Willow Creek Fishery Area: hunting and access
Willow Creek Fishery Area is 2,864 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Waushara, Richland and Sauk counties, next to Redgranite. The DNR's page for it names deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese and small game among the game here. Hunters registered 8,678 deer in Waushara 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 areasOther federal landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landWillow Creek Fishery AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,864 acres in 33 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Waushara County, Richland County and Sauk County |
| Deer Management Unit | Waushara County, Richland County, Sauk County |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese and small game |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Willow Creek Fishery Area (Richland and Sauk Counties) |
| Nearest towns | Redgranite (next to it), Lohrville (next to it) and Wild Rose (next to it) |
What is Willow Creek Fishery Area like?
Willow Creek Fishery Area starts at the junction with the Pine River in Richland County (T 9N, R 2E, section 7), and proceeds upstream to headwater springs in Sauk County (T 11N, R 3E, section 6). Willow Creek Fishery Area is managed to maintain and improve the cold water environment and wetlands, improve the trout fishery to a class 1 fishery, provide public access to this fishery, provide for hunting opportunities, and accommodate other compatible outdoor recreational use.
Ocooch Creeks Chapter of Trout Unlimited Southeast Wisconsin Chapter Trout Unlimited [exit DNR] Richland County Land Conservation Department [exit DNR] Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) [exit DNR].
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What can you hunt on Willow Creek Fishery Area?
The DNR's page for Willow Creek Fishery Area names deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese 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 Willow Creek Fishery Area?
The DNR's property map lists Willow Creek Fishery 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 Willow Creek Fishery Area: Hunting - deer, turkey, small game, & waterfowl, Trapping, Hiking and Wildlife viewing.
How many deer are taken around Willow Creek Fishery Area?
Willow Creek Fishery Area lies in 3 deer management units. The DNR registered 8,678 deer in Waushara County in 2025, against 8,191 in 2024.
| DMU | Willow Creek Fishery Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waushara County | 2,225 | 8,678 | 8,191 | 6,404 |
| Richland County | 633 | 4,744 | 5,072 | 5,459 |
| Sauk County | 6 | 6,025 | 5,739 | 6,262 |
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 Willow Creek Fishery Area?
Nearest towns: Redgranite (next to it), Lohrville (next to it), Wild Rose (next to it) and Lime Ridge (next to it). Highways within 5 miles: WI 58, WI 21, US 14, WI 22 and WI 130. 1 VPA property within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Willow Creek Fishery Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Pine River System Fishery Area: 2,085 acres, 0.7 miles away
- Karner Blue Meadow State Natural Area: 41 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Wild Rose Hatchery: 245 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Hub City Bog State Natural Area: 50 acres, 3.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Willow Creek Fishery Area
Counting Willow Creek Fishery Area itself, 5,141 of the 162,695 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.2%), 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 | 4,955 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 186 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Willow Creek Fishery Area?
In Waushara, Richland and Sauk counties, next to Redgranite. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Willow Creek Fishery 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 Willow Creek Fishery Area in?
Waushara County (2,225 acres), Richland County (633 acres) and Sauk County (6 acres).
How much public land is around Willow Creek Fishery Area?
5,141 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Willow Creek Fishery Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Pine River System Fishery Area (0.7 miles).
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, Willow Creek Fishery 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 Waushara County Richland County Sauk County Waushara County Richland County Sauk County