Chippewa Flowage: hunting and access
Chippewa Flowage is 14,069 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Sawyer County, next to New Post. Hunters registered 1,366 deer in DMU 111 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's DNR property data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Metrics.
State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR landCounty forestNational forestLand trusts and other open landChippewa FlowageCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 14,069 acres in 11 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Sawyer County |
| Deer Management Unit | DMU 111, Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation, DMU 113 |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Chippewa Flowage |
| Nearest towns | New Post (next to it), Chief Lake (2 mi) and Little Round Lake (4 mi) |
What is Chippewa Flowage like?
The Chippewa Flowage, a 15,300-acre impoundment, is located in central Sawyer County, 15 miles east of Hayward. Dotted with about 200 undeveloped islands, it is Wisconsin's third-largest lake and boasts a highly irregular, wooded and generally undeveloped 233-mile shoreline. Boat-in to camp at one of several primitive campsites or explore the seemingly endless maze of islands, points, bays, floating bogs and channels.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Chippewa Flowage?
The DNR's property map lists Chippewa Flowage as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Hunting follows Wisconsin's statewide seasons and the rules posted on the property.
How many deer are taken around Chippewa Flowage?
Chippewa Flowage lies in 3 deer management units. The DNR registered 1,366 deer in DMU 111 in 2025.
| DMU | Chippewa Flowage acres in it | Deer, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| DMU 111 | 13,720 | 1,366 |
| Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation | 176 | |
| DMU 113 | 172 | 1,776 |
Harvest for the whole deer management unit, not the property alone: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
How do you get to Chippewa Flowage?
Nearest towns: New Post (next to it), Chief Lake (2 miles), Little Round Lake (4 miles) and Winter (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 70 and WI 77.
What other public land is near Chippewa Flowage?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Chippewa Flowage Conservation Easement: 17,902 acres, next to it
- Chief River Wildlife Area: 1,188 acres, next to it
- Mud Callahan State Habitat Area: 94 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Grindstone Creek Fishery Area: 410 acres, 4 miles away
- Eddy Creek Fishery Area: 282 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Dead Creek Springs Fishery Area: 84 acres, 4.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Chippewa Flowage
Counting Chippewa Flowage itself, 39,448 of the 111,913 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (35.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 24,330 |
| National forest | 15,006 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 111 |
| Other federal land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Chippewa Flowage?
In Sawyer County, next to New Post. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Chippewa Flowage open to hunting?
Yes. The DNR's property map lists it as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Posted refuges or closed areas, where there are any, are marked on site.
Which deer management unit is Chippewa Flowage in?
DMU 111 (13,720 acres), Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation (176 acres) and DMU 113 (172 acres).
How much public land is around Chippewa Flowage?
39,448 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Chippewa Flowage included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Chippewa Flowage Conservation Easement (next to it).
Get a Wisconsin hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Wisconsin included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Chippewa Flowage; Wisconsin DNR managed lands open to hunting.
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
- Deer harvest: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
FilledTag is not part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.