Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area: hunting and access
Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area is 742 acres of MDC land in Callaway County, 9 miles from Ashland. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery only, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 5,197 deer in Callaway 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 forestCounty, city and regional landLittle Dixie Lake Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 742 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Callaway County |
| Deer harvest unit | Callaway County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel and Quail |
| MDC area number | 5904 |
| MDC region | Central |
| Nearest towns | Ashland (9 mi), Kingdom City (9 mi) and Fulton (10 mi) |
What is Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area like?
Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area is in Callaway County, west of Kingdom City. The Conservation Department acquired Little Dixie's original 467 acres in 1957, and through the damming of Owl Creek, 205-acre Little Dixie Lake was created. Additional purchases have expanded the area to 733 acres. Before Department ownership, much of the property had been grazed. Today, the area's oak-hickory forests have heavy undergrowth, and once-open pastures have reverted to various stages of old-field and young forest habitat. Stands of warm-season grasses and other prairie plants are managed by periodic prescribed burns and haying. Numerous small, fishless ponds have been constructed for woodland wildlife. In addition, the Department constructed 22 ponds on the area for fisheries research, including vegetation control, pond stocking rates, fish reproduction, and fish rearing techniques. Both Department personnel and graduate students from the University of Missouri use the area for research.
The area is closed from 10 pm - 4 am to all use with exception to those allowed by special use permit. Camping is not allowed. Fishing regulations on all impoundments on the area are: Largemouth Bass: Daily Limit 6; Length Limit 12-15" protected slot length Catfish combined (Channel, Blue): Daily Limit 4; Length Limit None Crappie: Daily Limit 30; Length Limit None All Other Fish Combined: Daily Limit 20; Length Limit None Hunting is only allowed in the hunting zone. This area is marked with signs.
In MDC's words, from the Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery only, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Quail.
What are the rules on Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area?
Closings: Special hours apply on this department area. This area is open to public use only as authorized by posting.
Every conservation area also follows MDC's standard rules in Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code; the area's full rules are on MDC's site.
How many deer are taken around Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area?
Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area lies in Callaway County. Hunters checked 5,197 deer in Callaway County in 2025, against 4,440 in 2024.
| County | Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callaway County | 742 | 5,197 | 4,440 | 5,775 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From Kingdom City, take I-70 west 10 miles, take the Route J exit south to Route RA. The main Little Dixie Lake CA parking area is off Route RA at the junction with Route J in Millersburg.
Nearest towns: Ashland (9 miles), Kingdom City (9 miles), Fulton (10 miles) and Pierpont (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 40 and I-70.
What other public land is near Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Three Creeks Conservation Area: 1,621 acres, 7.6 miles away
- A. Perry Philips Park Lake (Columbia): 41 acres, 8.5 miles away
- Henry Jackson Waters and C. B. Moss Memorial Wildlife Area: 110 acres, 9.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area
Counting Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area itself, 1,833 of the 29,849 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National forest | 1,080 |
| MDC conservation areas | 753 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area?
In Callaway County, 9 miles from Ashland.
Can you deer hunt on Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery only, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area?
1,833 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Three Creeks Conservation Area (7.6 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Little Dixie 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.