Goose Lake Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Goose Lake Wildlife Area is 2,463 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Dane County, 3 miles from Deerfield. The DNR's page for it names deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game among the game here. Hunters registered 4,438 deer in Dane County 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 landState parksOther county, city and regional landVoluntary Public Access landGoose Lake Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,463 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Dane County |
| Deer Management Unit | Dane County |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Goose Lake Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Deerfield (3 mi), Marshall (4 mi) and Waterloo (5 mi) |
What is Goose Lake Wildlife Area like?
Goose Lake Wildlife Area is a 2,296-acre property consisting of grassland, hardwoods forest, open marsh/sedge meadow and tamarak bog. Goose Lake Wildlife Area includes a wetland-drumlin complex left by the receding glacier, there are two lakes on the property: Mud Lake and Goose Lake although neither provides a large sport fishery. Mud Lake is a 40-acre shallow lake with tamarak swap. Goose Lake is a bog with pitcher plant and bog rosemary, not typically seen in southern Wisconsin. Within Goose Lake Wildlife Area lies Goose Lake Drumlins State Natural Area. The area is a forested complex with tamarack and mixed deciduous forest on adjacent drumlins. The natural area was designated in recognition of the unique geologic and floral features of the property.
The property is located in Dane County approximately 3.5 miles northeast of the village of Deerfield. From Madison, head east on I-94 for 10 miles and exit onto State Highway 73. Proceed south on Highway 73 for 2 miles to County Highway BB. Head east on Highway BB for 2 miles, and Goose Lake Wildlife Area is visible on the north side of the road. The Wisconsin Conservation Department recognized the Goose Lake Area as a productive wildlife habitat, especially for ducks, pheasants and deer and proposed this property as a state wildlife area in February 1962. The Dane County Conservation League donated the first tract of land for the wildlife area, 11 acres, in August 1962.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What can you hunt on Goose Lake Wildlife Area?
The DNR's page for Goose Lake Wildlife Area names deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game. Each follows Wisconsin's statewide season and, for deer, the tags and rules of the deer management unit.
What are the rules on Goose Lake Wildlife Area?
The DNR's property map lists Goose Lake Wildlife Area as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Hunting follows Wisconsin's statewide seasons and the rules posted on the property.
Activities the DNR lists for Goose Lake Wildlife Area: Birding, Cross-country skiing (no designated trail), Hiking (no designated trail), Hunting (especially noted for deer, pheasant [noon closure rules apply], waterfowl, turkey and small game), Trapping, Snowmobiling trail, Wild edibles/gathering and Wildlife viewing.
How many deer are taken around Goose Lake Wildlife Area?
Goose Lake Wildlife Area lies in Dane County. The DNR registered 4,438 deer in Dane County in 2025, against 4,403 in 2024.
| DMU | Goose Lake Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dane County | 2,463 | 4,438 | 4,403 | 4,461 |
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 Goose Lake Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Deerfield (3 miles), Marshall (4 miles), Waterloo (5 miles) and Cambridge (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-94, WI 73, WI 19, US 12 and US 18. 1 VPA property within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Goose Lake Wildlife Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Lake Mills Wildlife Area: 2,674 acres, 2 miles away
- Glacial Drumlin State Trail: 1,021 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Waterloo - Mud Lake Wildlife Area: 9,316 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Lake Mills Hatchery: 80 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Deansville Wildlife Area: 1,689 acres, 6.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Goose Lake Wildlife Area
Counting Goose Lake Wildlife Area itself, 3,542 of the 39,119 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9.1%), 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 | 3,527 |
| State parks | 10 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Goose Lake Wildlife Area?
In Dane County, 3 miles from Deerfield. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Goose Lake Wildlife Area 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 Goose Lake Wildlife Area in?
Dane County.
How much public land is around Goose Lake Wildlife Area?
3,542 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Goose Lake Wildlife Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Lake Mills Wildlife Area (2 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Goose Lake Wildlife Area; 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.