Dale Hollow Lake WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Dale Hollow Lake WMA is 5,632 acres of public hunting land in Clinton and Cumberland counties, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 11 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 7 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.
Dale Hollow Lake WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 5,632 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Clinton County, Cumberland County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 3, Zone 2 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 11 (7 antlered bucks, 4 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 647 feet, maximum 967 feet |
| Contact | KDFWR (270) 283-0244; COE office (931) 243-3136; Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park (270) 433-7431 |
| Nearest towns | Albany (4 mi), Burkesville (7 mi) and Tompkinsville (17 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Dale Hollow 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 Dale Hollow Lake WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Dale Hollow Lake WMA?
Hunters telechecked 11 deer on Dale Hollow Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 7 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 4 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 17 deer a season, from 7 in 2024-25 to 29 in 2019-20.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2022-23 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 2019-20 | 29 | 10 | 18 | 19 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 23 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
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: 15 in 2025, 12 in 2024, 4 in 2023 and 1 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Dale Hollow Lake WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 92.13% forest, 6.46% open land, 1.38% open water and 0.02% wetland. Elevation runs from 647 feet to 967 feet.
Which county is Dale Hollow Lake WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton County | 2,939 | 3 | 483 | 105th |
| Cumberland County | 2,692 | 2 | 998 | 60th |
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 Dale Hollow Lake WMA?
WMA is a shoreline buffer of Dale Hollow Lake. Access at end of Scott-Finley RD off HWY 449 and end of Casey Branch RD off HWY 61 and by boat. Terrain varies from gently rolling creek bottoms to steep ridges. Fishing, boating; camping, recreational facilities at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park. Owned by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 485. Nearest towns: Albany (4 miles), Burkesville (7 miles), Tompkinsville (17 miles) and Jamestown (21 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Lake Cumberland WMA (6.7 miles), Mud Camp Creek WMA (10.3 miles), Daniel Boone National Forest (15 miles) and Marrowbone State Forest and WMA (16.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Dale Hollow Lake WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Dale Hollow Lake WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Dale Hollow Lake WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 11 deer on Dale Hollow Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 7 antlered bucks and 4 does. The most taken with firearms (6).
What county is Dale Hollow Lake WMA in?
Clinton County (2,939 acres) and Cumberland County (2,692 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Dale Hollow Lake WMA in?
Clinton County is in Zone 3 and Cumberland County is in Zone 2. 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, Dale Hollow 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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