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WMA, southwest Georgia
Lake Seminole WMA A Hunter's Guide
8,300 acres of wma in Decatur and Seminole counties, with 2026-27 dates, harvest numbers, licenses and a map.
Photo: Phil Whitehouse (CC BY 2.0)
Lake Seminole WMA season dates, 2026-27
9 lines in this season's WRD listing apply to Lake Seminole WMA: deer, turkey, waterfowl, coyote and small game.
| Game | Type | Dates | Marks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sept. 28-Oct. 9, Jan. 16-31 | — | |
| Deer | Archery | Buck Only: Sept. 12-27 | — | |
| Deer | Primitive | Oct. 10-16 | — | |
| Deer | Firearms | Oct. 17-Jan. 15 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-May 15 | — | |
| Waterfowl | — | State Seasons | — | No hunting within 300 yards of a developed recreation area, house, dock, building or other structure. |
| Coyote | — | No May 16-31 coyote & hog season. | — | |
| Small game | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Waterfowl | — | State Seasons | — | No hunting within 300 yards of a developed recreation area, house, dock, building or other structure. |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Lake Seminole WMA by the numbers
Think of Lake Seminole WMA as a wildlife management area run by WRD spread over Decatur and Seminole counties. WRD handles it out of the Albany office (Game Management Region 5). It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. Its 8,300 acres put it 40th by size among 121 WMAs on our list. The nearest covered town is Donalsonville, around 10 miles off in a straight line.
Lake Seminole WMA, county by county
| County | Seat of county | People | Either-sex colour | Bear zone | Alligator | Deer checked, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur County | Bainbridge | 29,391 | Magenta | None | Zone 2 | 1,494 |
| Seminole County | Donalsonville | 9,274 | Magenta | None | Zone 2 | 307 |
From the source page (Georgia 2026-27 Hunting Regulations (eRegulations) area listing); counties and zones from the WRD county zone tables; county deer counts from WRD Game Check; population from the Census 2024 estimates. Checked October 13, 2026.
Deer and turkeys taken on Lake Seminole WMA
In 2025-26 the reported take on Lake Seminole WMA reached 67. The best season on the chart is 2017-18 at 111; the lowest, 39 in 2018-19. Early 2026-27 figure, still climbing: 1. The spring 2025 turkey count for Lake Seminole WMA was 2, out of 16 across the years shown. Treat them as a floor. They are Game Check entries, not adjusted totals.
Deer counts, Lake Seminole WMA
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025-26 | 34 | 33 | 67 |
| 2024-25 | 26 | 35 | 61 |
| 2023-24 | 16 | 44 | 60 |
| 2022-23 | 24 | 38 | 62 |
| 2021-22 | 14 | 25 | 39 |
| 2020-21 | 22 | 23 | 45 |
| 2019-20 | 36 | 27 | 63 |
| 2018-19 | 22 | 17 | 39 |
| 2017-18 | 41 | 70 | 111 |
| 2016-17 | 32 | 42 | 74 |
Spring gobblers at Lake Seminole WMA
| Year | Gobblers |
|---|---|
| Spring 2025 | 2 |
| Spring 2024 | 1 |
| Spring 2023 | 2 |
| Spring 2020 | 1 |
| Spring 2018 | 4 |
| Spring 2017 | 2 |
| Spring 2016 | 4 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
Lake Seminole WMA described
Nothing here is our wording: it is the manager's own description.
Agency description
Lake Seminole Wildlife Management Area consists of four separate tracts of land in southwest Georgia totaling 8,635 acres. Hunting opportunities include deer, turkey, and small game. No hunting is allowed within 200 yards of a house, dock, building, structure or developed recreation area.
Linked ground around Lake Seminole WMA
| Area | Type | Counties | Acres | Deer 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Seminole | Corps lake | Decatur, Seminole | — | 39 |
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Lake Seminole WMA licenses and access
Ground rules, then the paperwork.
Lake Seminole WMA ground rules
Anyone 16 or older needs a Georgia hunting or fishing license, or a Lands Pass, just to enter. Online sign-in is mandatory for deer, bear and turkey; it opens the day ahead.
- No camping is allowed on this property
- No camping
Lake Seminole WMA license checklist
Big game hunters add the Big Game License to a hunting license, or buy the Sportsman's, and always carry the free Harvest Record.
Three statewide rules for Lake Seminole WMA
Orange or blaze pink, 500 square inches above the waist, during primitive weapons and firearms deer and bear hunts. Hunting over bait is unlawful on every state or federal property, this one included. Every deer, turkey and bear goes into Game Check within 24 hours.
