Upper and Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area: hunting, parking and access
Upper and Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area is 8,727 acres (DEC) managed by DEC in the town of Canton, St. Lawrence County, in WMU 6A (Northern Zone). DEC lists 22 parking areas with coordinates.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: DEC's page for Upper and Lower Lakes WMA, read 2026-10-18. Boundary: DEC GIS.
DEC landUpper and Lower Lakes WMAWMU lineHighway
| Size | 8,727 acres (DEC) |
|---|---|
| Location (DEC) | Town of Canton, St. Lawrence County |
| WMU | WMU 6A |
| Zone | Northern Zone |
| DEC region | Region 6 |
| Open | Year-round (see restrictions below) |
| Fee | Free |
| Parking areas (DEC) | 22 |
| Activities DEC lists | Hiking, Hunting, Trapping, Freshwater Fishing and Watchable Wildlife |
| Nearest towns | Rensselaer Falls (next to it), Canton (2 mi) and DeKalb Junction (3 mi) |
Where do you park at Upper and Lower Lakes WMA?
DEC lists 22 parking areas for Upper and Lower Lakes WMA:
| DEC's description | Latitude, longitude |
|---|---|
| Route 14, large grass, to car top boat launch | 44.60120, -75.26610 |
| DeKalb Jct Rensselaer Falls Road, large gravel; Lower Dam Parking Area Observation Tower Parking | 44.57960, -75.30910 |
| DeKalb Jct Rensselaer Falls Road, gravel parking area | 44.57570, -75.30620 |
| Route 68, for boat launch | 44.62140, -75.22680 |
| Route 68, small, grass | 44.60870, -75.21230 |
| Route 68, small grass area, 6+ car capacity | 44.62070, -75.23380 |
| Route 68, paved, large for operations building | 44.61960, -75.22700 |
| Irish Settlement Road, large grass area | 44.59680, -75.23290 |
| Irish Settlement Road, small grass area | 44.59460, -75.22150 |
| Route 14, gravel | 44.60400, -75.28760 |
| County Road 16, small grass area | 44.57200, -75.31180 |
| Route 15, very small grass, on old railroad | 44.56340, -75.29730 |
| Irish Settlement Road, small grass area pull-off | 44.57840, -75.25570 |
| Irish Settlement Road, small grass area | 44.57260, -75.26810 |
| Route 68, large grass area | 44.61330, -75.22070 |
| Route 14, in grass | 44.62220, -75.26670 |
| Route 14, large grass | 44.61810, -75.27150 |
| DeKalb Jct Rensselaer Falls Road, universally accessible trail parking area | 44.57730, -75.30800 |
| Irish Settlement Road, unpaved parking lot | 44.56590, -75.28230 |
| Route14, along road length, unpaved | 44.63040, -75.25630 |
| Route 14, Capacity 6+ | 44.61460, -75.27550 |
| Route 14, parking area near restroom and trail | 44.59170, -75.29960 |
From DEC's page for Upper and Lower Lakes WMA.
What can you hunt on Upper and Lower Lakes WMA, and when?
DEC's map of hunting on DEC-managed lands marks the area open to hunting. DEC lists these activities for the area: hiking, hunting, trapping, freshwater fishing and watchable wildlife. Hunting on a WMA follows the seasons of the WMU the ground is in. In WMU 6A, the 2026 regular firearms deer season runs October 24 to December 6.
| WMU | WMA acres in it | Deer harvested (whole WMU) | Adult bucks | Bears (whole WMU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 6A | 8,810 | 4,568 (2025) | 3,132 | 10 (2025) |
Harvest: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary. Seasons: DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October.
DEC's plans for the area: a Habitat Management Plan approved August 2016 and an Access and Public Use Plan approved January 2024.
What DEC says about each activity here
- Freshwater Fishing. "Smallmouth bass, walleye, and muskellunge are present in the Grass River."
- Watchable Wildlife. "A demonstration area featuring various types of habitat manipulation is located off of Irish Settlement Road."
From DEC's page for Upper and Lower Lakes WMA.
How do you get to Upper and Lower Lakes WMA?
Highways within five miles: NY 68, US 11, NY 812, NY 310 and NY 184. Nearest towns: Rensselaer Falls (next to it), Canton (2 miles), DeKalb Junction (3 miles) and Heuvelton (5 miles). State land nearby, as DEC names it: Beaver Creek State Forest, Crary Mills State Forest, Downerville State Forest and Eel Weir State Park.
Which other WMAs are near Upper and Lower Lakes?
| WMA | Miles away (straight line) | WMU | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish Creek WMA | 14 | 6A | 4,537 |
| Wilson Hill WMA | 24 | 6A | 4,000 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt on Upper and Lower Lakes WMA?
Yes. DEC's map of hunting on DEC-managed lands marks it open to hunting. Upper and Lower Lakes WMA lies in WMU 6A, and seasons follow the WMU's: in 2026 the regular firearms deer season there runs October 24 to December 6.
Where do you park at Upper and Lower Lakes WMA?
DEC lists 22 parking areas: Route 14, large grass, to car top boat launch (44.6012, -75.2661), DeKalb Jct Rensselaer Falls Road, large gravel; Lower Dam Parking Area Observation Tower Parking (44.5796, -75.3091) and DeKalb Jct Rensselaer Falls Road, gravel parking area (44.5757, -75.3062), and more in the table on this page.
What WMU is Upper and Lower Lakes WMA in?
All of Upper and Lower Lakes WMA is in WMU 6A. DEC estimates 4,568 deer were taken in the whole WMU in 2025.
What is the nearest town to Upper and Lower Lakes WMA?
Rensselaer Falls, next to the area, by the Census map of places. Canton is 2 miles away.
How big is Upper and Lower Lakes WMA?
DEC gives 8,727 acres.
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Where these facts come from
- Area facts, habitat, parking and plans: DEC, Upper and Lower Lakes WMA.
- Boundary: DEC Wildlife Management Areas. Public land around it: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US 4.1). Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
- WMU harvest: DEC 2025 Deer Harvest Summary; DEC 2025 Bear Harvest Summary. Seasons: DEC, 2026-27 early big game hunting seasons in September; DEC, 2026 big game hunting seasons in October.
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