Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area is 5,718 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Highland and Ross counties, next to Greenfield, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 3,389 deer in Highland 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 mapFederal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakesOther state landMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landPaint Creek Lake Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 5,718 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Highland County and Ross County |
| Deer harvest unit | Highland County, Ross County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | lease and owned land |
| Nearest towns | Greenfield (next to it), South Salem (3 mi) and Leesburg (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Paint Creek 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 Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area?
Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters checked 3,389 deer in Highland County in 2025-26, against 3,381 in 2024-25.
| County | Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland County | 4,809 | 3,389 | 3,381 | 2,883 |
| Ross County | 909 | 3,402 | 3,338 | 2,749 |
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 Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Greenfield (next to it), South Salem (3 miles), Leesburg (4 miles) and Highland Holiday (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 753, OH 138, OH 28, OH 41 and US 50.
What other public land is near Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Paint Creek State Park: 4,757 acres, next to it
- Wildlife Production Area 48 Wildlife Area: 53 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Rocky Fork State Park: 3,469 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 23 Wildlife Area: 59 acres, 6.5 miles away
- Fallsville Wildlife Area: 1,786 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 35 Wildlife Area: 59 acres, 7.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area
Counting Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area itself, 11,246 of the 71,838 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (15.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 10,424 |
| Federal land, mostly Corps of Engineers lakes | 694 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 76 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 28 |
| Other state land | 24 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area?
In Highland and Ross counties, next to Greenfield.
Can you hunt on Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area?
11,246 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Paint Creek State Park (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, Paint Creek 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.