Home › Ohio › Public land › Grant Lake Wildlife Area
Hunting access · Ohio wildlife area
Hunt Grant Lake Wildlife Area this 2026-27 season
Hunting ground of 412 acres, run as a state wildlife area in Brown County.
Photo: David Wilson (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Grant Lake Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Grant Lake Wildlife Area
- Lake Grant Buckeye TrailheadParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 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.
Grant Lake Wildlife Area by the numbers ODNR keeps
The ODNR Division of Wildlife manages Grant Lake Wildlife Area, 412 acres of state wildlife area ground in Brown County. Its ODNR page places the ground about 1 miles south of Mt. Orab. For wildlife work it falls under District 5, run from Xenia. Natural features on record: lake, fall color and spring wildflowers. ODNR also lists birding and fishing here, with Buckeye Trail. Hunters have had this ground since the state bought in starting 1941 (through 2003), through several state funds and Fish Restoration money. By tenure the ground is owned outright by the state. It appears in OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1) as "Grant lake", the legal list of public hunting land.
Layers give between 406 and 415 acres, so the table shows each one.
| Measure | Acres |
|---|---|
| ODNR property page | 412 |
| Hunting-status layer | 415 |
| GIS parcel area | 406 |
From the ODNR property page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Grant Lake Wildlife Area
Ground rules for hunting Grant Lake Wildlife Area
Not all of Grant Lake Wildlife Area is huntable; the restricted tag points you to the map.
- No driving off the posted roads; park in the lots.
- Leave the tent at home: no camping here.
- Closed 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. from September through May 1 to anything but hunting, trapping and fishing.
- Guns may be fired only in lawful hunting, trapping or range use.
- Feed and bait are not allowed.
- Bring a portable stand; permanent stands are illegal.
- The public-area antlerless limit is two per license year.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Dates and limits for hunting Grant Lake Wildlife Area
No species list exists for Grant Lake Wildlife Area; Ohio statewide seasons govern it. Spring turkey rows show the 2026 dates; the 2027 spring dates were not out when checked.
| Game | Window | From | To | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sep 26, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | County limit |
| Deer | Youth gun | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | County limit |
| Deer | Gun | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | County limit |
| Deer | Bonus gun | Dec 19, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | County limit |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 5, 2027 | County limit |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 1 turkey |
| Squirrels | Regular | Sep 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 daily |
| Cottontail | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 4 daily |
| Pheasant | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 2 roosters daily |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 4 daily |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 4 daily |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 2 roosters daily |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 2 roosters daily |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (No species named by ODNR for this area); checked November 6, 2026.
Grant Lake Wildlife Area: next-nearest open land, by miles
Closest neighbour on the ODNR map: East Fork Wildlife Area, 8 miles west. Neighbour mix: 4 wildlife areas and 2 state parks.
| Nearby | Type | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Fork Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 2,705 | Clermont | 8 miles | west |
| East Fork State Park | State park | 4,870 | Clermont | 10 miles | west |
| Indian Creek Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 1,695 | Brown | 11 miles | north |
| Stonelick State Park | State park | 1,058 | Clermont | 16 miles | northwest |
| Della Gates & Edward Charles Bott WA | Wildlife area | 168 | Brown | 16 miles | north |
| Oldaker Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 140 | Highland | 18 miles | northeast |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 1 parcel (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside)). Straight-line distances. Closed places from the lands.json closed list. Checked November 6, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Where Grant Lake Wildlife Area sits in Ohio's rules
The Brown County deer limit is 3 this season, only one of them antlered statewide. ODNR counted 3,023 deer in Brown County for 2025-26, 1,810 of them antlerless. Through November 3, 2026: 561 deer checked.
| County | Bag | CWD area | Waterfowl | Turkey zone | Fall | Harvest 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 3,023 |
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.
