Clearwater Conservation Area: hunting and access
Clearwater Conservation Area is 11,405 acres of MDC land in Reynolds and Carter counties, 5 miles from Van Buren. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 2,746 deer in Reynolds 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 forestFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesNational park land (Ozark National Scenic Riverways and others)Clearwater Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 11,405 acres in 12 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Reynolds County and Carter County |
| Deer harvest unit | Reynolds County, Carter County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey and Squirrel |
| MDC area number | 4905 |
| MDC region | Southeast |
| Camping (MDC) | open camping - walk-in/float-in/backpack and designated camping sites |
| Nearest towns | Van Buren (5 mi), Piedmont (6 mi) and Mill Spring (6 mi) |
What is Clearwater Conservation Area like?
Clearwater Conservation Area lies southwest of Clearwater Lake in Reynolds County. This area is made up of what used to be known as Webb Creek State Forest and Clearwater State Forest. Access is from Route H, Route HH, Highway 34, and Highway 21. The area is composed of several scattered tracts that are separated by privately owned properties.
Much of the forest was harvested around the turn-of-the-century, resulting in the ridges and easily accessible areas containing primarily pole-size timber. However, high quality timber remains in the steeper hollows and draws. Wildlife watering holes are scattered throughout the larger tracts to provide much needed water on the dry ridges. A prominent feature of this area is Bear Mountain, an isolated rhyolite knob that is a southern outlier of the St. Francois Mountains. It is one of the few outcrops of volcanic rock in southern Reynolds County. A deep muck fen natural community lies between a north facing slope and a small, intermittent stream in Deckard Hollow. The fen is dominated by rice cutgrass and sedges, and is home to a total of 33 different plant species. Glossy leaved aster is a northern species whose distribution shifted southward with glaciation. As glaciers retreated,...
In MDC's words, from the Clearwater Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Clearwater Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Clearwater Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Squirrel.
What are the rules on Clearwater 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 Clearwater Conservation Area?
Clearwater Conservation Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 2,746 deer in Reynolds County in 2025, against 1,766 in 2024.
| County | Clearwater Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reynolds County | 11,403 | 2,746 | 1,766 | 3,135 |
| Carter County | 3 | 2,210 | 1,539 | 2,942 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Clearwater Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Garwood, take Highway 34 east, then take the Route HH spur.
Nearest towns: Van Buren (5 miles), Piedmont (6 miles), Mill Spring (6 miles) and Ellington (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 21, US 60, MO 34 and MO 49.
What other public land is near Clearwater Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Clearwater Lake Management Lands: 16,791 acres, next to it
- Miller Community Lake: 60 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Carter Creek Conservation Area: 444 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Current River Conservation Area: 29,828 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Peck Ranch Conservation Area: 29,462 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Lon Sanders Canyon Conservation Area: 128 acres, 6.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Clearwater Conservation Area
Counting Clearwater Conservation Area itself, 26,701 of the 109,455 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (24.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 21,257 |
| National forest | 4,217 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 1,227 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Clearwater Conservation Area?
In Reynolds and Carter counties, 5 miles from Van Buren.
Can you deer hunt on Clearwater Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Clearwater Conservation Area?
26,701 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Clearwater Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Clearwater Lake Management Lands (next to it).
Get a Missouri hunt plan when they open
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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, Clearwater 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.