Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door: hunting and access
Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door is 2,434 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Door County, 2 miles from Baileys Harbor. The DNR's page for it names deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and small game among the game here. Hunters registered 4,302 deer in Door 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 federal landState parksLand trusts and other open landMud Lake Wildlife Area-DoorCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,434 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Door County |
| Deer Management Unit | Door County |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and small game |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Mud Lake Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Baileys Harbor (2 mi), Sister Bay (3 mi) and Ephraim (4 mi) |
What is Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door like?
Mud Lake Wildlife Area is a 2,290-acre property located in northeastern Door County near Moonlight Bay. The property consists of a 155-acre shallow drainage lake surrounded by an extensive shrub and timber swamp. Mud Lake State Natural Area is embedded in this property. Immediately surrounding the open water is a narrow zone of northern sedge meadow dominated by sedges, willows, dogwoods and sweet gale. The wetlands and lake provide habitat for the federally endangered Hine's emerald dragonfly among many other wildlife and plant species. The open zone grades into a second-growth wet-mesic forest of white cedar, white spruce, balsam fir and black ash. This is an example of boreal forest habitat - a rare community type to be found in Wisconsin. The pristine, wild character of this property is its greatest asset. There are several ways for recreationists to access the property.
Mud Lake Wildlife Area was acquired by the state beginning in 1966. The original purchase of 1,040 acres was from a landowner who expressed a desire to sell the land to the state to protect the wildlife habitat on the property. A portion of the wildlife area was first designated as a state natural area in 1975. Rieboldt's Creek, which runs from Mud Lake to Lake Michigan, has been stocked with trout and supports a trout spawning run. Waterfowl use of the lake is occasionally heavy. The property provides opportunities for public hunting and fishing while protecting the qualities of the unique native communities and associated species found there. Management is implemented through access management, boundary posting, invasive species control and timber harvests. The Mud Lake Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:. This wildlife area has been adopted by Door Sand Hill Farm.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What can you hunt on Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door?
The DNR's page for Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door names deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse 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 Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door?
The DNR's property map lists Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door 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 Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door: Birding, Canoeing, Cross-country skiing (no designated trail), Fishing, Hiking (designated trail), Hunting (especially noted for deer, grouse, waterfowl and small game), Kayaking, Snowmobiling trail, Trapping, Wild edibles/gathering and Wildlife viewing.
How many deer are taken around Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door?
Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door lies in Door County. The DNR registered 4,302 deer in Door County in 2025, against 4,225 in 2024.
| DMU | Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door County | 2,434 | 4,302 | 4,225 | 3,793 |
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 Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door?
Nearest towns: Baileys Harbor (2 miles), Sister Bay (3 miles), Ephraim (4 miles) and Ellison Bay (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 57 and WI 42.
What other public land is near Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Moonlight Bay Bedrock Beach State Natural Area: 102 acres, next to it
- Baileys Harbor Boreal Forest & Wetlands State Natural Area: 616 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Baileys Harbor Boreal Forest & Wetlands - Jonathan Ela Unit: 210 acres, 1 mile away
- Peninsula State Park: 3,702 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Thorp Pond State Natural Area: 80 acres, 4.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door
Counting Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door itself, 5,364 of the 41,173 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (13%), 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 | 4,424 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 932 |
| Other federal land | 8 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door?
In Door County, 2 miles from Baileys Harbor. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door 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 Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door in?
Door County.
How much public land is around Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door?
5,364 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Moonlight Bay Bedrock Beach State Natural Area (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Door; 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.