Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area: hunting and access
Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area is 875 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Dane County, next to Oregon. The DNR's page for it names deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and rabbits and squirrels 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 landCounty forestNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landHook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 875 acres in 7 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Dane County |
| Deer Management Unit | Dane County |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and rabbits and squirrels |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Hook Lake Bog - Grass Lake Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Oregon (next to it), Fitchburg (4 mi) and McFarland (4 mi) |
What is Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area like?
Hook Lake Bog-Grass Lake Wildlife Area is a 1,096-acre property located 4 miles south of Madison and McFarland in the town of Dunn in Dane County. The property lies within Schneider Road on the north, Hawkinson Road on the east, Rutland-Dunn Townline Road on the south and Schuster Road on the west. Sandhill Road runs north to south through the property between Hook Lake and Grass Lake. Hook Lake Bog ranks as one of the highest-quality wetlands in Dane County and is a state natural area. It is a soft bog lake, which is unusual for southern Wisconsin. The lake, located in a glacial pocket, is nearly extinct with only 50-70 acres of open water remaining. The rest is covered by a floating sedge mat and emergent aquatic vegetation with tamarack swamp forest, open bog and southern sedge meadow communities.
Grass Lake is a "biologically unique" wetland in Dane County and one of the few remaining deep-water marshes in the county. It has a completely different character than Hook Lake, being alkaline and nutrient-rich rather than acidic and nutrient-poor. It supports the typical deep marsh aquatic plants such as water lilies, pickerel weed, spike weed and duck potato. The property consists of oak and central hardwoods, as well as extensive prairie and grasslands. The Hook Lake Bog-Grass Lake Wildlife Area is identified as a place for managing high-quality wetland communities of statewide significance within the Southeast Glacial Plains Ecological Landscape according to Wisconsin's Wildlife Action Plan [PDF]. The management goals for the property include:. Prescribed burning, mowing and brushing are used to maintain an open character to the prairie and grasslands.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What can you hunt on Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area?
The DNR's page for Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area names deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and rabbits and squirrels. Each follows Wisconsin's statewide season and, for deer, the tags and rules of the deer management unit.
What are the rules on Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area?
The DNR's property map lists Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural 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 Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area: Birding, Canoeing, Cross-country skiing (no designated trail), Hiking (no designated trail), Hunting (noted for waterfowl, turkey, pheasants [stocked], deer, squirrel and rabbit), Trapping (noted for muskrat, beaver and otter), Wild edibles/gathering and Wildlife viewing.
How many deer are taken around Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area?
Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area lies in Dane County. The DNR registered 4,438 deer in Dane County in 2025, against 4,403 in 2024.
| DMU | Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dane County | 875 | 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 Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Oregon (next to it), Fitchburg (4 miles), McFarland (4 miles) and Stoughton (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 14, US 51 and WI 138.
What other public land is near Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Waubesa Wetlands State Natural Area: 210 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Lower Mud Lake Fishery Area: 410 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Anthony Branch Streambank Protection Area: 685 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Lake Waubesa Fishery Area: 22 acres, 2.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area
Counting Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area itself, 3,307 of the 36,898 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9%), 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 | 1,940 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 594 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 585 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 188 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area?
In Dane County, next to Oregon. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural 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 Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area in?
Dane County.
How much public land is around Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area?
3,307 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Waubesa Wetlands State Natural Area (1.4 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Hook Lake/Grass Lake Wildlife And Natural 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.