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Northcentral region · WMU 3A
Tioga-Hammond Lakes Hunting Guide
Tioga-Hammond Lakes, 6,488 acres in Tioga County: pheasants, WMU 3A seasons, antlerless numbers, nearby land and towns.
Photo: TheTurducken (CC BY 2.0)
Sizing up Tioga-Hammond Lakes
Type of ground: Army Corps of Engineers lake project. Location: Tioga County, WMU 3A. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District runs it. With 6,488 acres, it ranks 2nd by area among 14 Corps lakes. Of the towns with a guide here, Mansfield is closest; the map point is about 5 miles north of it.
The 1 county around Tioga-Hammond Lakes
| County | Seat of county | Population 2024 | Land area | WMUs in county | Special Regulations | Feeding ban | CWD bin | Bears taken 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tioga County | Wellsboro | 40,698 | 1,134 | 3A, 2G, 3B | No | — | No | 163 |
From the source record (PGC Cooperative Wildlife Management Areas GIS (CWMA 438: 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.
Tioga-Hammond Lakes: who may hunt, and how
Each card cites its source.
Getting in
Public hunting on PGC-managed project lands under PGC seasons; developed recreation areas and posted areas are closed.
State Game Lands rules
From October 1 to January 31 and April 20 to May 31, anyone on State Game Lands who is not hunting must wear 250 square inches of orange or an orange hat, Sundays included.
Licenses for this game
Start with the general hunting license, which includes the buck and turkey tags.
Statewide rules that apply
Small game hunters and firearm deer, bear and elk hunters wear orange. Archers in archery season, turkey hunters and waterfowlers are exempt.
All Sundays inside season dates are legal for 2026-27, with migratory birds the exception.
Species at Tioga-Hammond Lakes, with limits
Game on the list: pheasants.
Ring-necked pheasant
PGC survey estimate for 2025: 214,577 pheasants. Stocking plan here: 1,685 birds, 7 releases.
Species from the area record; bag limits and seasons from the PGC seasons and bag limits; harvest from PGC deer report, PGC harvest data and PGC turkey report. Checked October 12, 2026.
What Tioga-Hammond Lakes holds
Counts and acreages come from PGC and DCNR layers; the quoted text is the agency description.
| Feature | Figures |
|---|---|
| Pheasant allocation | 7 releases, 1,685 birds |
| Cooperative unit | CWMA 438 · 6,488 ac |
The the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District write-up
USACE: hunting is permitted on project lands except in posted public use areas; Pennsylvania hunting license required; PGC pheasant stockings along the Ives Run Railroad Grade at Hammond Lake and at Lambs Creek; State Game Lands 37 lies between and adjacent to the lakes.
Facts from the source record, PGC AGOL layer, PGC AGOL layer, pa.gov; retrieved 2026-10-12, checked October 12, 2026.
Open and upcoming seasons, Tioga-Hammond Lakes
From the first junior squirrel weekend to late flintlock, 48 segments apply somewhere in Tioga-Hammond Lakes this license year.
| Species | Hunt | Unit | Opening day | Closing day | Open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 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 15, 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.
Around Tioga-Hammond Lakes: more public land
Orange is Tioga-Hammond Lakes; the other pins are public land within 25 miles. Tioga State Forest leads the list by size, 161,890 acres.
| Nearby area | Kind | Size (ac) | Miles | Heading | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Lands 37 | State Game Lands | 13,136 | 2 mi | west | 3A |
| Cowanesque Lake | Corps lake | — | 9 mi | north | 3A |
| State Game Lands 313 | State Game Lands | 485 | 10 mi | southwest | 3A |
| State Game Lands 335 | State Game Lands | 1,169 | 17 mi | southeast | 3B |
| State Game Lands 123 | State Game Lands | 1,604 | 17 mi | east | 3A, 3C |
| State Game Lands 268 | State Game Lands | 3,049 | 21 mi | southwest | 2G |
| Leonard Harrison State Park | State park | 250 | 21 mi | southwest | 2G |
| Colton Point State Park | State park | 100 | 21 mi | southwest | 2G |
| Tioga State Forest | State forest | 161,890 | 22 mi | southwest | 2G, 3A, 3B |
| Mount Pisgah State Park | State park | 1,100 | 23 mi | east | 3C |
| State Game Lands 208 | State Game Lands | 8,833 | 25 mi | west | 2G, 3A |
| State Game Lands 289 | State Game Lands | 1,642 | 25 mi | east | 3B, 3C |
Points from PGC, DCNR, USFS, USFWS and NPS GIS layers (PGC Cooperative Wildlife Management Areas GIS (point inside largest parcel)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Antlerless licenses and harvest around Tioga-Hammond Lakes
These numbers describe the whole WMU, not this property alone.
