Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area: hunting and access
Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area is 1,971 acres of MDC land in Shelby County, 2 miles from Hunnewell. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 2,559 deer in Shelby 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 areasHunnewell Lake Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,971 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Shelby County |
| Deer harvest unit | Shelby County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove and Quail |
| MDC area number | 5302 |
| MDC region | Northeast |
| Camping (MDC) | individual campsites |
| Nearest towns | Hunnewell (2 mi), Monroe City (7 mi) and Shelbina (8 mi) |
What is Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area like?
Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area covers 1,905 acres and includes a 228-acre lake, and a fish hatchery.
Construction of Hunnewell Lake began in 1952, shortly after the land was purchased by the Conservation Department. The lake was opened for fishing in 1956 and hatchery construction began in 1958. Fish production began the following year. Today, the hatchery raises a variety of fish including channel catfish, largemouth bass and bluegill sunfish, walleye, and hybrid sunfish for stocking in Missouri public lakes. Total production is about 700,000 fish per year from 16.4 acres of hatchery ponds. Hunnewell Lake provides the water supply for the hatchery. The land that is now Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area was originally a tall-grass prairie, sustained by rich glaciated soils. After settlement, the original prairie was gradually replaced by cultivated fields or planted to hay crops, such as fescue. Today, some remnant stands of prairie grasses remain on the area, but no true prairie...
In MDC's words, from the Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Dove; Quail.
What are the rules on Hunnewell 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 Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area?
Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area lies in Shelby County. Hunters checked 2,559 deer in Shelby County in 2025, against 2,535 in 2024.
| County | Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 1,971 | 2,559 | 2,535 | 2,617 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Hunnewell, take Route Z north 3 miles to the area.
Nearest towns: Hunnewell (2 miles), Monroe City (7 miles), Shelbina (8 miles) and Philadelphia (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 36 and MO 168.
What other public land is near Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Hunnewell Access: 38 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Mound View Access: 45 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Elmslie Memorial Conservation Area: 237 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Callahan Mound Access: 126 acres, 7.4 miles away
- Arrow-Wood Conservation Area: 150 acres, 7.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area
Counting Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area itself, 2,010 of the 37,544 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 2,010 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area?
In Shelby County, 2 miles from Hunnewell.
Can you deer hunt on Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area?
2,010 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Hunnewell Access (1.4 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, Hunnewell 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.