Nolin River Lake WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Nolin River Lake WMA is 6,456 acres of public hunting land in Grayson, Hart and Edmonson counties, in KDFWR's Green River region. Hunters telechecked 94 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 35 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.
Nolin River Lake WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 6,456 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Grayson County, Hart County, Edmonson County |
| KDFWR region | Green River region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1, Zone 2 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 94 (35 antlered bucks, 47 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 480 feet, maximum 773 feet |
| Contact | Office (270) 646-5167; COE office (270) 286-4511 |
| Nearest towns | Clarkson (5 mi), Brownsville (6 mi) and Bonnieville (6 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Nolin River 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
- Rabbit and quail seasons open Nov. 1-Dec. 31, except during the opening weekend of modern gun deer season.
Source: KDFWR's page for Nolin River Lake WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Nolin River Lake WMA?
Hunters telechecked 94 deer on Nolin River Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 35 antlered bucks, 12 button bucks and 47 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 87 deer a season, from 68 in 2022-23 to 117 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 94 | 35 | 47 | 68 | 8 | 7 | 11 |
| 2024-25 | 83 | 31 | 44 | 62 | 11 | 7 | 3 |
| 2023-24 | 117 | 29 | 72 | 89 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| 2022-23 | 68 | 22 | 43 | 55 | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 78 | 25 | 49 | 51 | 13 | 6 | 8 |
| 2020-21 | 87 | 32 | 50 | 62 | 4 | 5 | 16 |
| 2019-20 | 91 | 33 | 49 | 77 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| 2018-19 | 89 | 33 | 51 | 74 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
| 2017-18 | 77 | 33 | 38 | 70 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 2016-17 | 86 | 25 | 50 | 72 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
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: 7 in 2025, 16 in 2024, 22 in 2023 and 13 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Nolin River Lake WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 93.31% forest, 2.76% open land, 2.65% open water and 1.25% wetland. Elevation runs from 480 feet to 773 feet.
Which county is Nolin River Lake WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayson County | 3,044 | 1 | 2,318 | 13th |
| Hart County | 1,716 | 1 | 2,817 | 4th |
| Edmonson County | 1,696 | 2 | 602 | 95th |
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 Nolin River Lake WMA?
WMA consists of shoreline surrounding Nolin River Lake. Access by KY 88, 1214, 259 and KY 728, with many secondary roads leading to within a short distance of lake. Terrain is rolling to rugged, with a mixture of wooded areas and cleared fields, some wildlife food plots. Fishing, boating, other water sports on lake. Hunting in small isolated areas, mostly only accessible by boat. Nolin River Lake State Park campground open year-round. Owned by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: KY 88, KY 728, KY 259 and KY 224. Nearest towns: Clarkson (5 miles), Brownsville (6 miles), Bonnieville (6 miles) and Leitchfield (7 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Rough River Lake WMA (9.9 miles), Gabbard Branch WMA (15.1 miles), Barren River Lake WMA (22.1 miles) and Rolling Fork WMA (26 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Nolin River Lake WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Nolin River Lake WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Nolin River Lake WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 94 deer on Nolin River Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 35 antlered bucks and 47 does. The most taken with firearms (68).
What county is Nolin River Lake WMA in?
Grayson County (3,044 acres), Hart County (1,716 acres) and Edmonson County (1,696 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Nolin River Lake WMA in?
Grayson County is in Zone 1, Hart County is in Zone 1 and Edmonson 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, Nolin River 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.
Kentucky hunting All Kentucky WMAs Grayson County deer harvest Hart County deer harvest Edmonson County deer harvest