Taylorsville Lake WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Taylorsville Lake WMA is 9,417 acres of public hunting land in Spencer, Anderson and Nelson counties, in KDFWR's Bluegrass region. Hunters telechecked 239 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 82 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.
Taylorsville Lake WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 9,417 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Spencer County, Anderson County, Nelson County |
| KDFWR region | Bluegrass region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 239 (82 antlered bucks, 132 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 479 feet, maximum 804 feet |
| Contact | (502) 477-9024; COE office (502) 477-8882 |
| Nearest towns | Taylorsville (2 mi), Bloomfield (4 mi) and Fairfield (6 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Taylorsville 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
- Closed for modern gun deer season.
- Rabbit and quail seasons open Nov. 1-Dec. 31, except during deer quota hunts, and during the opening weekend of modern gun deer season.
- Shooting Range Information
- A person shall not target practice, sight in a firearm, or discharge a firearm in any area except the shooting range. Shooting multiple projectile shells is not permitted on Tube Ranges. Club Ranges are off-limits unless authorized by an approved event with a club range safety officer. A person shall not discharge a firearm within 100 yards of a residence or occupied building, whether or not the building is on the WMA.
Shooting Range Permit Required
- An annual or one-day shooting range permit is now required to use firearms and archery equipment on any department managed, leased or affiliated shooting range. The permit system will help the agency better gauge how many people use the ranges, promote safe practices, and support maintenance and improvements.
- The permit is free to annual hunting or fishing license holders, but you must obtain it through
- My Profile
Prohibited Activities
- Damage a tree or shrub (No installation of targets on trees or shrubs)
- Dump trash or litter (Clean up targets and spent shells)
- Deface or destroy a signs
- Pose a risk to persons or property (Shooters responsible for ensuring adequate backstop)
- Engage in an activity which could unreasonably interfere with other uses or users of the area
ADA Acreage
- Approx. 310 Acres.
Source: KDFWR's page for Taylorsville Lake WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Taylorsville Lake WMA?
Hunters telechecked 239 deer on Taylorsville Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 82 antlered bucks, 25 button bucks and 132 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 175 deer a season, from 90 in 2017-18 to 336 in 2020-21.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 239 | 82 | 132 | 130 | 67 | 24 | 18 |
| 2024-25 | 264 | 110 | 130 | 148 | 68 | 22 | 26 |
| 2023-24 | 267 | 95 | 144 | 136 | 80 | 35 | 16 |
| 2022-23 | 131 | 39 | 75 | 9 | 80 | 31 | 11 |
| 2021-22 | 129 | 47 | 68 | 9 | 87 | 26 | 7 |
| 2020-21 | 336 | 88 | 225 | 194 | 85 | 36 | 21 |
| 2019-20 | 102 | 35 | 63 | 8 | 56 | 23 | 15 |
| 2018-19 | 101 | 30 | 55 | 8 | 59 | 15 | 19 |
| 2017-18 | 90 | 31 | 51 | 4 | 60 | 10 | 16 |
| 2016-17 | 95 | 35 | 49 | 5 | 70 | 20 | 0 |
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: 14 in 2025, 29 in 2024, 24 in 2023 and 22 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Taylorsville Lake WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 93.16% forest, 5.38% open land, 0.97% open water and 0.5% wetland. Elevation runs from 479 feet to 804 feet.
Which county is Taylorsville Lake WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer County | 7,223 | 1 | 1,986 | 18th |
| Anderson County | 1,985 | 1 | 2,040 | 16th |
| Nelson County | 211 | 1 | 2,591 | 9th |
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 Taylorsville Lake WMA?
WMA consists of shoreline surrounding Taylorsville Lake. Access off KY 44 and KY 248 east of Taylorsville and by the lake (6 boat ramps on lake). Hilly to gently sloping woodland terrain with open ridge tops. Flat Salt River bottoms, steep hillsides. Wildlife viewing area in nearby State Park. Mobility impaired access to permit holders in designated area. Shooting range on Briar Ridge RD (for single projectile firearms only; no shotshells or pistols allowed) Closed Monday, open Tuesday - Saturday 9:00 AM-sunset & Sundays noon-sunset. Check online calendar (see http://app.fw.ky.gov/Calendar/ and select Other) or pistols for closures or events. Owned by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 2239, KY 248 and KY 3228. Nearest towns: Taylorsville (2 miles), Bloomfield (4 miles), Fairfield (6 miles) and Lawrenceburg (10 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Taylorsville Lake State Park (next to it), Knobs State Forest and WMA (19.7 miles), Fort Knox Military Reservation (23.3 miles) and T. N. Sullivan WMA (23.6 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Taylorsville Lake WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Taylorsville Lake WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Taylorsville Lake WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 239 deer on Taylorsville Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 82 antlered bucks and 132 does. The most taken with firearms (130).
What county is Taylorsville Lake WMA in?
Spencer County (7,223 acres), Anderson County (1,985 acres) and Nelson County (211 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Taylorsville Lake WMA in?
Spencer County is in Zone 1, Anderson County is in Zone 1 and Nelson 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, Taylorsville 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 Spencer County deer harvest Anderson County deer harvest Nelson County deer harvest