Towns and outfitters a short drive from Grant Lake Wildlife Area
Williamsburg is the closest town on this site to Grant Lake Wildlife Area, 7 miles in a straight line. A bigger stop is Georgetown, population 4,498. ODNR staff closest to Grant Lake Wildlife Area work out of Fayetteville, 12 miles off.
| Town | County | Pop. 2024 | Miles off | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamsburg | Clermont | 2,645 | 7 miles | northwest |
| Georgetown | Brown | 4,498 | 10 miles | south |
| Fayetteville | Brown | 317 | 12 miles | north |
| Batavia | Clermont | 2,026 | 14 miles | west |
| Ripley | Brown | 1,591 | 20 miles | south |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Grant Lake Wildlife Area legal-hour chart by opener
Ohio deer hunters may shoot from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; ducks, geese, squirrels and fall turkeys stop at sunset; rabbits, pheasants, quail and doves wait for sunrise.
| When | Event | Rise | Set | Deer | Waterfowl | Small game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:26 a.m. | 7:28 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:58 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 7:28 p.m. | 7:26 a.m. to 7:28 p.m. |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Fall turkey | 7:30 a.m. | 7:20 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 7:50 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 7:20 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. to 7:20 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:08 a.m. | 5:31 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 6:01 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:31 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:34 a.m. | 5:15 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:45 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. | 7:45 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:51 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:51 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:55 a.m. | 5:24 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 7:55 a.m. to 5:24 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.
Reaching Grant Lake Wildlife Area and its managers
Your district office: 1076 Old Springfield Pike, Xenia, OH 45385, 937-372-9261. The officer assigned to Brown County is Micah Collier, (513) 646-4014. Call 1-800-POACHER to report a violation anonymously.
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, 1 parcel (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside)); checked November 6, 2026.
Images for sizing up a Grant Lake Wildlife Area hunt
Public range and clubs on the road to Grant Lake Wildlife Area
Grant Lake Wildlife Area hunters reach Indian Creek Wildlife Area Shooting Range, the nearest ODNR-listed range, after about 11 miles. Club and private ranges within 30 miles fill the other cards.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Common Grant Lake Wildlife Area questions with sourced answers
Where can hunters stay overnight at Grant Lake Wildlife Area?
No overnight camping.
When can ducks be hunted on Grant Lake Wildlife Area this year?
Ducks in Zone C open Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
Hunter orange rules for Grant Lake Wildlife Area in deer season?
A hunter orange vest or coat during the gun deer seasons; no square-inch rule.
Stand and bait rules for Grant Lake Wildlife Area?
Portable stands only, with nothing driven into the tree, and no bait: deer baiting is illegal on public hunting areas.
Who should I phone about hunting Grant Lake Wildlife Area?
1-800-WILDLIFE reaches the managers.
What are deer hunting hours at Grant Lake Wildlife Area on the gun opener?
Deer hours run 7:04 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. on November 30, 2026, worked out for this spot.
Is hunting restricted anywhere on Grant Lake Wildlife Area?
Parts are closed or limited; carry the map.
Where is Grant Lake Wildlife Area relative to the nearest town?
Williamsburg (7 miles).
Does Ohio law allow Sunday hunts on Grant Lake Wildlife Area?
Sunday is a normal hunting day in Ohio.
What is the deadline to report a deer from Grant Lake Wildlife Area?
Noon the next day is the deadline for the game check.
Acreage check: how large is Grant Lake Wildlife Area?
412 acres, from the ODNR property page. The table above lists every source.
Which Ohio license and permits do I need for Grant Lake Wildlife Area?
A hunting license and species permits, as anywhere in Ohio; no separate area permit for general hunting.
Can I apply for a drawn hunt at Grant Lake Wildlife Area?
No controlled hunts are on file for it.
Grant Lake Wildlife Area: the night-before checklist
Report your deer or turkey by noon the next day, and keep your license and permits on you while hunting Grant Lake Wildlife Area.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Russ (CC BY 2.0); Wing-Chi Poon (CC BY-SA 2.5).