Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area: hunting and access
Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area is 3,232 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Ashland and Richland counties, next to Mifflin, listed by ODNR as restricted to hunting by place, season or permit. Hunters checked 5,108 deer in Ashland 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 mapMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landCharles Mill Lake Hunt AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,232 acres in 15 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Ashland County and Richland County |
| Deer harvest unit | Ashland County, Richland County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Restricted |
| Kind (ODNR) | hunting area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | agreement |
| Nearest towns | Mifflin (next to it), Lucas (3 mi) and Lincoln Heights (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Charles Mill Lake Hunt 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 Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 5,108 deer in Ashland County in 2025-26, against 4,678 in 2024-25.
| County | Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland County | 1,823 | 5,108 | 4,678 | 4,074 |
| Richland County | 1,409 | 5,151 | 5,028 | 4,169 |
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 Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
Nearest towns: Mifflin (next to it), Lucas (3 miles), Lincoln Heights (4 miles) and Hayesville (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-71, US 30, OH 603, OH 39 and US 42.
What other public land is near Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Cherp's Eagle Valley Wildlife Area: 177 acres, next to it
- Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area: 124 acres, 0.6 miles away
- Pleasant Hill Lake Hunt Area: 2,197 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Mohican-Memorial State Forest: 4,629 acres, 7.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area
Counting Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area itself, 3,533 of the 45,582 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 3,533 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
In Ashland and Richland counties, next to Mifflin.
Can you hunt on Charles Mill Lake Hunt 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 Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
3,533 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Cherp's Eagle Valley Wildlife Area (next to it).
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, Charles Mill Lake Hunt 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.