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Wildlife area, southeast Wisconsin
George Lake State Habitat Area hunting notes
161 acres of wildlife area in Kenosha County, with 2026-27 zones, quotas, rules, CWD testing and a map.
Photo: newagecrap (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to George Lake State Habitat Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near George Lake State Habitat Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking 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 · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 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.
George Lake State Habitat Area, by its record
Count George Lake State Habitat Area among the state wildlife areas of Kenosha County. It falls in the DNR Southeast Region, southeast Wisconsin. The Wisconsin DNR manages the land. By size (161 acres) it is number 195 among 285 state wildlife areas on our list. Head southwest from Kenosha for about 8 miles.
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 George Lake State Habitat Area
Zone lines at George Lake State Habitat Area
Deer rules follow the Southern Farmland zone and Kenosha. For 2026 the antlerless quota stands at 300. In Bear Zone F the DNR drew 764 permits for a target of 50 bears; drawn hunters needed 1 point. Turkey Zone 2: 51,056 spring authorizations in 2025 and 22% hunter success. Kenosha County is on the CWD list: a positive wild deer has been found. Deer may not be baited or fed in Kenosha County.
George Lake State Habitat Area deer management units
| DMU | Zone | 2026 antlerless | Public bonus | Private bonus | Free per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha | Southern Farmland | 300 | 100 | 265 | 1 |
| Kenosha County Metro Sub-Unit | Metro | Parent quota | 150 | 150 | 1 |
Bear, turkey, grouse and waterfowl lines through George Lake State Habitat Area
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear F | No hound hunting | 50 target, 764 permits | 1 point | 27 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey 2 | 51,056 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 11,024 gobblers | 2,500 fall bonus |
| Grouse B | Oct 17–Dec 8 | 2 a day | ||
| Ducks | Southern | Oct 3–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 | ||
| Canada geese | Southern | Sep 16–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 Dec 19–Jan 2 | ||
| Wolf zone 6 | Closed | Federal protection |
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.
Hunting George Lake State Habitat Area within the rules
Who may hunt George Lake State Habitat Area
It works like other DNR wildlife ground: statewide seasons, regular licenses, posted closures and NR 45 property rules.
Statewide rules that reach George Lake State Habitat Area
Wisconsin asks for 50% blaze orange or fluorescent pink above the waist in firearm deer seasons, archers included, waterfowlers not. Ground blinds on DNR land in a firearm deer season show at least 144 square inches of solid orange or pink, visible from all sides. Unattended stands carry your name or customer ID; they may be left out north of State Hwy. 64 (up to two per county), never south of it. Registration through GameReg closes at 5 p.m. on the day after recovery.
George Lake State Habitat Area license list
Residents often take the Conservation Patron, which bundles the hunting licenses. Antlerless tags on public land must be public-access tags.
George Lake State Habitat Area: refuges and closures
George Lake State Habitat Area carries 3 posted restrictions. Typical exception: Except gun and muzzleloader deer, retrieval of legally killed or crippled game in posted zones.
| Area | Rule | Dates | Acres | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peterkin Pond | Year-round game refuge | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 127 | NR 11.02(5)(a) |
| Peat Lake State Natural Area | No entry wildlife refuge | SEP 1–DEC 31 | 169 | NR 11.05(1)(a) |
| Dover | No entry wildlife refuge | SEP 1–DEC 31 | 86 | NR 11.05(3)(a) |
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.
George Lake State Habitat Area: the game on record
No species list is published for George Lake State Habitat Area, so every open season applies under the property rules.
See the 42 seasons listed for Kenosha County below.
Species from the property record (No species list published for this property; open seasons follow statewide/zone regulations where hunting is allowed.); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
George Lake State Habitat Area hunting dates, fall 2026 to spring 2027
20 species and 42 segments reach George Lake State Habitat Area. The last column compares each one with today.
| Quarry | Season | Zone | From | To | Status 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 | Metro sub-unit gun | Metro sub-unit: Milwaukee | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 9, 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 | Extended archery and crossbow | Metro sub-unit | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone F | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 2 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 2 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 2 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 2 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 2 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 2 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 2 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 2 | May 26, 2027 | Jun 1, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone B | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 | |
| 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 | Southern cottontail zone | Oct 17, 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 (split 1) | Southern Duck Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular duck | Open Water Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 15, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular duck (split 2) | Southern Duck Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 1) | Southern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 2) | Southern Goose Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (holiday split) | Southern Goose Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 2, 2027 | |
| 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.
Deer, bears and CWD around George Lake State Habitat Area
Last full season (2025) the Kenosha County unit gave up 510 deer. Since 2016 the yearly total has ranged from 318 (2019) to 510 (2025). So far in 2026 (preliminary, Oct. 19): Kenosha 26 deer. In CWD year 2025, 35 Kenosha County deer were tested and 1 came back positive. Since 1999: 1,320 sampled, 7 positive. Property-level harvest does not exist for George Lake State Habitat Area; county numbers stand in.
