Rough River Lake WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Rough River Lake WMA is 4,180 acres of public hunting land in Breckinridge, Grayson and Hardin counties, in KDFWR's Green River region. Hunters telechecked 49 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 16 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.
Rough River Lake WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 4,180 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Breckinridge County, Grayson County, Hardin County |
| KDFWR region | Green River region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 49 (16 antlered bucks, 27 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 424 feet, maximum 633 feet |
| Contact | Office (270) 646-5167; COE office (270) 257-2061 |
| Nearest towns | Leitchfield (4 mi), Clarkson (5 mi) and Hardinsburg (5 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Rough 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.
- The CWD Antlerless Season (Sept. 25-28) is open on Rough River Lake WMA in areas located within Hardin and Breckinridge counties only. Areas of the WMA located in Grayson County are not open for the special antlerless season.
Source: KDFWR's page for Rough River Lake WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Rough River Lake WMA?
Hunters telechecked 49 deer on Rough River Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 16 antlered bucks, 6 button bucks and 27 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 41 deer a season, from 32 in 2022-23 to 49 in 2025-26.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 49 | 16 | 27 | 39 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | 46 | 25 | 20 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 2023-24 | 49 | 26 | 21 | 35 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | 32 | 14 | 17 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 43 | 21 | 17 | 33 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 2020-21 | 39 | 19 | 15 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| 2019-20 | 36 | 15 | 20 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 2018-19 | 38 | 22 | 13 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| 2017-18 | 42 | 23 | 17 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2016-17 | 36 | 16 | 18 | 26 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
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, 9 in 2024, 7 in 2023 and 5 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Rough River Lake WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 86.48% forest, 9.43% open land, 3.66% open water and 0.38% wetland. Elevation runs from 424 feet to 633 feet.
Which county is Rough River Lake WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breckinridge County | 2,569 | 1 | 3,091 | 2nd |
| Grayson County | 1,511 | 1 | 2,318 | 13th |
| Hardin County | 100 | 1 | 3,545 | 1st |
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 Rough River Lake WMA?
WMA consists of shoreline surrounding Rough River Lake. Access from Caneyville take KY 631; from Owensboro take US 60 west to Harned and KY 79; from Leitchfield, KY 259; from Big Clifty, KY 720; also access by boat. Rough terrain and high banks limit access to established areas. Wooded, with a few cleared fields. Hunters use care: areas surrounding public lands are heavily developed. Laurel Branch Campground open year-round; no camping on the management area. Camping, swimming, overnight accommodations at Rough River Dam State Resort Park, (270) 257-2311; fishing and boating in lake. Owned by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: KY 259, KY 79, KY 54 and KY 920. Nearest towns: Leitchfield (4 miles), Clarkson (5 miles), Hardinsburg (5 miles) and Caneyville (9 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Nolin River Lake WMA (9.9 miles), L. B. Davison WMA (11 miles), Yellowbank WMA (14.3 miles) and Gabbard Branch WMA (21.9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Rough River Lake WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Rough River Lake WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county. The CWD Antlerless Season (Sept. 25-28) is open on Rough River Lake WMA in areas located within Hardin and Breckinridge counties only. Areas of the WMA located in Grayson County are not open for the special antlerless season.
How many deer were killed on Rough River Lake WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 49 deer on Rough River Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 16 antlered bucks and 27 does. The most taken with firearms (39).
What county is Rough River Lake WMA in?
Breckinridge County (2,569 acres), Grayson County (1,511 acres) and Hardin County (100 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Rough River Lake WMA in?
Breckinridge County is in Zone 1, Grayson County is in Zone 1 and Hardin 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.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Rough 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 Breckinridge County deer harvest Grayson County deer harvest Hardin County deer harvest