Driving to Lake Seminole WMA
This WMA consists of 9 tracts along Lake Seminole and associated waterways. Maps available at gohuntgeorgia.com.
Game at Lake Seminole WMA, with limits
Species with a season or a mention here: whitetails, gobblers, ducks and geese and squirrels and rabbits.
White-tailed deer
Listing starts with archery, Buck Only: Sept. 12-27.
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
Lake Seminole WMA on the map, with its neighbours
Lake Seminole WMA sits at the orange pin, with 5 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Their published acreage adds up to 16,375.
| Public ground | Type | Acres | Distance | Which way | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Featherfield WMA | WMA | 875 | 8 mi | south | 9 |
| Silver Lake WMA | WMA | 9,200 | 15 mi | southeast | 84 |
| Lake Seminole | Corps lake | — | 16 mi | south | 39 |
| Mayhaw WMA | WMA | 6,300 | 22 mi | northeast | 239 |
| George W. Andrews Lake | Corps lake | — | 25 mi | north | 2 |
Points from WRD, USFS, USFWS, NPS, DoD and Recreation.gov layers (WRD WMA Boundary GIS (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Lake Seminole WMA: nearest ranges
Mayhaw Shooting Range in Miller County is the nearest range on the WRD list, 21 miles out.
Facilities: 100-yard Range
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Lake Seminole WMA: nearest towns and businesses
Closest towns first; businesses by county and distance.
| Town | County | Distance | Population | Public ground (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donalsonville | Seminole | 10 mi | 2,864 | 1,393 |
| Boykin | Miller | 20 mi | — | 2,624 |
| Faceville | Decatur | 22 mi | — | 12,989 |
| Colquitt | Miller | 22 mi | 1,936 | 6,221 |
Read the county pages: Decatur County, Seminole County.
Shops and processors by Lake Seminole WMA
WRD and ranger offices near Lake Seminole WMA
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from WRD, USFS, USFWS and DoD layers; businesses from WRD lists, store locators and listings; offices from WRD, DNR Law Enforcement and USFS pages. Checked October 13, 2026. Call ahead.
Gear picked for Lake Seminole WMA
Picked around the hunting done here; prices change daily.
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Hunting hours near Lake Seminole WMA
In Georgia, legal hunting hours run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Doves, ducks and other migratory birds stop at sunset.
Worked out for Lake Seminole WMA in Eastern time from the rule in the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division guide (hunting hours). Hogs, coyotes, raccoons and some furbearers may be hunted at night on private land; check the guide. Shooting hours for every county.
Lake Seminole WMA, asked and answered
Where do I sign in to hunt Lake Seminole WMA?
For bear, deer and turkey, yes, online, starting a day ahead.
Can I walk onto Lake Seminole WMA without a license?
Anyone 16 or older needs a Georgia hunting or fishing license, or a Lands Pass ($30.00 resident, $60.00 nonresident).
Can I turkey hunt Lake Seminole WMA in April?
Gobblers: Apr. 3-May 15. Public-land limit: one gobbler per area.
When is the first deer hunt at Lake Seminole WMA?
Deer begin with Sept. 28-Oct. 9, Jan. 16-31 (archery). More lines sit in the season table.
Is hunting at Lake Seminole WMA first come?
The listing carries no quota symbol.
What can be hunted at Lake Seminole WMA?
4 groups: whitetails, gobblers, ducks and geese and squirrels and rabbits.
How did Lake Seminole WMA do in 2025-26?
Reported deer, 2025-26: 67.
Is there a campground on Lake Seminole WMA?
No; stay in a nearby town.
Which areas are close to Lake Seminole WMA?
The closest on our list are Featherfield WMA (8 miles), Silver Lake WMA (15 miles) and Lake Seminole (16 miles).
What gator zone is Lake Seminole WMA in?
Zone 2. Gators need a quota permit.
Does game from Lake Seminole WMA go through Game Check?
Yes: deer, bear, turkey and alligator are reported on Game Check inside 24 hours.
What is the orange rule at Lake Seminole WMA?
Yes, 500 square inches of orange or pink during gun and muzzleloader big game dates.
Lake Seminole WMA: confirm before you go
Before the drive to Lake Seminole WMA, confirm the listing dates, your licenses and any posted closures.
Sources for this page: WRD: lake seminole wma · Georgia regulations: wma regulations i p · WRD GIS · WRD GIS · WRD GIS; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: gary_leavens (CC BY-SA 2.0); BotheredByBees (CC BY 2.0).