Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area: hunting and access
Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area is 824 acres of MDC land in Lafayette County, 4 miles from Mayview. MDC lists deer hunting here (archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed). Hunters checked 1,684 deer in Lafayette 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 areasCounty, city and regional landMaple Leaf Lake Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 824 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Lafayette County |
| Deer harvest unit | Lafayette County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Deer, Bear, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove and Quail |
| MDC area number | 8926 |
| MDC region | Kansas City |
| Camping (MDC) | special use permit required |
| Nearest towns | Mayview (4 mi), Aullville (5 mi) and Higginsville (5 mi) |
What is Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area like?
This area, named for the fishing lake that is in the shape of a maple leaf, was purchased in 1989. The dam for the lake was completed in 1991 and the lake was stocked with channel catfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, and black bass in 1992.
The open fields and wooded draws surrounding the lake are managed for deer, turkey, rabbits, quail, and songbirds through prescribed burning, edge feathering, and fescue conversion to native grasses. An 11.5-acre wetland located below the dam provides waterfowl hunting and viewing opportunities.
In MDC's words, from the Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area lists: Deer: archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed; Bear: archery and firearms; Turkey: archery and firearms; Rabbit; Squirrel; Dove; Quail.
What are the rules on Maple Leaf 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 Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area?
Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area lies in Lafayette County. Hunters checked 1,684 deer in Lafayette County in 2025, against 1,652 in 2024.
| County | Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County | 824 | 1,684 | 1,652 | 1,598 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: From the junction of Highway 13 and I-70, take South I-70 Outer Access Road west 3 miles to the area.
Nearest towns: Mayview (4 miles), Aullville (5 miles), Higginsville (5 miles) and Odessa (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-70, US 40 and MO 13.
What other public land is near Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Upper Higginsville City Lake (Higginsville): 39 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Hazel Hill Community Lake: 504 acres, 8.8 miles away
- Edwin A. Pape Lake (Concordia): 265 acres, 9.3 miles away
- Odessa City Lake: 87 acres, 9.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area
Counting Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area itself, 829 of the 29,238 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 829 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area?
In Lafayette County, 4 miles from Mayview.
Can you deer hunt on Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area?
Yes, by MDC's page: archery and firearms, antlerless permits not allowed.
How much public land is around Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area?
829 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Upper Higginsville City Lake (Higginsville) (6.9 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, Maple Leaf 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.