Deer table, Kenosha County
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 316 | 194 | 510 |
| 2024 | 276 | 143 | 419 |
| 2023 | 317 | 164 | 481 |
| 2022 | 269 | 176 | 445 |
| 2021 | 228 | 151 | 379 |
| 2020 | 245 | 166 | 411 |
CWD results near George Lake State Habitat Area
| CWD year | Sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 35 | 1 |
| 2024 | 24 | 3 |
| 2023 | 24 | 0 |
| 2022 | 29 | 1 |
| 2021 | 25 | 0 |
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.
Where George Lake State Habitat Area hunters stay and shop
Every town listed has a hunting guide of its own on this site.
| Town | County | Distance | Population | Public ground (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha | Kenosha | 8.5 mi | 99,578 | 703 |
| Racine | Racine | 17 mi | 78,057 | — |
| Mukwonago | Waukesha | 27 mi | 8,512 | 19,552 |
| Elkhorn | Walworth | 28 mi | 10,122 | 4,385 |
County hunting overviews: Kenosha County.
George Lake State Habitat Area: businesses in the area
Offices that answer for George Lake State Habitat Area
Kenosha County is served by the DNR Milwaukee Service Center.
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.
The closest public land to George Lake State Habitat Area
George Lake State Habitat Area is the large pin, with 10 neighbours around it. Their acreage adds up to 7,823.
| Property | Type | Acres | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hooker Lake Marsh | Fishery area | 46 | 4.6 mi | northwest |
| Paddock Lake | Wildlife area | 5 | 5.1 mi | northwest |
| Camp Lake | Fishery area | 227 | 6.6 mi | west |
| Silver Lake Marsh | Fishery area | 35 | 6.9 mi | west |
| Peat Lake | Wildlife area | 480 | 6.9 mi | west |
| Peat Lake | State natural area | 228 | 6.9 mi | west |
| Richard Bong | Recreation area | 4,691 | 9.5 mi | northwest |
| New Munster | Wildlife area | 1,501 | 10 mi | west |
| New Munster Bog Island | State natural area | 42 | 11 mi | west |
| Chiwaukee Prairie | State natural area | 568 | 11 mi | east |
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.
DNR shooting hours for George Lake State Habitat Area
Wisconsin prints its shooting hours as tables. For deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey the day runs from 30 minutes before sunrise to 20 minutes after sunset; migratory birds and spring turkey stop at sunset.
| When | Event | North | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, grouse opener | 5:59 a.m. to 7:31 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:43 a.m. to 6:25 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 6:28 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:04 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:32 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:44 a.m. to 4:32 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:03 a.m. to 4:34 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:05 a.m. to 4:43 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 4:50 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 B offset of 4 minutes for longitude 88.03 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
George Lake State Habitat Area: nearest ranges
Closest public range: Lakeview Rod & Gun Club, roughly 26 miles from the middle of George Lake State Habitat Area. Nearby club or private ranges are shown too.
rifle, trap, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery on file
rifle, handgun, trap, skeet, 5-stand on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
George Lake State Habitat Area: the questions that come up
Whose property is George Lake State Habitat Area?
The Wisconsin DNR oversees this DNR state wildlife area.
Which properties are close to George Lake State Habitat Area?
Nearest on the list: Hooker Lake Marsh Fishery Area (5 miles), Paddock Lake State Habitat Area (5 miles) and Camp Lake Fishery Area (7 miles).
In which Wisconsin county is George Lake State Habitat Area?
Kenosha is closest (8 miles); the property is in Kenosha County.
How many acres does George Lake State Habitat Area cover?
161 acres, per WI DNR Managed Lands GIS ACRES field, sum of parcels open to hunting.
Can I shoot antlerless deer on George Lake State Habitat Area?
Southern Farmland zone; unit Kenosha. 300 antlerless deer is the 2026 quota.
Which game seasons apply on George Lake State Habitat Area?
All open seasons apply, subject to the property rules; the source names no species.
What turkey tag do I need for George Lake State Habitat Area?
Your spring tag must be for Zone 2 and a period A-F.
What are the bear rules around George Lake State Habitat Area?
It is in Bear Zone F, target 50 bears in 2026.
Does the baiting ban cover George Lake State Habitat Area?
Banned in Kenosha County. Kenosha County has had CWD-positive wild deer.
Which duck and goose zones cover George Lake State Habitat Area?
Use the Southern duck dates and the Southern goose dates. Regular duck hunting in the Southern Zone starts Oct 3.
Is there a check station for George Lake State Habitat Area?
Use GameReg online or call 844-426-3734 by 5 p.m. the day after.
What does the orange rule mean at George Lake State Habitat Area?
Yes, 50% orange or pink above the waist from the youth deer hunt through the Holiday Hunt.
Where is hunting not allowed on George Lake State Habitat Area?
There are 3 closed or restricted zones; see the property map.
George Lake State Habitat Area: confirm on the ground
A last look before the drive: the George Lake State Habitat Area map, your Go Wild licenses and any posted closures.
Sources for this page: DNR GIS · DNR GIS; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Rick Obst (CC BY 2.0); USDAgov (Public domain).