Ross Lake Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Ross Lake Wildlife Area is 1,107 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Ross County, 4 miles from Chillicothe, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 3,402 deer in Ross 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 mapNational park landOther state landMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landRoss Lake Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,107 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Ross County |
| Deer harvest unit | Ross County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Chillicothe (4 mi), Massieville (5 mi) and Kingston (7 mi) |
What are the rules on Ross 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 Ross Lake Wildlife Area?
Ross Lake Wildlife Area lies in Ross County. Hunters checked 3,402 deer in Ross County in 2025-26, against 3,338 in 2024-25.
| County | Ross Lake Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross County | 1,107 | 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 Ross Lake Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Chillicothe (4 miles), Massieville (5 miles), Kingston (7 miles) and Andersonville (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 35, OH 104, OH 159, OH 180 and OH 772.
What other public land is near Ross Lake Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Great Seal State Park: 1,849 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Tar Hollow State Forest: 16,425 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Scioto Trail State Forest: 9,330 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Pleasant Valley Wildlife Area: 1,469 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Kinnikinnick Wildlife Area: 162 acres, 6.1 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 1 Wildlife Area: 119 acres, 6.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Ross Lake Wildlife Area
Counting Ross Lake Wildlife Area itself, 3,100 of the 31,725 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 2,931 |
| National park land | 113 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 30 |
| Other state land | 26 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ross Lake Wildlife Area?
In Ross County, 4 miles from Chillicothe.
Can you hunt on Ross Lake Wildlife Area?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Ross Lake Wildlife Area?
3,100 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Ross Lake Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Great Seal 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, Ross 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.