Lake Warner Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and parking in Zone 5
Lake Warner Wildlife Management Area is 98 acres of MassWildlife land in Hadley (Hampshire County), in Wildlife Management Zone 5. MassWildlife says all of its WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping. Hunters took 917 deer in Zone 5 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MassWildlife's Lake Warner WMA fact sheet. Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary. Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates).
MassWildlife (Fish and Game) landState forest and park land (DCR)Lake Warner WMAZone lineHighway
| Size | 98 acres (MassWildlife) |
|---|---|
| Town | Hadley |
| County | Hampshire |
| Wildlife Management Zone | Zone 5 |
| MassWildlife district | Connecticut Valley District |
| Parking (MassWildlife) | None mapped |
| Deer taken in Zone 5, 2025 | 917 (541 adult males) |
| Nearest town centers | Hadley (2 mi), Hatfield (2 mi) and Amherst (3 mi) |
What is Lake Warner WMA like?
MassWildlife describes it: "Lake Warner WMA lies along the steep eastern slopes of Mt. Warner in the Connecticut River Valley. Habitats on the property consist of mature upland forest featuring oak and hickory along with stands of white pine. The Mill River flows through numerous wetlands on the east side of the property and into Lake Warner whose shoreline extends along 3,000 feet on the north side of this WMA."
On wildlife: "Forested and wetland habitats provide a variety of wildlife viewing opportunities."
Quoted from MassWildlife's Lake Warner WMA fact sheet.
What does MassWildlife say about hunting Lake Warner WMA?
"Black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, gray squirrel, eastern coyote, fox, raccoon, and aquatic furbearers may be found in this habitat."
On fishing: "Lake Warner is a shallow warmwater lake with a maximum depth of 10 feet. The lake contains largemouth bass, chain pickerel, common carp, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, black crappie, and bullhead. The Mill River flows into Lake Warner and is stocked annually with trout. For more information on trout stocking go to mass.gov/trout ."
How do you get into Lake Warner WMA?
"There is no official parking for this property. You can access the WMA by water via a paved boat ramp at the intersection of Rt. 47 and Mt. Warner Road where limited parking is available. Access can also be gained by crossing Mt. Warner, a 500 foot hill."
MassWildlife's parking layer shows no lot for Lake Warner WMA.
Highways within five miles: I-91, MA 116, MA 47, MA 9, MA 10 and US 5. Distances to the nearest town centers: Hadley 2 miles, Hatfield 2 miles, Amherst 3 miles and Whately 5 miles. Other WMAs nearby: Mt. Toby (6 miles), Mt. Esther (6 miles), Great Swamp (6 miles).
When can you hunt deer on Lake Warner WMA in 2026?
Deer seasons follow Zone 5: archery October 5 to November 28, shotgun November 30 to December 12, primitive firearms December 14 to 31. In 2025 the zone gave 337 deer to archers and 411 in shotgun season.
| Zone | WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Adult males, 2025 | Deer, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 5 | 107 | 917 | 541 | 798 |
Seasons: MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates). Harvest: MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife 2024 Deer Harvest Summary.
What rules apply on Lake Warner WMA?
Under 321 CMR 3.01, camping, fires and target practice need the Director's written permission, vehicles stay on roads open to traffic, and dogs must be leashed unless hunting or training with a licensed hunter.
Source: MassWildlife WMA regulations.
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Lake Warner WMA?
Yes. MassWildlife says all WMAs are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; deer seasons follow Zone 5, where the 2026 shotgun season runs November 30 to December 12 (MassWildlife WMA regulations).
What zone is Lake Warner WMA in?
Zone 5, as MassWildlife's fact sheet gives it. Hunters took 917 deer in Zone 5 in 2025, 541 of them adult males, after 798 in 2024 (MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary).
How do you get into Lake Warner WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "There is no official parking for this property. You can access the WMA by water via a paved boat ramp at the intersection of Rt. 47 and Mt. Warner Road where limited parking is available. Access can also be gained by crossing Mt. Warner, a 500 foot hill."
What can you hunt on Lake Warner WMA?
MassWildlife's fact sheet: "Black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, gray squirrel, eastern coyote, fox, raccoon, and aquatic furbearers may be found in this habitat."
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Sources: MassWildlife fact sheet; MassWildlife Lands (MassGIS); MassWildlife parking for recreation; MassWildlife 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; MassWildlife deer hunting regulations (2026 dates); MassWildlife WMA regulations; public land MassGIS Protected and Recreational OpenSpace for state and Army Corps land; USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1) for federal land; towns U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, towns (county subdivisions). FilledTag is not part of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife).