Berlin Lake Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Berlin Lake Wildlife Area is 8,886 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Portage, Stark and Mahoning counties, next to Limaville, listed by ODNR as restricted to hunting by place, season or permit. Hunters checked 3,498 deer in Portage County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: ODNR's ODNR area open to hunting data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Division of Wildlife harvest reports, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Land on ODNR's hunting mapOther state landMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landBerlin Lake Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 8,886 acres in 36 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Portage County, Stark County and Mahoning County |
| Deer harvest unit | Portage County, Stark County, Mahoning County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Restricted |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | lease and owned land |
| Nearest towns | Limaville (next to it), Bolton (next to it) and Alliance (2 mi) |
What are the rules on Berlin Lake Wildlife Area?
ODNR's land layer lists hunting here as restricted: hunting is limited by place, season or permit, and the area's hunting map shows where.
ODNR's hunting map for the area shows the boundaries, parking and any no-hunting zones.
Deer bag limits in Ohio are set by county; the Division's 2026-27 season list points to the bag limit map.
How many deer are taken around Berlin Lake Wildlife Area?
Berlin Lake Wildlife Area lies in 3 counties. Hunters checked 3,498 deer in Portage County in 2025-26, against 3,059 in 2024-25.
| County | Berlin Lake Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage County | 4,465 | 3,498 | 3,059 | 2,932 |
| Stark County | 2,267 | 4,466 | 4,114 | 3,627 |
| Mahoning County | 2,154 | 2,768 | 2,537 | 2,409 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
How do you get to Berlin Lake Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Limaville (next to it), Bolton (next to it), Alliance (2 miles) and East Alliance (2 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 224, OH 183, OH 225, OH 14 and OH 534.
What other public land is near Berlin Lake Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Lake Milton State Park: 2,611 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Walborn Reservoir Public Access: 1,846 acres, 0.7 miles away
- Lake Park Wildlife Area: 93 acres, 2.1 miles away
- West Branch State Park: 5,488 acres, 6.1 miles away
- West Branch Wildlife Area: 2,911 acres, 7.3 miles away
- Quail Hollow State Park: 700 acres, 7.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Berlin Lake Wildlife Area
Counting Berlin Lake Wildlife Area itself, 12,577 of the 97,071 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (13%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 11,623 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 595 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 327 |
| Other state land | 32 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Berlin Lake Wildlife Area?
In Portage, Stark and Mahoning counties, next to Limaville.
Can you hunt on Berlin Lake Wildlife Area?
Yes, with restrictions: ODNR's layer lists hunting here as restricted. The area's hunting map shows where.
How much public land is around Berlin Lake Wildlife Area?
12,577 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Berlin Lake Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Lake Milton State Park (0.5 miles).
Get a Ohio hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Ohio 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, Ohio included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: ODNR, Berlin Lake Wildlife Area; ODNR lands hunting status.
- Boundary and acres: ODNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and ODNR's land boundaries with hunting status.
- Deer harvest: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
FilledTag is not part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. Check ODNR's rules and posted signs before you go.