Lake Girardeau Conservation Area: hunting and access
Lake Girardeau Conservation Area is 344 acres of MDC land in Cape Girardeau County, 4 miles from Whitewater. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery only, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 3,186 deer in Cape Girardeau 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 areasLake Girardeau Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 344 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Cape Girardeau County |
| Deer harvest unit | Cape Girardeau County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear and Turkey |
| MDC area number | 6203 |
| MDC region | Southeast |
| Camping (MDC) | individual campsites |
| Nearest towns | Whitewater (4 mi), Burfordville (5 mi) and Allenville (6 mi) |
What is Lake Girardeau Conservation Area like?
Lake Girardeau Conservation Area is near Crump in Cape Girardeau County, 14 miles southwest of Jackson on Route U and Route RA.
The Conservation Department acquired this 351-acre area in 1962 and constructed a 162-acre lake here in 1964. The lake features two disabled-accessible fishing piers and a concrete boat ramp and offers good fishing for bass, bluegill, catfish and crappie.
In MDC's words, from the Lake Girardeau Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Lake Girardeau Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Lake Girardeau Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery only, antlerless permits allowed; Bear: archery only; Turkey: archery and firearms.
What are the rules on Lake Girardeau 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 Lake Girardeau Conservation Area?
Lake Girardeau Conservation Area lies in Cape Girardeau County. Hunters checked 3,186 deer in Cape Girardeau County in 2025, against 3,111 in 2024.
| County | Lake Girardeau Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau County | 344 | 3,186 | 3,111 | 3,299 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Lake Girardeau Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Jackson, take Highway 34 west 7 miles, then Route U south 6 miles to the area. Watch for signs.
Nearest towns: Whitewater (4 miles), Burfordville (5 miles), Allenville (6 miles) and Marble Hill (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 34.
What other public land is near Lake Girardeau Conservation Area?
Public land within 3 miles of Lake Girardeau Conservation Area
Counting Lake Girardeau Conservation Area itself, 345 of the 24,807 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 345 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Lake Girardeau Conservation Area?
In Cape Girardeau County, 4 miles from Whitewater.
Can you deer hunt on Lake Girardeau Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery only, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Lake Girardeau Conservation Area?
345 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Lake Girardeau Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
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, Lake Girardeau 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.