deer a season, from 11 in 2023-24 to 39 in 2016-17.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 21 | 17 | 4 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 29 | 24 | 5 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2023-24 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022-23 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | 24 | 21 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 2020-21 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2019-20 | 21 | 15 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2018-19 | 27 | 23 | 4 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2016-17 | 39 | 27 | 11 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
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: 2 in 2025, 2 in 2024, 2 in 2023 and 4 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 1 in 2023-24 (0 bulls, 1 cow), 1 in 2019-20 (1 bull, 0 cows) and 3 in 2016-17 (1 bull, 2 cows). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Carr Creek Lake WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 85.94% forest, 12.47% open land, 1.32% open water and 0.24% wetland. Elevation runs from 1016 feet to 1944 feet.
Which county is Carr Creek Lake WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knott County | 2,880 | 4 | 714 | 86th |
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 Carr Creek Lake WMA?
WMA consists of shoreline surrounding Carr Creek lake. 20 miles east of Hazard on KY 15. Rough, mountainous terrain, primarily forested with large hardwood trees, some brushy areas. Camping allowed in Corps-maintained campgrounds only. Fishing, boating at Carr Creek Lake. Owned by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 15, KY 160, KY 1231 and KY 1410. Nearest towns: Vicco (2 miles), Hindman (5 miles), Pippa Passes (6 miles) and Hazard (9 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Wells Hunting Access Area (1.3 miles), Betterment Wildlife Hunting Access Area (2.2 miles), Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area (4.9 miles) and RH Group WMA (11.3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Carr Creek Lake WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Carr Creek Lake WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Carr Creek Lake WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 21 deer on Carr Creek Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 17 antlered bucks and 4 does. The most taken with firearms (18).
What county is Carr Creek Lake WMA in?
All of it is in Knott County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Carr Creek Lake WMA in?
Knott County is in Zone 4. Up to two deer, only one of which can be antlerless. Antlerless deer cannot be taken during the modern gun season, the early muzzleloader season or the first six days of the late muzzleloader season. Area rules can be stricter than the zone's, as listed above.
Are elk taken on Carr Creek Lake WMA?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 1 elk in 2023-24, 1 elk in 2019-20 and 3 elk in 2016-17 on the area. Elk hunting is by quota permit; see Kentucky elk hunting.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Carr Creek Lake WMA.
- 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.
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