| WMU | Sq mi | SGL sq mi | Antler rule | Antlerless 2026-27 | Change | 2025 sellout | CWD found | Deer 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU 3A | 1,508 | 87 | 3 points, one side | 21,000 | +/- 0 | 7/28 | No | 14,500 |
Since 2015, the WMU 3A harvest has ranged from 8,300 (2015) to 14,500 (2025). The 2025-26 harvest broke down to 7,600 antlered, 6,900 antlerless. By season: 4,140 archery, 9,700 firearms, 660 muzzleloader. 21,000 antlerless licenses go to WMU 3A for 2026-27, a change of +/- 0.
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.
Tioga-Hammond Lakes: nearest towns and businesses
Each town links to its own hunting guide.
| Base town | County | Away | Area is | Residents | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mansfield | Tioga | 5 mi | north | 2,937 | 32,462 |
| Lawrenceville | Tioga | 9 mi | south | 698 | 13,511 |
| Wellsboro | Tioga | 13 mi | northeast | 3,422 | 54,886 |
| Blossburg | Tioga | 13 mi | north | 1,509 | 48,687 |
After the shot: local businesses
Agency 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.
Where to sight in near Tioga-Hammond Lakes
About 61 miles separates Tioga-Hammond Lakes from State Game Lands 206 Public Shooting Range, the nearest PGC range. Club ranges nearby round out the list.
Rifle range 50/75/100 yd, 10 points; Handgun range 25 yd, 8 points
Sporting clays / shotgun / 5-stand / archery / muzzleloader / silhouette / handgun / rifle
Trap / 5-stand
From the PGC Shooting Ranges layer and the Game Commission range rules, checked October 12, 2026.
Packing for Tioga-Hammond Lakes
Matched to the species on this page, with live listings.
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Shooting hours at Tioga-Hammond Lakes this week
Morning shooting time begins a half hour before sunup. Big game and small game run to a half hour after sundown; ducks, geese and doves stop at sundown.
Times worked out for Tioga-Hammond Lakes 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.
Answers for Tioga-Hammond Lakes hunters
Which unit sets the seasons on Tioga-Hammond Lakes?
WMU 3A covers it. Three points on one antler makes a legal buck in WMU 3A.
Where do hunters stay when they hunt Tioga-Hammond Lakes?
Start from Mansfield; the area lies 5 miles to the north, in Tioga County.
When is deer season on Tioga-Hammond Lakes?
Bowhunting from Oct 3, 2026, rifle Nov 28 to Dec 13, 2026. Every segment is in the table above.
Can I get a doe tag for Tioga-Hammond Lakes?
A WMU 3A antlerless license; PGC allocated 21,000 for 2026-27.
Do I need orange on Tioga-Hammond Lakes?
In small game and firearms big game seasons, 250 square inches combined on head, chest and back.
Are Sundays open at Tioga-Hammond Lakes?
Yes, in every 2026-27 season except migratory birds.
Which species can hunters pursue on Tioga-Hammond Lakes?
Listed game: pheasants.
Which license covers hunting on Tioga-Hammond Lakes?
Residents need the $20.97 adult license; juniors pay $6.97. For pheasants: $26.97 permit, free for juniors.
Where can I go if Tioga-Hammond Lakes has too many hunters?
Closest on the list: State Game Lands 37 (2 miles), Cowanesque Lake (9 miles) and State Game Lands 313 (10 miles), all within a short drive.
Are there pheasants on Tioga-Hammond Lakes?
1,685 birds over 7 releases.
Is there an official map of Tioga-Hammond Lakes?
Open the official link in the summary band.
Closing notes on Tioga-Hammond Lakes
Seasons, closures and road access on Tioga-Hammond Lakes can change during the license year. Check the official page before you load the truck.
Sources for this page: www.nab.usace.army.mil: Hunting · PGC AGOL layer: FeatureServer 300 · PGC AGOL layer: FeatureServer 100 · pa.gov: pheasant allocation; regulations from the 2026-27 PGC digest. Checked October 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain-Prairie (CC BY 2.0); bgautrea (CC BY-SA 2.0).