White Lake Refuge: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
White Lake Refuge is 1,192 acres of TWRA hunting land in Dyer County, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 1. Hunters checked in 4 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 3 antlered bucks among them (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). For the area's seasons, TWRA's guide says: Same as statewide seasons, except as noted.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 97. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
White Lake RefugeOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,192 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary |
|---|---|
| County | Dyer County |
| TWRA region | Region 1 |
| Deer management unit | Unit 1 |
| Permits | WMA Small Game permit; Big Game (Non-Quota/WMA) or quota permit |
| Deer checked in, 2025-26 | 4 (3 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males, 1 female) |
| Area manager | Josh Emerson (731) 285-6124 |
| Nearest towns | Ridgely (9 mi), Dyersburg (9 mi) and Newbern (14 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on White Lake Refuge?
TWRA's 2026-27 guide prints these rules and seasons for the area. Where it says statewide seasons, the statewide dates and the county's deer management unit limits apply.
Closed to all forms of use and trespass from Nov. 15– the last day of February. Closed to dog training.
Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Closed to dove, Fall turkey, and waterfowl hunting.
- Turkey: April 3–April 25. One (1) male bearded turkey, counts toward statewide bag limit.
- Turkey (Young Sportsman): Same as statewide season.
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 97; TWRA's page for the area. Read every rule in the guide before you go: the guide is the final word.
How many deer are taken on White Lake Refuge?
Hunters checked in 4 deer from White Lake Refuge in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 8 deer a season, from 3 in 2018-19 to 12 in 2022-23.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 2023-24 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022-23 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| 2021-22 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2020-21 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 2019-20 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 2018-19 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017-18 | 8 | 5 | 3 | ||
| 2016-17 | 6 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2015-16 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
Source: TWRA Hunter's Toolbox, Deer Harvests by County / WMA, read October 2026. These are deer hunters reported at check-in. Before 2018-19 the Toolbox counts every male as antlerless, so only the male total is shown for those seasons.
Which county is White Lake Refuge in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyer County | 1,192 | 1 | 733 | 82nd |
Acres measured by FilledTag on TWRA hunting lands layer (HuntingAllowed) and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. County harvest: TWRA Hunter's Toolbox, Deer Harvests by County / WMA. Units: TWRA deer management unit counties.
How do you get to White Lake Refuge?
Highways within 5 miles: I-155, US 412, TN 181 and TN 103. Nearest towns: Ridgely (9 miles), Dyersburg (9 miles), Newbern (14 miles) and Tiptonville (17 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for White Lake Refuge.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Thorny Cypress WMA (next to it), Bogota WMA (1.9 miles), Tumbleweed WMA (3.1 miles) and Ernest Rice Sr. WMA (3.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on White Lake Refuge in 2026-27?
TWRA's guide says: Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. That means the statewide dates: archery from September 26, 2026, muzzleloader from November 7 and gun from November 21, 2026 to January 3, 2027.
How many deer were killed on White Lake Refuge last season?
Hunters checked in 4 deer from White Lake Refuge in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males and 1 female, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 8.
What county is White Lake Refuge in?
All of it is in Dyer County, by TWRA's boundary, in deer management Unit 1.
What permit do you need to hunt White Lake Refuge?
TWRA's guide lists these for the area: WMA Small Game permit; Big Game (Non-Quota/WMA) or quota permit. Lifetime and Annual Sportsman License holders are exempt from WMA permits (guide, page 11).
Get a Tennessee hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Tennessee 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, Tennessee included.
Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, seasons, size and manager: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide.
- Deer harvest on the area and by county: TWRA Hunter's Toolbox, Deer Harvests by County / WMA.
- Boundary: TWRA hunting lands layer (HuntingAllowed). Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer. National forest and refuges: U.S. Forest Service national forest ownership; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Numbers are copied from TWRA or measured from public maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
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