Home › Wisconsin › Public land › Clam Lake Wildlife Area
Burnett County, Wisconsin
Clam Lake Wildlife Area: the hunter's file
Deer unit Burnett, bear and turkey zones, closures, licenses and the nearest towns and services.
Photo: wackybadger (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Clam Lake Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Clam Lake Wildlife Area
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 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.
Key facts for Clam Lake Wildlife Area
Clam Lake Wildlife Area is a DNR state wildlife area in Burnett County. The DNR files it under its Northern Region (the Northwoods). Management sits with the Wisconsin DNR. Acreage: 459, which places it 156th of 285 state wildlife areas. The closest covered town is Siren, around 4 miles off as the crow flies.
From the source page (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS ACRES field, sum of parcels open to hunting); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Clam Lake Wildlife Area
Clam Lake Wildlife Area by zone and unit
Deer: Central Farmland zone, Burnett. 1,600 antlerless deer: the 2026 quota for the unit. Bear hunters here apply for Zone D: 6,847 applied for 2026 and 3,855 permits went out. In Zone 4 turkey hunters held 34,997 spring tags in 2025 (spring 2027 levels are not out yet). Burnett County still allows deer baiting, up to 2 gallons per 40 acres with placement rules.
DMU figures for Clam Lake Wildlife Area
| Unit | Deer zone | Quota | Public-access bonus | Private bonus | Farmland per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnett Central Farmland | Central Farmland | 1,600 | 463 | 2,375 | 2 |
Clam Lake Wildlife Area zone table
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear zone D | Dogs OK | 1,100 target, 3,855 permits | 2 points | 931 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey 4 | 34,997 spring tags (2025) | 24% success | 8,472 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Ruffed grouse A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Goose | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf 3 | No hunt | Endangered status |
Zones from the DNR zone layers as recorded in lands.json; quotas and bonus tags from the 2026 antlerless quota table; bear figures from the 2026 bear drawing summary and 2025 bear harvest; turkey from the 2025 spring turkey report; CWD and baiting lists from the DNR. Checked October 19, 2026.
Clam Lake Wildlife Area: the property description
Copied from the official listing.
Clam Lake Wildlife Area is a 285-acre property located in southern Burnett County, 2-3 miles east of Siren. Contained in this wildlife area are four notable sections: a one-mile stretch of the Clam River, a peninsula with boat access to Clam Lake and two islands within Clam Lake. Parking is located at the boat ramp on Cumberland Point Road, as well as on Lynch Bridge Road, 0.7 miles east of Gordon Road. Habitat consists of a wide variety of lowland-wetland types as well as upland old fields, northern hardwoods, two sedge/brush islands and riparian areas of the lake shore and river.
The property is managed for waterfowl and upland game birds and nesting habitat, providing quality birdwatching and hunting opportunities for many species, including deer and bear. Two boat ramps are present on Clam Lake: one on the east and west sides, respectively. Panfish, largemouth bass and northern pike are common fish on Clam Lake. Other species present include smallmouth bass, walleye, sturgeon and catfish. The North Fork Clam River, 2.5 miles southeast of the wildlife area, is a Class 3 trout stream.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Access, closures and licenses for Clam Lake Wildlife Area
Clam Lake Wildlife Area: open to whom, and how
Open to public hunting and trapping in state seasons with the right Wisconsin licenses. Posted refuges and closed areas are off limits, and the NR 45 state land rules apply.
Orange, stands and GameReg at Clam Lake Wildlife Area
Bowhunters too: when a gun deer season is on, 50% of the coat and hat must be orange or pink, unless you are hunting waterfowl. A ground blind on DNR property needs 144 sq in of orange or pink during gun deer seasons. South of Hwy. 64 every stand and blind leaves with you; north of it, two portable stands per county may stay out Sept. 1-Jan. 31. Use GameReg (online or 844-426-3734) before 5 p.m. the day after the harvest.
Tags and licenses for Clam Lake Wildlife Area
Licenses sell on Go Wild. On public land, antlerless deer need a public-access authorization for the unit.
