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Buckeye public hunting area with open hunting
Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area: seasons, rules and access
One public hunting area of 3,234 acres in Ashland County and Richland County, open to licensed hunters.
Photo: Tom Hart (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Esbenshade Landis Wetland AreaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Mount Zion ChurchParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area: size, setting and history
Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area covers 3,234 acres in Ashland County and Richland County, a public hunting area run by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Questions go to District 3 in Akron, the district that covers it. Parcels are held under a cooperative agreement.
Sources disagree on size, from 3,234 to 3,242 acres; this page uses 3,234 (ODNR lands layer SUM_CALC_ACRES).
| Record | Acres |
|---|---|
| Hunting-status layer | 3,234 |
| GIS parcel area | 3,242 |
From the agency page, ODNR hunting-status layer; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area
Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area: rules that apply on the ground
Part of Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area is off limits or carries special limits, according to the status layer.
- Drive and park only on designated roads and lots.
- Camping is prohibited (Appalachian Hills, Simco and Woodbury are the exceptions).
- From May 2 to August 31 the night closure runs 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Target practice only at a designated Division of Wildlife range.
- No salt, grain or feed may be put out.
- Portable stands only; nothing inserted into a tree.
- Count your does: two antlerless deer from public areas per year.
- The land is held under a cooperative agreement with the Division of Wildlife.
- Lottery permits cover some hunts.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Lottery permits for Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area
Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area carries 1 lottery hunt in 2026, namely 1 trapping. A $3 fee buys one entry per hunt; results come by email. The trapping drawings happen face to face on October 3, 2026.
| No. | Lottery hunt | Game | Window | Packet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2819 | Charles Mill Lake MWCD beaver/otter trapping | Trapping | In person, Oct. 3 | packet |
Hunts from the ODNR controlled hunting access lotteries page and the 2026-27 regulations, pp. 26-27; checked November 6, 2026.
When the Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area game is in season
ODNR and the lottery list tie trapping to Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area.
| Game | Season | Opens | Closes | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mink | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| Muskrat | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| Beaver | Trapping | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | No limit |
| River otter | Trapping | Dec 26, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 1 of the 3 |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (controlled hunt lotteries); checked November 6, 2026.
County rules around Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area
Ashland County allows 3 deer per hunter in 2026-27. Final 2025-26 figure for Ashland County: 5,108 deer checked. This season to November 3, 2026, 1,082 deer have been checked there.
| County | Deer limit | CWD | Zone | Spring | Fall | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland County | 3 deer | No | B, C | South | Open | 5,108 |
| Richland County | 3 deer | No | B | South | Open | 5,151 |
From the deer bag limit map, DSA, waterfowl zones, turkey zones, 2025-26 deer harvest report, harvest to date (ODNR Division of Wildlife); checked November 6, 2026.
Mapped hunting places beside Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area
Cherp's Eagle Valley Wildlife Area lies 3 miles north of the Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area point, the nearest open land. Nearby public places: 3 public hunting areas, 1 state park and 1 state forest. Neighbours closed to hunting: Clear Fork Gorge State Nature Preserve (nature preserve), Mohican State Park (park without hunting) and Bonnett Pond Bog State Nature Preserve (nature preserve).
| Place | Type | Acres | County | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherp's Eagle Valley WA | Hunting area | 177 | Richland | 3 miles | north |
| Black Fork Bottom Hunting Area | Hunting area | 124 | Ashland | 4 miles | northwest |
| Malabar Farm State Park | State park | 875 | Richland | 8 miles | south |
| Pleasant Hill Lake Hunt Area | Hunting area | 2,198 | Richland | 9 miles | south |
| Mohican-Memorial State Forest | State forest | 4,541 | Ashland | 12 miles | south |
| Cool Springs Wildlife Conservation Park | Wildlife area | 192 | Ashland | 13 miles | east |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 2 parcels (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Closed places from the lands.json closed list. Checked November 6, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area: who to call and which map to carry
District help: Wildlife District Three, 912 Portage Lakes Dr, Akron, OH 44319, 330-644-2293. Ashland County is patrolled by officer Evan Huegel ((330) 245-3044). Poaching tips go to 1-800-POACHER, any hour. A note on the map reads: licenses are required for fishing and hunting. A note on the map reads: largemouth bass, saugeye, and white bass.
- Area map PDF · legend: lake
- Route to the point
Address and phone from the agency page and the ODNR Property Details layer; district offices from the ODNR Districts layer; officers from the officer list; point from ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 2 parcels (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 6, 2026.
Supply towns and ODNR help around Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area
Measured straight, Lucas is 5 miles from Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area. For a full grocery run, Mansfield (47,593 people) is the pick. Allow for 22 miles of straight-line distance to the Shreve ODNR office.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas | Richland | 586 | 5 miles | southwest |
| Ashland | Ashland | 18,770 | 8 miles | northeast |
| Mansfield | Richland | 47,593 | 8 miles | west |
| Jeromesville | Ashland | 528 | 10 miles | east |
| Loudonville | Ashland | 2,778 | 12 miles | southeast |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
First and last legal minutes across Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area seasons
Around Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area, deer light opens 30 minutes before sunrise and ends 30 minutes after sunset; rabbit and pheasant hunters keep strict sunrise to sunset.
| Day | Marker | Sun up | Sun down | Deer hours | Duck hours | Upland hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:20 a.m. | 7:22 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 7:22 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:25 a.m. | 7:14 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 7:44 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:05 a.m. | 5:22 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:23 a.m. | 5:08 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:33 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:50 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 7:50 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:54 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:42 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. | 7:54 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Eastern Time); checked November 6, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area district scenes and wildlife photos
Public range and clubs on the road to Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area
The closest ODNR-listed range to Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area is Spencer Lake Wildlife Area Shooting Range, about 29 miles off as the crow flies. After it come club ranges that sit inside 30 miles.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Things people ask before driving to Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area
Which number reaches the Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area managers?
The Wildlife District Three office, 330-644-2293.
Deer hours at Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area on the first gun day?
Thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty after sunset; on November 30, 2026 that is 7:03 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. here (NOAA solar formula).
Is Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area fully open to hunters in the ODNR layer?
Only part of it is open.
Where do hunters buy supplies near Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
Lucas, 5 miles away in a straight line.
Are Sundays open for hunting on Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
Ohio has no statewide Sunday restriction, so Sundays follow the regular seasons unless a lottery permit sets the day.
Do I have to report game shot on Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
Check it in by noon the next day; no check station visit is needed.
Acreage check: how large is Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
3,234 acres, according to the ODNR lands layer SUM_CALC_ACRES.
What must I hold to hunt Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area legally?
Ohio license first, then the game permit. Public hunting land in Ohio charges no access fee. Some hunts here are by lottery permit.
Are there controlled hunts on Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
1 drawn hunt(s) for 2026 (trapping). Apply for $3 each.
Which county deer limit applies to Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
Ashland County allows 3. Only one buck per season in Ohio, and two antlerless deer at most from public land.
May I camp while hunting Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
No; book a room in a nearby town.
What are this season's duck dates for Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area?
It is in Zone B; duck splits run Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027.
Do I need hunter orange on Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area during gun week?
Ohio requires a visible orange garment during deer gun seasons; camo orange counts.
Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area trip, last details
Rules, closures and lottery details for Charles Mill Lake Hunt Area can change mid-season; posted signs and the ODNR page have the last word.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); Juliana Chong (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0).