Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area is 814 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Trempealeau County, 2 miles from Blair. The DNR's page for it names deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and rabbits and squirrels among the game here. Hunters registered 7,151 deer in Trempealeau 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 landOther county, city and regional landLakes Coulee Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 814 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Trempealeau County |
| Deer Management Unit | Trempealeau County |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse and rabbits and squirrels |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Blair (2 mi), Whitehall (5 mi) and Independence (7 mi) |
What is Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area like?
Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area is an 808-acre property located 2 miles southwest of Blair on both sides of State Highway 95 in Trempealeau County. The property features upland hardwoods, grassland, shrublands, and wetlands. The most popular activities are hunting for deer, turkey, and stocked pheasants. State acquisition of the Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area occurred in 1960 as part of the Scattered Wetlands Program. The property has been actively managed through land acquisition, timber harvesting, tree and shrub plantings, grassland plantings, prescribed burning, the establishment of hunter-walking trails and wetland development. In addition to the hunting opportunities, the wildlife area is host to a class 3 trout stream.
The property is managed to maintain aspen and native shrub species and control invasive species. Timber harvests are used to regenerate oak and other mid-succession tree species to maintain the species within oak-dominated or mixed cover types and improve the oak age class distribution. Grasslands and savanna are managed to increase the block size to benefit grassland-dependent species. The Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What can you hunt on Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area?
The DNR's page for Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area names deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ruffed grouse 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 Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area?
The DNR's property map lists Lakes Coulee 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 Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area: Birding, Cross-country skiing (no designated trail), Fishing (trout), Hiking (no designated trail), Hunting (noted for rabbits, squirrels, deer, pheasants [stocked], turkey and ruffed grouse), Snowmobiling trail, Trapping, Wild edibles/gathering and Wildlife viewing.
How many deer are taken around Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area?
Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area lies in Trempealeau County. The DNR registered 7,151 deer in Trempealeau County in 2025, against 6,627 in 2024.
| DMU | Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trempealeau County | 814 | 7,151 | 6,627 | 6,360 |
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 Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Blair (2 miles), Whitehall (5 miles), Independence (7 miles) and Ettrick (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 95.
What other public land is near Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Trump Coulee Rearing Station: 425 acres, 6 miles away
- South Beaver Creek Wildlife Area: 1,108 acres, 9.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area
Counting Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area itself, 843 of the 31,060 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.7%), 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 | 815 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 28 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area?
In Trempealeau County, 2 miles from Blair. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Lakes Coulee 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 Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area in?
Trempealeau County.
How much public land is around Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area?
843 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Trump Coulee Rearing Station (6 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Lakes Coulee 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.