Fox Lake Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Fox Lake Wildlife Area is 450 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Athens County, 2 miles from New Marshfield, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 917 deer in Athens 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 landFox Lake Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 450 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Athens County |
| Deer harvest unit | Athens County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | New Marshfield (2 mi), Athens (5 mi) and Albany (5 mi) |
What are the rules on Fox Lake Wildlife Area?
ODNR's land layer lists the area as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons and rules.
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 Fox Lake Wildlife Area?
Fox Lake Wildlife Area lies in Athens County. Hunters checked 917 deer in Athens County in 2025-26, against 3,663 in 2024-25.
| County | Fox Lake Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens County | 450 | 917 | 3,663 | 2,924 |
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 Fox Lake Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: New Marshfield (2 miles), Athens (5 miles), Albany (5 miles) and The Plains (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 32, US 50, OH 56, US 33 and OH 681.
What other public land is near Fox Lake Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Zaleski State Forest: 28,637 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Waterloo Wildlife Area: 2,660 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Poston Plant Lands Hunting Area: 1,159 acres, 4.2 miles away
- Strouds Run State Park: 2,567 acres, 6.7 miles away
- Shade River State Forest: 3,043 acres, 7.3 miles away
- Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest: 12,331 acres, 8.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Fox Lake Wildlife Area
Counting Fox Lake Wildlife Area itself, 1,186 of the 25,089 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land trusts and other open land | 735 |
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 450 |
| Other state land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Fox Lake Wildlife Area?
In Athens County, 2 miles from New Marshfield.
Can you hunt on Fox Lake Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Fox Lake Wildlife Area?
1,186 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Fox Lake Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Zaleski State Forest (3.6 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, Fox 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.