Long Branch Lake Management Lands: hunting and access
Long Branch Lake Management Lands is 2,506 acres of MDC land in Macon County, 2 miles from Atlanta. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed). Hunters checked 4,525 deer in Macon 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 areasFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesState parks and historic sitesLong Branch Lake Management LandsCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,506 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Macon County |
| Deer harvest unit | Macon County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove and Quail |
| MDC area number | 7846 |
| MDC region | Northeast |
| Nearest towns | Atlanta (2 mi), Bevier (6 mi) and Macon (6 mi) |
What is Long Branch Lake Management Lands like?
This 4,809-acre area is composed of the 2,355-acre Atlanta tract and the 2,454-acre Long Branch tract. The Conservation Department purchased the Atlanta tract in 1960. The management of the Long Branch tract was assumed in 1978, under license from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The East Fork of the Little Chariton River runs three miles through the NW portion of the Long Branch tract, which includes the upper reaches of Long Branch Lake. The area is gently rolling, except for the bottomlands. The forest is predominately oak/hickory in the uplands and mixed hardwoods in the lowlands and contains a variety of woodland edge and grassland wildlife. The area also contains three managed marshes, totaling approximately 90 acres, and several natural oxbow lakes. The Conservation Department manages the resources of this area to provide public recreation and protect soil and water quality. Management practices include farming, timber harvest, and prescribed fire. Some ponds and Long Branch Lake contain a variety of sport fish.
In MDC's words, from the Long Branch Lake Management Lands page.
What can you hunt on Long Branch Lake Management Lands?
MDC's page for Long Branch Lake Management Lands lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Dove; Quail.
What are the rules on Long Branch Lake Management Lands?
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 Long Branch Lake Management Lands?
Long Branch Lake Management Lands lies in Macon County. Hunters checked 4,525 deer in Macon County in 2025, against 4,489 in 2024.
| County | Long Branch Lake Management Lands acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County | 2,506 | 4,525 | 4,489 | 4,746 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Long Branch Lake Management Lands?
MDC's directions: From Macon, take Highway 63 north 5 miles, then Route AX west 2 miles.
Nearest towns: Atlanta (2 miles), Bevier (6 miles), Macon (6 miles) and Callao (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 63, MO 3 and US 36.
What other public land is near Long Branch Lake Management Lands?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Atlanta Conservation Area: 2,381 acres, next to it
- Macon City Lake: 189 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Redman Conservation Area: 122 acres, 7.3 miles away
- Dodd Access: 41 acres, 7.6 miles away
- Hidden Hollow Conservation Area: 1,332 acres, 8.4 miles away
- La Plata City Lake: 84 acres, 8.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Long Branch Lake Management Lands
Counting Long Branch Lake Management Lands itself, 7,762 of the 47,771 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (16.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 4,888 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 2,867 |
| State parks and historic sites | 7 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Long Branch Lake Management Lands?
In Macon County, 2 miles from Atlanta.
Can you deer hunt on Long Branch Lake Management Lands?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits allowed.
How much public land is around Long Branch Lake Management Lands?
7,762 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Long Branch Lake Management Lands included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Atlanta Conservation Area (next to it).
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, Long Branch Lake Management Lands; 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.