Home › Ohio › Public land › Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Buckeye state wildlife area with open hunting
Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area: seasons, rules and access
One state wildlife area of 1,060 acres in Knox County, open to licensed hunters.
Photo: Mark Spearman (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 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.
Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area: size, setting and history
Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area covers 1,060 acres in Knox County, a state wildlife area run by the ODNR Division of Wildlife. ODNR puts it around 2 miles to the northwest of Fredericktown. Questions go to District 1 in Columbus, the district that covers it. Walk it and you will find lake, river, woods, grassland, crops and streams, according to the agency listing. Expect company: the page names boating and fishing. Parcels are leased. You will find it as "Kokosing lake" in OAC 1501:31-15-04(A)(1).
One line from the ODNR listing:
“The Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area is in Knox County, 1.5 miles northwest of Fredericktown and five miles northeast of Chesterville.”
Sources disagree on size, from 1,060 to 1,210 acres; this page uses 1,060 (ODNR Property Details layer).
| Record | Acres |
|---|---|
| Property Details layer | 1,060 |
| Water (Property Details) | 150 |
| Hunting-status layer | 1,210 |
| GIS parcel area | 1,208 |
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 Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area: rules that apply on the ground
No restricted parcels: Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area is open land in the status layer.
- Drive and park only on designated roads and lots.
- No campsites on this property.
- 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.
- Lottery permits cover some hunts.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area lottery hunts for 2026
Kokosing Lake Wildlife 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.
| Number | Name | Kind | When to apply | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8005 | Kokosing Lake 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 Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area game is in season
ODNR and the lottery list tie squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, quail, waterfowl, raccoon and fox to Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area. Bird rows are filtered to Zone C.
| Game | Season | Opens | Closes | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Chukar | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 4 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 |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 4 daily |
| Chukar | Youth small game weekend | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 4 daily |
| Red fox | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Red fox | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Gray fox | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Gray fox | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No 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 |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | 15 daily |
| Mourning dove | Dove | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | 15 daily |
| Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | 5 daily |
| Teal | Early teal | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | 6 daily |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 1) | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 6 ducks daily |
| Ducks | Ducks (split 2) | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 ducks daily |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 1) | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 5 daily |
| Geese and brant | Geese (split 2) | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | 5 daily |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | Regular limits |
| Ducks | Veterans and military | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | Regular limits |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (ODNR property page hunting text); checked November 6, 2026.
Managed hunting features at Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Where ODNR plants for doves on Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area has 20 acres of dove fields in 2 block(s) (wheat lure, corn cover and 14 stakes). Controlled fields (1) need a drawn permit for the opening days.
| Field | Acres | Status | Planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| B3 | 15 | Controlled | 14 stakes, wheat lure, corn cover |
| B7 | 4.1 | Non-Controlled | wheat lure, corn cover |
Pheasant ground: Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Pheasants are stocked here: controlled-hunt fields, 2 fields on 34 acres. Fresh releases come on the youth weekends and November 6, November 14 and November 26.
Dogs at Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Bird-dog owners can use Kokosing Lake Dog Training Area (28 acres).
From the ODNR dove fields layer, pheasant release list, dog training layer; checked November 6, 2026.
County rules around Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Knox County allows 3 deer per hunter in 2026-27. Knox County hunters checked 6,704 deer in 2025-26 (2,539 antlered). This season to November 3, 2026, 1,440 deer have been checked there.
| County | Deer limit | CWD | Zone | Spring | Fall | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County | 3 deer | No | C | South | Open | 6,704 |
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.
Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area in the agency's words
What the managing agency says about the game on Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area:
“Areas near the North Branch Kokosing River and several small streams are home to raccoon, opossum, muskrat, mink, weasel, skunk, and fox.”
Quoted from the agency page; checked November 6, 2026.
Mapped hunting places beside Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Knox Lake Wildlife Area lies 4 miles east of the Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area point, the nearest open land. Nearby public places: 2 wildlife areas, 2 state parks and 1 public hunting area. Neighbours closed to hunting: Knox Woods State Nature Preserve (nature preserve) and Kokosing Scenic River (scenic river land).
