Chain Lakes Wildlife Habitat Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Chain Lakes Wildlife Habitat Management Area is 62,387 acres in WGFD's Lander Region, Sweetwater County. Wildlife Habitat Management Areas are lands WGFD manages for wildlife habitat and public hunting and fishing access. WGFD lists elk (hunt area 118) and antelope (hunt area 61) for big game hunting here.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: WGFD's WHMA data, updated 10/12/2026. Boundary: WGFD GIS. Harvest: WGFD reports to 2025.
BLMState trust landChain Lakes WHMAElk hunt area lineLakeHighway
| Size | 62,387 acres (WGFD) |
|---|---|
| WGFD region | Lander Region |
| County | Sweetwater |
| Access dates | Open year-round. |
| Big game listed | Elk and Antelope |
| Nearest towns | Wamsutter (16 mi), Bairoil (16 mi) and Rawlins (26 mi) |
What are the rules on Chain Lakes WHMA?
Access: Open year-round.
Area regulations: 14 day camping limit.
WGFD lists these uses: Hunting, Trapping, Camping, Hiking, Wildlife Viewing.
In WGFD's words, from its WHMA data. WGFD's posted signs and its Chapter 23 rules for Commission lands are the final word.
What can you hunt on Chain Lakes WHMA?
WGFD lists the hunt area each big game species is hunted under here: elk in area 118; antelope in area 61. Also listed: waterfowl, sage grouse, doves, rabbit and mountain lion.
What did hunters take in the hunt areas around Chain Lakes WHMA?
WGFD reports harvest by hunt area, not by access area. The hunt areas that overlap Chain Lakes WHMA, with the acres of the WHMA in each and WGFD's latest harvest for the whole hunt area:
| Hunt area | WHMA acres in it | Harvest, whole area | Hunter success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Area 118 | 62,387 | 112 (2025) | 63.6% |
| Deer Area 98 | 62,387 | 23 (2025) | |
| Antelope Area 61 | 62,387 | 96 (2025) | 88.9% |
Harvest: WGFD harvest reports, latest year each area was reported (WGFD harvest reports). Acres measured by FilledTag from WGFD's boundaries.
What land is around Chain Lakes WHMA?
Inside the WHMA boundary, by manager (WGFD's own holdings and leases are not in the federal and state layers, so they show as unlisted land):
| Manager | Acres inside |
|---|---|
| BLM | 30,155 |
| State trust land | 1,912 |
| Other land (WGFD-held, leased or private) | 30,320 |
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land) inside WGFD's boundary (62,387 acres as drawn).
How do you get to Chain Lakes WHMA?
Nearest towns: Wamsutter (16 miles), Bairoil (16 miles), Rawlins (26 miles) and Jeffrey City (29 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Chain Lakes WHMA open?
Open year-round.
What can you hunt on Chain Lakes WHMA?
WGFD lists elk and antelope for big game, and waterfowl, sage grouse, doves, rabbit and mountain lion. Each species follows the season of the hunt area the ground is in.
What are the rules on Chain Lakes WHMA?
14 day camping limit.
Where is Chain Lakes WHMA?
About 16 miles from Wamsutter, and 16 miles from Bairoil, measured from the area's boundary.
Which hunt areas is Chain Lakes WHMA in?
By WGFD's boundaries it lies in elk Area 118, deer Area 98 and antelope Area 61. Each hunt area's season applies to the ground inside it.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area facts, access dates, rules and species: WGFD Wildlife Habitat Management Area details.
- Boundary: WGFD Wildlife Habitat Management Area boundaries. Surrounding land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land).
- Hunt area harvest: WGFD harvest reports, 2021 to 2025.
FilledTag is not part of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Numbers are copied from WGFD and the other agencies named, or measured by FilledTag from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag. WGFD's regulations are the final word on every rule.
Wyoming hunting Lander Region Elk Area 118 Deer Area 98 Antelope Area 61