Access from the source page; closures from the DNR closed and restricted areas layer; stocking and dove fields from the DNR upland bird layers; rules from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 regulations; prices from Go Wild. Checked October 19, 2026.
Which animals Clam Lake Wildlife Area lists
Game on the record for Clam Lake Wildlife Area: whitetails, black bears, ducks and geese and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
White-tailed deer
Black bear
Ducks and geese
Furbearers
Seasons not named here still apply if they are open in Burnett County and the property rules allow.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Which seasons are open in Clam Lake Wildlife Area
Deer dates are statewide in Wisconsin; bear, turkey, grouse, cottontail and waterfowl dates follow zone lines, so only the rows for Clam Lake Wildlife Area are listed.
| Species | Season | Where it applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery and crossbow | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth/disabled gun hunt | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun deer (9-day) | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | December antlerless hunt | Statewide | Dec 10, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt, Burnett | Dec 24, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Extended archery and crossbow | Extended archery | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D/A | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D/A | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D/A | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 4/6 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 4/6 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 4/6 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 4/6 | May 26, 2027 | Jun 1, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone A | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Pheasant | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite Quail | Bobwhite quail | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Hungarian partridge | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Squirrel | Squirrel | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Cottontail rabbit | Northern cottontail zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe Hare | Snowshoe hare | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| American Crow | Crow | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Mar 24, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl hunt | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular duck | Northern Duck Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose | Northern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon (resident) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon (nonresident) | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red and gray fox | Fox (red and gray) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Coyote (hunting) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 1 | North of Hwy. 64 | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 1 | South of Hwy. 64 | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 2 | North of Hwy. 64 | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 2 | South of Hwy. 64 | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Unprotected species | Unprotected species | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Fall 2026-Spring 2027 hunting regulations and season dates, checked October 19, 2026.
Clam Lake Wildlife Area: county harvest and CWD tests
Hunters registered 2,861 deer in the Burnett County unit in 2025: 1,327 bucks and 1,534 antlerless. High year on the chart: 2017 at 5,290; low year: 2025 at 2,861. Preliminary 2026 count to Oct. 19: 264 in Burnett Central Farmland. Burnett County CWD testing (2025): 0 positives out of 130 samples. Cumulative total 0 positives in 3,047 tests. Burnett County bear harvest, 2025: 164. Harvest and CWD figures cover Burnett County as a whole.
Burnett County deer by year
| Year | Buck | Antlerless | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,327 | 1,534 | 2,861 |
| 2024 | 2,240 | 1,588 | 3,828 |
| 2023 | 1,922 | 1,571 | 3,493 |
| 2022 | 2,590 | 2,449 | 5,039 |
| 2021 | 2,379 | 2,201 | 4,580 |
| 2020 | 2,560 | 2,315 | 4,875 |
Testing for CWD, Burnett County
| Year | Deer tested | CWD positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 9 | 0 |
| 2025 | 130 | 0 |
| 2024 | 144 | 0 |
| 2023 | 152 | 0 |
| 2022 | 187 | 0 |
| 2021 | 169 | 0 |
Bears by year, Burnett County
| Year | Bears | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 224 | 93 | 131 |
| 2025 | 164 | 74 | 90 |
Deer from DNR Deer Metrics harvest history and the 2026 harvest to date; CWD from the DNR CWD summary; bears from the DNR bear harvest reports. Checked October 19, 2026.
Clam Lake Wildlife Area pinned among its neighbours
Map of Clam Lake Wildlife Area and the 10 nearest public places. That is 125,053 acres of public ground.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clam Lake Cumberland Point | Access site | 20 | 1.7 mi | northwest |
| Clam River | Wildlife area | 9 | 3.9 mi | north |
| Amsterdam Sloughs | Wildlife area | 5,098 | 7.1 mi | northwest |
| Spring Creek | Fishery area | 72 | 7.7 mi | northeast |
| Blomberg Lake & Woods | State natural area | 965 | 7.8 mi | west |
| McKenzie Creek | Wildlife area | 5,545 | 9.3 mi | south |
| Sand Creek (Polk and Burnett Counties) | Fishery area | 1,435 | 9.7 mi | southeast |
| Yellow Lake | Wildlife area | 233 | 9.9 mi | north |
| Burnett | County forest | 111,516 | 9.9 mi | northeast |
| Tula Lake | State natural area | 160 | 10 mi | south |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS (polygon centroid of hunting-open parcels) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Towns, processors and DNR desks near Clam Lake Wildlife Area
Start with a town, then line up a cooler, a butcher and a mount.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siren | Burnett | 3.7 mi | 927 | 18,217 |
| Lewis | Polk | 5.7 mi | — | 20,655 |
| Webster | Burnett | 7.5 mi | 712 | 49,270 |
| Frederic | Polk | 12 mi | 1,141 | 9,929 |
For the wider county picture: Burnett County.
