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Corps lake · Northeast region
Beltzville Lake for Hunters
A hunter’s summary of Beltzville Lake in Carbon County: rules, seasons, harvest and local services.
Photo: TheTurducken (CC BY 2.0)
Beltzville Lake: the essentials
WMU 3D covers Beltzville Lake, an Army Corps of Engineers lake project in Carbon County. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sets the rules on the ground. By size (3,557 acres) it comes in at 4th of 14 Corps lakes. Look north of Walnutport (the nearest town we cover), around 8 miles out.
County details near Beltzville Lake
| County | Seat | 2024 residents | Square miles | WMUs | SRA county | CWD feeding ban | Head bin site | Bear harvest 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon County | Jim Thorpe | 65,743 | 381 | 4C, 3D | No | — | Yes | 62 |
From the source record (PGC Cooperative Wildlife Management Areas GIS (CWMA 414: PGC-managed hunting lands)), counties and WMUs from the PGC county and WMU layers; county facts from the Census and the 2026-27 digest; bear counts from the PGC 2024 bear release. Checked October 12, 2026.
What to hunt on Beltzville Lake
Beltzville Lake has no species list in the PGC text. Use the WMU 3D season list below.
Beltzville Lake: rules before the first sit
Prices are the PGC 2026-27 license figures.
Rules on this ground
Public hunting on PGC-managed project lands under PGC seasons; developed recreation areas and posted areas are closed.
Game land rules
Visitors who are not hunting on State Game Lands must show orange (a hat or 250 sq in) in the two seasonal windows, Oct. 1 to Jan. 31 and April 20 to May 31.
License costs
One general license covers small game and comes with tags for an antlered deer and two turkeys (fall and spring).
Sunday and orange rules
Firearm big game and all small game seasons call for orange; archery-only, turkey and migratory bird hunts do not.
Sunday hunting now covers every season other than ducks, geese, doves and woodcock; the 2026 spring gobbler season skipped Sundays.
On the ground at Beltzville Lake
From the agency map layers and description.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| CWMA | CWMA 414 · 3,557 ac |
What the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says about it
Corps Lakes Gateway: the park also offers hunting opportunities on over 1,700 acres of land (Beltzville State Park).
Facts from the source record, PGC AGOL layer; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Beltzville Lake deer numbers by WMU
Unit-level figures from PGC, the finest level published for deer.
| Unit | Area sq mi | Game lands | Antlers | Licenses | Change | Sellout 2025 | CWD | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3D | 2,102 | 249 | 3 points, one side | 52,000 | +/- 0 | 9/2 | No | 15,600 |
Peak: 15,600 deer in 2025. Low: 7,200 in 2015. Bucks: 6,000; antlerless: 9,600 (2025-26). Archery 5,460; firearms 9,500; muzzleloader 640. Antlerless licenses for WMU 3D: 52,000 this year (+/- 0).
Bears by county
| County | In 2024 | In 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon | 62 | — |
Turkeys and bears by WMU
| Unit | Turkeys (spring 2024) | Bears (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| WMU 3D | 1,002 | 416 |
WMU areas from the PGC WMU pages; antlerless allocations from the PGC allocation; deer harvest from the 2025-26 PGC report and the PGC historic harvest dashboard; bears from PGC releases; turkeys from PGC job report. Checked October 12, 2026.
2026-27 season calendar for Beltzville Lake
Rows come straight from the 2026-27 digest and the seasons and bag limits page; the status column turns green while a season is open.
| Animal | Season | Covers | Starts | Ends | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Agricultural Deer Control (Ag Tag, antlerless only) | This area | Aug 1, 2026 | Apr 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery (antlered and antlerless) | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | October muzzleloader (antlerless only) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Special firearms (antlerless only) | Statewide | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Rifle (antlered and antlerless) | Statewide | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery (antlered and antlerless) | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Extended regular firearms (antlerless only) | This area | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Flintlock (antlered or antlerless) | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Archery | This area | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Special firearms | Statewide | Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Rifle | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Extended firearms | This area | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall season (male or female) | This area | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler youth hunt | Statewide | Apr 24, 2027 | Apr 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler season (morning only) | Statewide | May 1, 2027 | May 15, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler season (all day) | Statewide | May 16, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Junior hunt | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (male or female) | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Regular (male or female) | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Junior hunt | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Junior hunt | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodchuck | Regular | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Woodchuck | Regular | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Crow | Regular (Thursday-Sunday only) | Statewide | Aug 20, 2026 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Hunting | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Fox | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 24, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | |
| Porcupine | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | |
| Porcupine | Hunting | Statewide | Dec 14, 2026 | Dec 24, 2026 | |
| Porcupine | Hunting | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Mourning dove | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 27, 2026 | |
| Mourning dove | Regular | Statewide | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 2, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | This area | Jan 9, 2027 | Feb 3, 2027 | |
| Opossum, striped skunk and weasel | Hunting | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Starling and English sparrow | No closed season | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Gallinules | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Virginia and sora rails | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Regular | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 |
From the Pennsylvania Game Commission seasons and bag limits and the 2026-27 digest, checked October 12, 2026.
