Martins Fork Lake WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Martins Fork Lake WMA is 764 acres of public hunting land in Harlan County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 13 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 9 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.
Martins Fork Lake WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 764 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Harlan County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 13 (9 antlered bucks, 4 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting unit 2 |
| Elevation | Minimum 1270 feet, maximum 1851 feet |
| Contact | (606)-654-2533 |
| Nearest towns | Harlan (7 mi), Loyall (8 mi) and Evarts (8 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Martins Fork 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 Martins Fork Lake WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Martins Fork Lake WMA?
Hunters telechecked 13 deer on Martins Fork Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 9 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 4 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 9 deer a season, from 5 in 2023-24 to 13 in 2025-26.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023-24 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2019-20 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 2018-19 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017-18 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2016-17 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 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: 2 in 2025, 2 in 2024, 2 in 2023 and 2 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Martins Fork Lake WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 89.14% forest, 9.82% open land and 1.05% open water. Elevation runs from 1270 feet to 1851 feet.
Which county is Martins Fork Lake WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan County | 764 | 4 | 509 | 104th |
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 Martins Fork Lake WMA?
The WMA consists of shoreline surrounding Martins Fork Lake. From Harlan take US 421 to HWY 987, approximately 4 miles to the lake. Mountainous terrain, forested primarily in second growth hardwoods. No roads within area. Fishing, boating in 340-acre Martins Fork Lake. Owned by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 987. Nearest towns: Harlan (7 miles), Loyall (8 miles), Evarts (8 miles) and Cumberland (22 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Cranks Creek WMA (1.2 miles), Asher Hunting Access Area (4 miles), Stone Mountain WMA and State Natural Area (4.6 miles) and Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area (6.4 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Martins Fork Lake WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Martins Fork Lake WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Martins Fork Lake WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 13 deer on Martins Fork Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 9 antlered bucks and 4 does. The most taken with firearms (9).
What county is Martins Fork Lake WMA in?
All of it is in Harlan County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Martins Fork Lake WMA in?
Harlan 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.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Martins Fork 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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