Yatesville Lake WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Yatesville Lake WMA is 13,191 acres of public hunting land in Lawrence County, in KDFWR's Northeast region. Hunters telechecked 60 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 34 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.
Yatesville Lake WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 13,191 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Lawrence County |
| KDFWR region | Northeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 60 (34 antlered bucks, 23 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 585 feet, maximum 1046 feet |
| Contact | 606-776-2620 |
| Nearest towns | Blaine (next to it), Louisa (5 mi) and Sandy Hook (15 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Yatesville 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
- Modern gun deer season is open under statewide regulations for 10 consecutive days starting the second s
ADA Acreage
- 5,000 Acres.
Source: KDFWR's page for Yatesville Lake WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Yatesville Lake WMA?
Hunters telechecked 60 deer on Yatesville Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 34 antlered bucks, 3 button bucks and 23 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 57 deer a season, from 33 in 2017-18 to 79 in 2016-17.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 60 | 34 | 23 | 48 | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| 2024-25 | 59 | 33 | 24 | 43 | 4 | 1 | 11 |
| 2023-24 | 55 | 30 | 19 | 40 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | 49 | 21 | 20 | 34 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 54 | 22 | 28 | 37 | 4 | 2 | 11 |
| 2020-21 | 65 | 24 | 30 | 43 | 3 | 6 | 13 |
| 2019-20 | 55 | 23 | 30 | 39 | 4 | 3 | 9 |
| 2018-19 | 56 | 23 | 28 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 2017-18 | 33 | 19 | 9 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 2016-17 | 79 | 30 | 44 | 55 | 2 | 0 | 22 |
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, 21 in 2024, 14 in 2023 and 11 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Yatesville Lake WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 94.34% forest, 4.74% open land, 0.56% open water and 0.36% wetland. Elevation runs from 585 feet to 1046 feet.
Which county is Yatesville Lake WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | 13,193 | 1 | 978 | 64th |
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 Yatesville Lake WMA?
WMA surrounds the western shore of Yatesville Lake. Located 3 miles west of Louisa, KY near US-23, 15 miles south of I-64. KY 32 (near Blaine) passes through southern portion of area. Take KY 32 to Blaine or from Grayson KY 1 to KY 828. Watch for signs. Hilly, wooded terrain with fairly broad bottoms. Primarily hardwood forest with significant wetlands, openings. Opportunities for hunting, fishing, boating, birding and hiking on two marked trails (approximately 8 miles). Managed by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, owned by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 32 and KY 201. Nearest towns: Blaine (next to it), Louisa (5 miles), Sandy Hook (15 miles) and Paintsville (15 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Grayson Lake WMA (9.8 miles) and Paintsville Lake WMA (9.9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Yatesville Lake WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Yatesville Lake WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Yatesville Lake WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 60 deer on Yatesville Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 34 antlered bucks and 23 does. The most taken with firearms (48).
What county is Yatesville Lake WMA in?
All of it is in Lawrence County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Yatesville Lake WMA in?
Lawrence 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, Yatesville 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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