Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area: hunting and access
Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area is 265 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Waupaca and Portage counties, 3 miles from Amherst. Hunters registered 10,740 deer in Waupaca 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 parksSkunk And Foster Lakes State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 265 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Waupaca County and Portage County |
| Deer Management Unit | Waupaca County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Skunk and Foster Lakes |
| Nearest towns | Amherst (3 mi), Scandinavia (4 mi) and Amherst Junction (5 mi) |
What is Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area like?
Skunk and Foster Lakes State Natural Area feature a cluster of five undeveloped glacial pothole lakes located in pitted outwash moraine topography surrounded by a second-growth forest of paper birch, white pine, red maple, elm, white and red oak. A small amount of tamarack is also present along the lowland edges of the lakes, as well as a thin marsh edge of red osier dogwood, alder, and sedge-cat-tail community. Some open hilltop areas contain remnant prairie species. The 11-acre Skunk Lake is a deep, hard water marl lake with very clear water fed by seepages and springs. A wetland dominated by cat-tails and bulrush surrounds the lake and a navigable channel connects it to Foster Lake, a 7-acre shallow, hard water, muck-bottom lake. The lake is ringed with cat-tails and arrowheads with numerous submerged aquatics.
Grenlie Lake is a small, clear, hard water lake fed by seepage and springs and a small inlet from an adjacent marsh. The south side of the lake has a shallow bay with a small island and a small bog is also present. The aquatic flora of the lakes includes common and Illinois pondweed, northern water nymph, white water lily, and common bladderwort. Aquatic fauna includes bluegill, pumpkinseed, northern pike, perch, and largemouth bass. Skunk and Foster Lakes is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1996. Waupaca County. T23N-R11E, Section 31. 266 acres. From the intersection of Highways 49 and B in Scandinavia, go south on 49 for 1.8 miles, then west on County Q for 1 mile, continue west on County V for 2.25 miles, then south on North Foley Drive for 0.6 miles to a parking area west of the road.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area?
The DNR's property map lists Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area 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 Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area?
Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area lies in Waupaca County. The DNR registered 10,740 deer in Waupaca County in 2025, against 10,349 in 2024.
| DMU | Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waupaca County | 265 | 10,740 | 10,349 | 9,097 |
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 Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Amherst (3 miles), Scandinavia (4 miles), Amherst Junction (5 miles) and Nelsonville (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 10, WI 49 and WI 161.
What other public land is near Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA): 4,676 acres, next to it
- Tomorrow River State Trail: 376 acres, 2 miles away
- Waupaca River Fishery Area: 79 acres, 3.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area
Counting Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area itself, 785 of the 23,669 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.3%), 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 | 780 |
| State parks | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area?
In Waupaca and Portage counties, 3 miles from Amherst. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Skunk And Foster Lakes State 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 Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area in?
Waupaca County.
How much public land is around Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area?
785 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA) (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Skunk And Foster Lakes State 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.
Wisconsin hunting Waupaca County Portage County Waupaca County