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2026-27 · Fishery area
Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area, a hunter's guide
Who runs it, which deer unit and bear zone cover it, what it holds (whitetails, ducks and geese, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes), and the public land and towns around it in Waupaca and Portage counties.
Photo: m01229 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area
What the record says about Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area
On paper it is a DNR fishery area that is open to hunting; on the map it is in Waupaca and Portage counties. DNR staff of the Northeast Region cover this part of northeast Wisconsin. Manager: the Wisconsin DNR. Its 433 acres rank 50th of the 245 Wisconsin fishery areas with an acreage on file. From Waupaca, our closest town page, it is roughly 9 miles to the northwest.
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 Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area
Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area in the agency's words
Unedited text from the official page.
Peterson and Sannes Creek fishery area lies in the Forest transition ecological landscape of eastcentral Portage County and westcentral Waupaca County. Major landscape cover types include farmland, lowland brush/alder, aspen, northern hardwoods, oak, swamp hardwoods and tamarack. Picture Title (picture optional) © photographer –> Peterson Creek originates as the outflow from Rollofson Lake in Waupaca County. It flows briefly through Portage County before flowing back into Waupaca County. Many spring seeps add to the cold water flow of the stream in this area.
Sannes Creek originates in Portage County. The outflow from Skunk Lake, Grenlie Lake, Marl Lake and other small tributaries and spring seeps add to its flow before it joins Peterson Creek in Waupaca County. Peterson Creek flows into the south branch of the Little Wolf River in Waupaca County. Peterson Creek is dammed at one spot just upstream from county highway V where it forms the Peterson Mill Pond. A portion of Sannes Creek flows through Skunk and Foster lakes state natural area.
Outlets from Skunk Lake and Grenlie Lake in this state natural area help supply water to Sannes Creek.
Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area hunting wording
- Hunting – deer, waterfowl, rabbits, fox, coyote, squirrels
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area rules and licenses
Access rules at Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area
State seasons on the open parcels only. The DNR map shows which pieces of this fishery land those are.
State law on Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area
Orange or pink, 50% above the waist and 50% of the head covering, is the rule while gun deer seasons run; duck and goose hunters are exempt. Gun-season ground blinds on DNR property display 144 sq in of orange or pink from every direction. No screw-in steps or cut shooting lanes on DNR land. Overnight stands are legal north of Hwy. 64 from Sept. 1 to Jan. 31; south of it, remove them every day. By 5 p.m. the following day, register the deer on GameReg (online, phone or station).
Which licenses Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area needs
Get licenses on Go Wild or at an agent. Antlerless tags are unit-specific and labelled public or private land.
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.
Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area: DMU, bear zone and turkey zone
Deer management: Waupaca and Portage, Central Farmland zone. The Natural Resources Board set 8,550 and 6,000 antlerless deer as the 2026 quota there. Bear Zone F has a 2026 harvest target of 50 with 764 Class A permits drawn; it took 1 preference point to win one. Spring turkey tags are sold for Zone 3; the DNR issued 55,612 there in 2025, the newest level published. Chronic wasting disease has turned up in wild deer in Waupaca and Portage counties; DNR testing is free and voluntary statewide. The deer baiting ban covers Waupaca and Portage counties.
Deer units that cover Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area
| Deer unit | Zone | Antlerless goal | Public tags left | Private tags left | Included tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waupaca | Central Farmland | 8,550 | 492 | 1,487 | 3 |
| Portage | Central Farmland | 6,000 | 932 | 5,041 | 3 |
Zones beyond deer for Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear F | Dogs barred | 50 target, 764 permits | 1 point | 27 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey zone 3 | 55,612 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 12,324 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Grouse zone A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck zone | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Goose zone | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf zone 6 | No season | Listed endangered |
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.
Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area: species with bag limits
Listed game at Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area: whitetails, ducks and geese, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
White-tailed deer
Ducks and geese
Small game
Furbearers
The Waupaca County calendar below covers the rest.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Season dates that cover Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area
Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area sits in the Central Farmland deer zone. These 43 rows are the dated hunting segments the DNR schedule puts there, from the September archery opener into spring turkey.
| Game | Season | Applies in | Begins | Through | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: Waupaca | Dec 24, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone F/C | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 3 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 3 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 3 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 3 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 3 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 3 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 3 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 3 | 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 | |
| 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 | Northern Duck Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular duck (split 1) | Southern Duck Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 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 | Northern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Dec 16, 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.
