Cedar Creek Lake WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Cedar Creek Lake WMA is 796 acres of public hunting land in Lincoln County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 14 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 3 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.
Cedar Creek Lake WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 796 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Lincoln County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 2 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 14 (3 antlered bucks, 11 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 836 feet, maximum 1006 feet |
| Contact | (270)283-0244 |
| Nearest towns | Crab Orchard (2 mi), Stanford (6 mi) and Brodhead (7 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Cedar 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.
Exceptions
- Closed for deer muzzleloader, youth gun and modern gun seasons.
- Closed for grouse and quail seasons.
- Rabbit season open Nov. 1-Dec. 31, except during the opening weekend of modern gun deer season.
- Furbearer trapping open with permission; closed for furbearer hunting.
- The CWD Antlerless Season (Sept. 25-28) is NOT open on Cedar Creek Lake WMA.
Source: KDFWR's page for Cedar Creek Lake WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Cedar Creek Lake WMA?
Hunters telechecked 14 deer on Cedar Creek Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 11 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 15 deer a season, from 6 in 2018-19 to 23 in 2024-25.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 23 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 20 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 15 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | 19 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 20 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 13 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
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: 4 in 2025, 1 in 2024, 3 in 2023 and 8 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Cedar Creek Lake WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 51.63% forest, 45.85% open land, 1.88% open water and 0.13% wetland. Elevation runs from 836 feet to 1006 feet.
Which county is Cedar Creek Lake WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 796 | 2 | 1,491 | 38th |
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 Cedar Creek Lake WMA?
Cedar Creek Lake WMA surrounds the 792 acre Cedar Creek Lake. West of Crab Orchard on US 150. Directions from Stanford - travel east on US 150, 8 miles to the dam. Boat launch ramps are located on Connector RD off of US 150, east of the dam, Old US 150, and Cowan RD, off of HWY 1770. The topography consists of gently sloping hills in a 300-ft buffer zone around the lake. Approximately half of the acreage is forested and half is in an open condition. Good to moderate populations of squirrel, rabbits and songbirds exist on the area. Good to moderate numbers of waterfowl use the lake during spring and fall migration. The area is open under statewide regulations for small game and waterfowl but is not open to modern gun deer season. See the Fall Hunting and Trapping Guide for additional information concerning hunting seasons. WMA is owned by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: US 150. Nearest towns: Crab Orchard (2 miles), Stanford (6 miles), Brodhead (7 miles) and Lancaster (8 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Dix River WMA (1.6 miles), Daniel Boone National Forest (14.4 miles), Ping-Sinking Valley WMA (18.8 miles) and Miller Welch-Central Kentucky WMA (19.5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Cedar Creek Lake WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Cedar Creek Lake WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Cedar Creek Lake WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 14 deer on Cedar Creek Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks and 11 does. The most taken with archery (12).
What county is Cedar Creek Lake WMA in?
All of it is in Lincoln County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Cedar Creek Lake WMA in?
Lincoln County is in Zone 2. Up to four deer. 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, Cedar 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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