Whitman Dam Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Whitman Dam Wildlife Area is 2,096 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Buffalo County, 2 miles from Cochrane. The DNR's page for it names ducks and geese among the game here. Hunters registered 5,806 deer in Buffalo 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landWhitman Dam Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,096 acres in 40 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Buffalo County |
| Deer Management Unit | Buffalo County |
| DNR lists for hunting | ducks and geese |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Whitman Dam Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Cochrane (2 mi), Buffalo City (2 mi) and Fountain City (3 mi) |
What is Whitman Dam Wildlife Area like?
Whitman Dam Wildlife Area is a 2,253-acre property in Buffalo County. Find it 3 miles southeast of Cochrane across the main river channel from Merrick State Park. Access is available from Merrick State Park or at the end of Whitman Dam Road west of Kamrowski Road. The property consists of floodplain forest and marshland. The most popular uses of the property are waterfowl hunting and fishing. The Whitman Dam Wildlife Area was established in 1965 through a donation of 1,257 acres of land made to the state of Wisconsin by John Latsch in 1919. Latsch donated the land to be used by citizens of Wisconsin for outdoor recreational activities. In 1936, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers installed Lock and Dam #5, which tied into the north end of the Whitman Dam Wildlife Area. Since the construction of the dam, three culverts have been installed that allow water to flow through the wildlife area.
The Whitman Dam Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What can you hunt on Whitman Dam Wildlife Area?
The DNR's page for Whitman Dam Wildlife Area names ducks and geese. Each follows Wisconsin's statewide season and, for deer, the tags and rules of the deer management unit.
What are the rules on Whitman Dam Wildlife Area?
The DNR's property map lists Whitman Dam 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 Whitman Dam Wildlife Area: Birding, Boating (motorized and non-motorized), Cross-country skiing (no designated trail), Hiking (no designated trail), Hunting (noted for waterfowl), Kayaking, Trapping, Wild edibles/gathering and Wildlife viewing.
How many deer are taken around Whitman Dam Wildlife Area?
Whitman Dam Wildlife Area lies in Buffalo County. The DNR registered 5,806 deer in Buffalo County in 2025, against 5,321 in 2024.
| DMU | Whitman Dam Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County | 2,096 | 5,806 | 5,321 | 5,148 |
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 Whitman Dam Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Cochrane (2 miles), Buffalo City (2 miles), Fountain City (3 miles) and Waumandee (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 35, WI 95 and WI 88.
What other public land is near Whitman Dam Wildlife Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Merrick State Park: 290 acres, next to it
- Trempealeau River Meadows State Natural Area: 412 acres, 6.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Whitman Dam Wildlife Area
Counting Whitman Dam Wildlife Area itself, 3,073 of the 47,798 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (6.4%), 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 | 2,674 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 338 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 51 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 8 |
| State parks | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Whitman Dam Wildlife Area?
In Buffalo County, 2 miles from Cochrane. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Whitman Dam 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 Whitman Dam Wildlife Area in?
Buffalo County.
How much public land is around Whitman Dam Wildlife Area?
3,073 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Whitman Dam Wildlife Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Merrick State Park (next to it).
Get a Wisconsin hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Wisconsin are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Wisconsin included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Whitman Dam 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.