Kentucky Lake WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Kentucky Lake WMA is 4,044 acres of public hunting land in Calloway and Marshall counties, in KDFWR's Purchase region. Hunters telechecked 89 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 23 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.
Kentucky Lake WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 4,044 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Calloway County, Marshall County |
| KDFWR region | Purchase region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 89 (23 antlered bucks, 58 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 359 feet, maximum 458 feet |
| Contact | (270) 753-6913 |
| Nearest towns | Hardin (3 mi), Benton (8 mi) and Hazel (9 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Kentucky 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.
- The CWD Antlerless Season (Sept. 25-28) is open on Kentucky Lake WMA.
Source: KDFWR's page for Kentucky Lake WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Kentucky Lake WMA?
Hunters telechecked 89 deer on Kentucky Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 23 antlered bucks, 8 button bucks and 58 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 79 deer a season, from 49 in 2017-18 to 127 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 89 | 23 | 58 | 56 | 19 | 6 | 8 |
| 2024-25 | 94 | 46 | 41 | 73 | 11 | 5 | 5 |
| 2023-24 | 127 | 45 | 73 | 96 | 23 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | 90 | 35 | 48 | 65 | 18 | 6 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | 61 | 22 | 35 | 36 | 16 | 7 | 2 |
| 2020-21 | 53 | 27 | 24 | 38 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
| 2019-20 | 76 | 26 | 44 | 49 | 11 | 5 | 11 |
| 2018-19 | 81 | 30 | 43 | 63 | 13 | 2 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 49 | 20 | 25 | 41 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 65 | 30 | 28 | 55 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
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: 9 in 2025, 5 in 2024, 5 in 2023 and 10 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Kentucky Lake WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 62.41% wetland, 28.93% forest, 7.49% open land and 1.29% open water. Elevation runs from 359 feet to 458 feet.
Which county is Kentucky Lake WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calloway County | 2,677 | 1 | 1,811 | 23rd |
| Marshall County | 1,366 | 1 | 1,201 | 51st |
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 Kentucky Lake WMA?
WMA consists of islands, mud flats and lowlands at back of bays and a narrow strip along much of Kentucky Lake shoreline. Access by boat and several TVA-access points and rural roads. Fishing and boating on Kentucky Lake. Owned by Tennessee Valley Authority.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 121, KY 614 and KY 80. Nearest towns: Hardin (3 miles), Benton (8 miles), Hazel (9 miles) and Murray (9 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Beechy Creek WMA (next to it), Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area (1.3 miles), Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge (3.2 miles) and Lake Barkley WMA (6.9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Kentucky Lake WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Kentucky Lake WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county. The CWD Antlerless Season (Sept. 25-28) is open on Kentucky Lake WMA.
How many deer were killed on Kentucky Lake WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 89 deer on Kentucky Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 23 antlered bucks and 58 does. The most taken with firearms (56).
What county is Kentucky Lake WMA in?
Calloway County (2,677 acres) and Marshall County (1,366 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Kentucky Lake WMA in?
Calloway County is in Zone 1 and Marshall 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.
Get a Kentucky hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Kentucky included.
Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Kentucky 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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