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox Lake Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 756 | Knox | 4 miles | east |
| Mt Gilead State Park | State park | 181 | Morrow | 12 miles | west |
| Richland County WA 1 | Wildlife area | 89 | Richland | 13 miles | east |
| Malabar Farm State Park | State park | 875 | Richland | 14 miles | northeast |
| Pleasant Hill Lake Hunt Area | Hunting area | 2,198 | Richland | 15 miles | northeast |
| Mohican-Memorial State Forest | State forest | 4,541 | Ashland | 15 miles | east |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 1 parcel (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Closed places from the lands.json closed list. Checked November 6, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area: who to call and which map to carry
District help: Wildlife District One, 1500 Dublin Rd, Columbus, OH 43215, 614-644-3925. Knox County is patrolled by officer Austin Levering ((614) 400-0731). Poaching tips go to 1-800-POACHER, any hour. A note on the map reads: fish and wildlife, including a 160-acre lake. Limited camping and picnicking are provided by the U.S. A note on the map reads: corner of the area along with four acres of marsh.
- Area map PDF · legend: boat ramp, parking, latrine, accessible, camping, pheasant, no hunting, trail
- ODNR hunting regulations web map
- 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, 1 parcel (polygon centroid); checked November 6, 2026.
Where to fuel up and grab ice near Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Measured straight, Fredericktown is 3 miles from Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area. Of the five, Mansfield is the biggest with 47,593 residents (2024 estimate). Allow for 24 miles of straight-line distance to the Ashley ODNR office.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fredericktown | Knox | 2,658 | 3 miles | southeast |
| Mount Vernon | Knox | 17,329 | 11 miles | southeast |
| Mount Gilead | Morrow | 3,543 | 13 miles | west |
| Lucas | Richland | 586 | 16 miles | northeast |
| Mansfield | Richland | 47,593 | 18 miles | north |
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 Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area seasons
Around Kokosing Lake Wildlife 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. | 7:23 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:53 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 7:23 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. | 5:23 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:33 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:35 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:44 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 7:14 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | 7:44 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:50 a.m. | 5:06 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. | 7:50 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:54 a.m. | 5:14 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:44 p.m. | 7:24 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. | 7:54 a.m. to 5:14 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.
Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area district scenes and wildlife photos
Public range and clubs on the road to Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Delaware Wildlife Area Shooting Range is 25 miles from Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area and is the nearest public range on ODNR’s list. 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 Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area
Does Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area have managed dove fields?
Yes: 2 fields, B3 and B7.
Where do hunters buy supplies near Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area?
Fredericktown is the nearest, 3 miles off.
Is Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area fully open to hunters in the ODNR layer?
All parcels are open in the status layer.
Are pheasants released on Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area?
Yes; check the release days above.
Are Sundays open for hunting on Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area?
Ohio has no statewide Sunday restriction, so Sundays follow the regular seasons unless a lottery permit sets the day.
When must I check game taken on Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area?
Check it in by noon the next day; no check station visit is needed.
Acreage check: how large is Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area?
1,060 acres, according to the ODNR Property Details layer. The acreage table shows the spread.
What must I hold to hunt Kokosing Lake Wildlife 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 Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area?
1 drawn hunt(s) for 2026 (trapping). Apply for $3 each.
Deer bag limit for Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area?
Up to 3, by the county rule. Only one buck per season in Ohio, and two antlerless deer at most from public land.
Overnight stays at Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area?
No; book a room in a nearby town.
What are this season's duck dates for Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area?
It is in Zone C; duck splits run Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Dec 12, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027.
Do I need hunter orange on Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area during gun week?
Ohio requires a visible orange garment during deer gun seasons; camo orange counts.
Sign-off notes for Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area hunters
Rules, closures and lottery details for Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area can change mid-season; posted signs and the ODNR page have the last word.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4 · source 5; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: ilouque (CC BY 2.0); Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0); Birding for Climate (Public domain).