Beltzville Lake plotted with its neighbors
Beltzville Lake sits at the orange pin, with 12 public neighbors inside 25 miles. Largest within reach: State Game Lands 141, 17,227 acres.
| Area | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction | WMU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beltzville State Park | State park | 1,700 | 0 mi | northeast | 3D |
| State Game Lands 141 | State Game Lands | 17,227 | 9 mi | northwest | 4C |
| State Game Lands 168 | State Game Lands | 7,814 | 9 mi | east | 3D |
| Lehigh Gorge State Park | State park | 6,000 | 10 mi | northwest | 3D, 4C |
| State Game Lands 217 | State Game Lands | 8,622 | 11 mi | southwest | 4C |
| Hickory Run State Park | State park | 13,000 | 12 mi | north | 3D, 4C |
| State Game Lands 129 | State Game Lands | 3,705 | 12 mi | north | 3D |
| Chestnuthill Township Lands (CWMA 445) | Cooperative WMA | 1,158 | 13 mi | northeast | 3D |
| State Game Lands 149 | State Game Lands | 1,991 | 13 mi | northwest | 4C |
| Lehigh County Lands (CWMA 433) | Cooperative WMA | 1,370 | 14 mi | south | 4C, 5C |
| State Game Lands 205 | State Game Lands | 1,315 | 15 mi | south | 5C |
| State Game Lands 40 | State Game Lands | 6,200 | 16 mi | northwest | 3D, 4C |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (PGC Cooperative Wildlife Management Areas GIS (polygon centroid)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Beltzville Lake hunting hours by day
Deer, bear and grouse hunters get a half hour of light at both ends of the day. Duck, goose and dove hunters stop right at sunset.
Times worked out for Beltzville Lake in Eastern time from the rule in the Pennsylvania Game Commission digest (shooting hours). Some furbearers may be taken at night; check the digest. Shooting hours for every county.
Where to sight in near Beltzville Lake
The Game Commission range closest to Beltzville Lake is State Game Lands 141 Public Shooting Range (11 miles). Local clubs within 30 miles are included.
Rifle range 100/200/300 yd, 7 points; Handgun range 10/50 yd, 11 points; Shotgun patterning 20/40 yd
Rifle / handgun
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Where to stay and shop near Beltzville Lake
Pick a base town, then find a processor.
| Town | County | Miles | Direction to area | Population | Public land nearby (ac) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walnutport | Northampton | 8 mi | north | 2,100 | 16,438 |
| Jim Thorpe | Carbon | 9 mi | east | 4,543 | 27,062 |
| Beaver Meadows | Carbon | 17 mi | east | 896 | 17,833 |
| Penn Lake Park | Luzerne | 19 mi | southeast | 379 | 60,191 |
Services close by
Nearest offices
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates and Gazetteer; public acres within 10 miles from PGC, DCNR and federal layers; businesses from Hunters Sharing the Harvest, PDA, store locators and listings; offices from PGC and DCNR pages. Checked October 12, 2026. Call ahead.
Beltzville Lake: what to bring along
Four items chosen for this ground and its seasons.
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Heated seat cushion
The first Saturday of rifle season is usually cold, and hunters sit for hours.
Beltzville Lake: what hunters keep asking
Where can I get a map of Beltzville Lake?
The managing agency’s page or PDF is linked above.
How many bears in Carbon County?
62 bears in 2024 across Carbon County.
Is Beltzville Lake owned by the state, a federal agency or someone else?
An Army Corps of Engineers lake project; the manager is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Is Beltzville Lake big enough for a full day of hunting?
3,557 acres on the record.
Which town works well as a base for Beltzville Lake?
Carbon County; Walnutport is the nearest town we cover, 8 miles away.
What Wildlife Management Unit covers Beltzville Lake?
It lies in WMU 3D. The antler rule in WMU 3D is three points on a side.
What is the antlerless allocation near Beltzville Lake?
52,000 for WMU 3D this year. Last year’s sellout date: 9/2.
Which 2026-27 deer segments cover Beltzville Lake?
Rifle season: Nov 28 to Dec 13, 2026. Archery starts Oct 3, 2026. The full list is in the season table above.
Is Sunday hunting allowed on Beltzville Lake?
All seasons include Sundays now, migratory birds excepted.
When is orange mandatory at Beltzville Lake?
250 sq in of fluorescent orange, visible all around, whenever the season requires it.
What paperwork do I carry on Beltzville Lake?
Start with the $20.97 resident license; bear, archery, muzzleloader and antlerless are extra.
Beltzville Lake, the last word
Double-check Beltzville Lake with its manager: open areas, gates and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil: projects.cfm · PGC AGOL layer: FeatureServer 300; regulations from the 2026-27 PGC digest. Checked October 12, 2026.