Nevin Hatchery: hunting and access
Nevin Hatchery is 331 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Dane County, 2 miles from Fitchburg. 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 areasState parksOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landNevin HatcheryCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 331 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Dane County |
| Deer Management Unit | Dane County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Nevin Springs Fish and Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Fitchburg (2 mi), Monona (4 mi) and Shorewood Hills (4 mi) |
What is Nevin Hatchery like?
Nevin is the oldest of all DNR-managed lands, acquired by the state in 1876 for use as a fish hatchery. The Nevin Springs Fish and Wildlife Area is located in the City of Fitchburg south of the City of Madison and is adjacent to the Nevin Fish Hatchery, the DNR's South Central Regional Office and Service Center. The area is managed for fish and wildlife habitat with hunting and other secondary, compatible recreational activities. The property's fourteen natural springs are part of the Nine Springs E-Way Corridor and feed into the Yahara River System. The Capital City State Trail now passes through the natural area portion of the property; it is included in the Capital Springs Centennial Recreational Planning Boundary.
The property sits inside Fish Hatchery Road (County Hwy D), Lacy Road, and Syene Road. Parking is limited. There is a parking lot at Syene Road. The Nevin Springs Fish and Wildlife Area offers tours of their hatchery. For more information, visit our hatcheries and rearing station page. There is a limited opportunity for fishing and the primary objective is to simply protect the fragile springs and surface water ecosystem that sustains the greater area.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Nevin Hatchery?
The DNR's property map lists Nevin Hatchery 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 Nevin Hatchery?
Nevin Hatchery lies in Dane County. The DNR registered 4,438 deer in Dane County in 2025, against 4,403 in 2024.
| DMU | Nevin Hatchery acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dane County | 331 | 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 Nevin Hatchery?
Nearest towns: Fitchburg (2 miles), Monona (4 miles), Shorewood Hills (4 miles) and Madison (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 14, US 18, US 151, US 12 and US 51.
What other public land is near Nevin Hatchery?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Badger State Trail: 523 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Waubesa Wetlands State Natural Area: 210 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Capital Springs Centennial SP And RA: 356 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Military Ridge State Trail: 519 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Lake Waubesa Fishery Area: 22 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Upper Waubesa Fishery Area: 252 acres, 3.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Nevin Hatchery
Counting Nevin Hatchery itself, 3,804 of the 25,119 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (15.1%), 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 | 1,818 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 1,643 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 176 |
| County forest | 160 |
| State parks | 4 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Nevin Hatchery?
In Dane County, 2 miles from Fitchburg. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Nevin Hatchery 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 Nevin Hatchery in?
Dane County.
How much public land is around Nevin Hatchery?
3,804 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Nevin Hatchery included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Badger State Trail (1.9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Nevin Hatchery; 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.