Venison, mounts and ammo near Clam Lake Wildlife Area
Clam Lake Wildlife Area: agency contacts
County service center: DNR Spooner Service Center (715-635-2101).
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from the land layers; businesses from store locators and listings (license-only agents left out); offices from DNR, USFS and USFWS pages. Checked October 19, 2026. Call ahead.
Clam Lake Wildlife Area: nearest ranges
Frog Creek Washburn Cty. Forest in Washburn County is the nearest DNR-map range, 32 miles out. Two nearby club ranges follow.
rifle, trap, shotgun, handgun, smallbore rimfire on file
sporting clays, shotgun on file
trap, skeet, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
First and last legal minute at Clam Lake Wildlife Area
Deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey: 30 minutes before sunrise until 20 minutes after sunset. Ducks, geese, doves and spring turkey: same start, done at sunset.
| Date | Season moment | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, grouse opener | 6:15 a.m. to 7:47 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:59 a.m. to 6:41 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:20 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:48 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 7:00 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:19 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:21 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:06 p.m. |
Deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey table times from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shooting hours tables, plus the Zone F offset of 20 minutes for longitude 92.31 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Questions hunters raise about Clam Lake Wildlife Area
What waterfowl dates apply at Clam Lake Wildlife Area?
Duck zone: Northern; goose zone: Northern. Northern Zone ducks open Sep 26, 2026-27.
Can I put out corn for deer at Clam Lake Wildlife Area?
Yes, within the state limits on amount and placement. No positive wild deer recorded here.
How much orange do I wear at Clam Lake Wildlife Area?
During any firearm deer season: 50% of your outer clothing above the waist and 50% of any cap, blaze orange or pink. Waterfowl hunters are exempt.
When must I register a turkey from Clam Lake Wildlife Area?
Deer: online, phone or station by 5 p.m. next day. Turkeys: online or phone only.
Which tags work on Clam Lake Wildlife Area?
No special permit for most of it; buy the license on Go Wild and carry public-access antlerless tags.
Is there other public ground around Clam Lake Wildlife Area?
By straight-line distance: Clam Lake – Cumberland Point State Public Access (2 miles), Clam River State Habitat Area (4 miles) and Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Area (7 miles).
What type of property is Clam Lake Wildlife Area on the record?
It is a DNR state wildlife area, managed by the Wisconsin DNR.
What size is Clam Lake Wildlife Area on the record?
About 459 acres.
What is the nearest town to Clam Lake Wildlife Area?
Base in Siren, 4 miles away; the ground is in Burnett County.
Which game is named for Clam Lake Wildlife Area?
The property record lists whitetails, black bears, ducks and geese and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
What is the antlerless quota at Clam Lake Wildlife Area?
Burnett, part of the Central Farmland zone. Antlerless goal for 2026: 1,600.
Which bear permit zone holds Clam Lake Wildlife Area?
D. You need a Class A license from the drawing.
How many turkey permits go to the Clam Lake Wildlife Area zone?
Turkey Zone 4. 34,997 spring tags were issued there in 2025.
Clam Lake Wildlife Area: one more look before the drive
Signs on the ground beat any web page. Read the posted boundaries at Clam Lake Wildlife Area when you arrive.
Sources for this page: DNR: Clamlake · DNR GIS · DNR: alpha; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Olivier Bruchez (CC BY-SA 2.0); Flappy Pigeon (CC BY-SA 4.0).