Public property near Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area
The large pin is Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area; the others are the 10 closest public properties. Together they hold 2,611 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skunk and Foster Lakes | State natural area | 265 | 2.3 mi | southwest |
| Myklebust Lake | State natural area | 170 | 3.8 mi | northeast |
| Trout-Nace Creek | Fishery area | 45 | 5.2 mi | north |
| Waupaca River (Remnant) | Fishery area | 73 | 5.2 mi | south |
| Waupaca River | Fishery area | 69 | 7.3 mi | southeast |
| Leer and Griffen Creek | Fishery area | 254 | 8.1 mi | north |
| Pope Lake | State natural area | 54 | 8.5 mi | south |
| Mack Creek (Remnant) | Fishery area | 40 | 8.7 mi | southwest |
| Hartman Creek | State park | 1,470 | 8.9 mi | south |
| New Hope Pines | State natural area | 171 | 9.6 mi | northwest |
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) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
How the land around Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area hunts, by the numbers
Waupaca County hunters registered 10,740 deer in 2025, 5,202 of them bucks. Totals swing between 9,097 and 13,075 across the years charted. 2026 so far, still changing: Waupaca, 1,071 and Portage, 749. CWD sampling in Waupaca County, CWD year 2025: 331 wild deer sampled, 1 positive. Overall: 3,482 samples and 4 positives. Waupaca County: 6 bears in 2025. The DNR reports deer by unit, not by property: read these as the Waupaca County picture.
Waupaca County bucks and antlerless
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,202 | 5,538 | 10,740 |
| 2024 | 5,192 | 5,157 | 10,349 |
| 2023 | 4,315 | 4,782 | 9,097 |
| 2022 | 4,556 | 5,814 | 10,370 |
| 2021 | 4,454 | 4,893 | 9,347 |
| 2020 | 4,466 | 5,849 | 10,315 |
Waupaca County CWD sampling
| Year | Sampled | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 13 | 0 |
| 2025 | 331 | 1 |
| 2024 | 288 | 1 |
| 2023 | 356 | 0 |
| 2022 | 270 | 2 |
| 2021 | 234 | 0 |
Waupaca County bears
| Year | Bears registered | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13 | 8 | 5 |
| 2025 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
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.
Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area: nearest ranges
No range sits on Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area; the nearest on the DNR public range map is Dewey Shooting Range, about 21 miles away. Nearby club or private ranges are shown too.
rifle, handgun on file
handgun, rifle, archery, 3D archery on file
rifle, handgun, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Home bases for a Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area trip
Closest towns, measured as the crow flies, then the businesses around them.
| Town | County | Straight line | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waupaca | Waupaca | 8.9 mi | 6,231 | 4,843 |
| Polonia | Portage | 14 mi | — | 8,350 |
| Plover | Portage | 18 mi | 14,208 | 6,983 |
| Bancroft | Portage | 19 mi | — | 13,258 |
Read up on the county: Waupaca County, Portage County.
Taxidermy and supplies for Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area hunters
Phone numbers for Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area questions
The DNR service center listed for Waupaca County is DNR Oshkosh Service Center, 920-424-3050.
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.
Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area: legal shooting time, table by date
Big game and small game hunters get 20 minutes after sunset in Wisconsin, not 30. Waterfowl and spring gobbler hunters quit at sunset.
| Date | Hunt | Northern Area hours | Southern Area hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, grouse opener | 6:03 a.m. to 7:35 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:47 a.m. to 6:29 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:32 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:08 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:36 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:48 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 4:43 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:07 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:09 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 4:54 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 C offset of 8 minutes for longitude 89.18 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Straight answers on Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area
How is Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area classified?
DNR fishery area that is open to hunting, under the Wisconsin DNR.
How much land is in Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area?
It covers 433 acres by the recorded figure.
Where in the state does Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area lie?
Waupaca and Portage counties holds it, 9 miles from Waupaca.
What is Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area hunted for?
The agency names whitetails, ducks and geese, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes; other legal game follows the county dates.
Which deer management unit holds Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area?
The Central Farmland zone, Waupaca and Portage. Quota for 2026: 8,550 and 6,000 antlerless.
Is bear hunting possible at Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area?
Zone F; hound hunting is not allowed there.
Can I turkey hunt Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area in spring?
Zone 3; 2025 saw 12,324 birds registered in the zone.
When can I hunt ducks at Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area?
Northern for ducks, Northern for geese. The regular Northern Zone duck season opens Sep 26.
Has CWD turned up in the county around Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area?
The deer baiting ban applies in Waupaca and Portage counties. CWD: yes, in Waupaca and Portage counties.
Is blaze pink legal at Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area?
Orange or pink, half of the upper clothing, whenever a gun deer season runs (not for waterfowl).
Where do I register game taken on Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area?
Register on GameReg by 5 p.m. the next day; the confirmation number starts with W.
Is there a separate permit for Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area?
The standard license for your game; no landowner permission on public ground.
Which public properties lie near Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area?
Three to try: Skunk and Foster Lakes State Natural Area (2 miles), Myklebust Lake State Natural Area (4 miles) and Trout-Nace Creek Fishery Area (5 miles).
Last checks on Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area before you go
Treat this page as a starting point: the manager of Peterson and Sannes Creek Fishery Area has the final say on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: DNR: 5210petersonsannes · DNR GIS · DNR: county; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Birding for Climate (Public domain); colmmcsky (CC BY-SA 2.0).