Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area: hunting and access
Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area is 574 acres of MDC land in Osage County, 6 miles from Linn. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 3,740 deer in Osage County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MDC's conservation area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries, 2021 to 2025.
MDC conservation areasNational wildlife refugesBen Branch Lake Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 574 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Osage County |
| Deer harvest unit | Osage County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 7824 |
| MDC region | Central |
| Camping (MDC) | individual campsites |
| Nearest towns | Linn (6 mi), Chamois (7 mi) and Mokane (8 mi) |
What is Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area like?
Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area is in Osage County, ten miles north of Linn off Missouri Highway 89. The Conservation Department purchased most of this 512-acre area in 1978. Since then, additional land was purchased and the area is now 563 acres.
In 1983, 39-acre Ben Branch Lake was constructed. The lake began filling in October of that year and was opened to fishing in 1985. Approximately 478 acres (83 percent) of the area is heavily wooded. Better soils on the area support white and black oak. Post oak and black oak dominate the poorer soils. Facilities on the lake include a (12-vehicle) pull-off camping area, a fishing jetty, and privy accessible to persons with disabilities, and two large parking areas. During your visit to Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area, you may view various land management practices intended to improve the forest resource and enhance the woodland and savanna natural communities.You may see that trees are being thinned or prescribed burning has taken place. You might even notice cropping in the flatter areas below the dam.This kind of vegetation management will provide for improved wildlife habitat. All...
In MDC's words, from the Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area?
MDC's standard conservation area rules (Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code) apply; the area's rules on MDC's site list any it adds.
How many deer are taken around Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area?
Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area lies in Osage County. Hunters checked 3,740 deer in Osage County in 2025, against 3,129 in 2024.
| County | Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osage County | 574 | 3,740 | 3,129 | 3,966 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Linn, take Highway 89 northeast 10 miles, then County Road 314 west to the area.
Nearest towns: Linn (6 miles), Chamois (7 miles), Mokane (8 miles) and Tebbetts (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 89 and MO 100.
What other public land is near Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Smoky Waters Conservation Area: 1,143 acres, 8.5 miles away
- Reform Conservation Area: 3,283 acres, 8.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area
Counting Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area itself, 579 of the 26,820 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 579 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area?
In Osage County, 6 miles from Linn.
Can you deer hunt on Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area?
579 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Smoky Waters Conservation Area (8.5 miles).
Get a Missouri hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Missouri are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Missouri included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area; MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Boundary and acres: MDC's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Deer harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Check MDC's rules and posted signs before you go.