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State natural area, northeast Wisconsin
Rush Lake State Natural Area hunting notes
442 acres of state natural area in Winnebago County, with 2026-27 zones, quotas, rules, CWD testing and a map.
Photo: wonder_al (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Rush Lake State Natural Area
Rush Lake State Natural Area, by its record
Count Rush Lake State Natural Area among the state natural areas of Winnebago County. It falls in the DNR Northeast Region, northeast Wisconsin. The Wisconsin DNR manages the land. By size (442 acres) it is number 132 among 449 state natural areas on our list. Natural area 331 lies in T17N-R14E, Sections 25, 34, 35. T17N-R15E, Section 30. Head northwest from Rosendale for about 9 miles. The DNR and agency lists place it inside Glacial Habitat Restoration Areas (Fond du Lac, Winnebago County).
From the source page (WI DNR SNA parcel ownership GIS OWNER_ACRE_AMT, WDNR-owned parcels); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Rush Lake State Natural Area
Zone lines at Rush Lake State Natural Area
Deer rules follow the Central Farmland zone and Winnebago. For 2026 the antlerless quota stands at 2,000. In Bear Zone F the DNR drew 764 permits for a target of 50 bears; drawn hunters needed 1 point. Turkey Zone 3: 55,612 spring authorizations in 2025 and 22% hunter success. Winnebago County is on the CWD list: a positive wild deer has been found. Deer may not be baited or fed in Winnebago County.
Rush Lake State Natural Area deer management units
| DMU | Zone | 2026 antlerless | Public bonus | Private bonus | Free per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnebago | Central Farmland | 2,000 | 364 | 1,096 | 3 |
Bear, turkey, grouse and waterfowl lines through Rush Lake State Natural Area
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear F | No hound hunting | 50 target, 764 permits | 1 point | 27 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey 3 | 55,612 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 12,324 gobblers | 1,500 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 Rush Lake State Natural Area within the rules
Who may hunt Rush Lake State Natural Area
The DNR keeps SNA land open to hunting and trapping by default; posted closures, and NR 45 bans on camping, vehicles, drones and plant collecting, still apply.
Statewide rules that reach Rush Lake State Natural 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.
Rush Lake State Natural Area license list
Residents often take the Conservation Patron, which bundles the hunting licenses. Antlerless tags on public land must be public-access tags.
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.
Rush Lake State Natural Area: the game on record
No species list is published for Rush Lake State Natural Area, so every open season applies under the property rules.
See the 44 seasons listed for Winnebago 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.
Rush Lake State Natural Area hunting dates, fall 2026 to spring 2027
20 species and 44 segments reach Rush Lake State Natural 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 | 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: Winnebago | 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 F | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 3/2 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 3/2 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 3/2 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 3/2 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 3/2 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 3/2 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 3/2 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 3/2 | May 26, 2027 | Jun 1, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone A | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 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 | 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.
The land at Rush Lake State Natural Area
This is the agency description, quoted.
–> Rush Lake State Natural Area features one of the state's most important wetland communities that supports a diversity of wildlife. Most significant are the migratory and breeding bird populations that frequent this site each year. The lake provides habitat for many bird species including large populations of two rare species. Other birds include black-crowned night heron, least bittern, American bittern, American black duck, yellow-headed blackbird and black tern. The adjacent 3100-acre Rush Lake is a shallow, marshy seepage lake surrounded by cat-tails, sedge meadow, wet prairie and shrub-carr with clear, hard water that is highly productive.
Lake vegetation consists of numerous aquatic species with abundant rushes, water lilies, pondweeds and Chara present. Tussock and cespitose sedges with blue-joint grass, joe-pye weed, marsh fern, turtlehead, marsh pea, swamp lousewort and northern bog aster dominate the sedge meadow. Other communities include oak openings and southern dry-mesic forests on the surrounding uplands. Rush Lake is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1993.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
The larger property around Rush Lake State Natural Area
Within Glacial Habitat Restoration Areas (Fond du Lac, Winnebago County) there are 2 units with pages, this one included.
Sister units to Rush Lake State Natural Area
| Unit | Type | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakfield Ledge | State natural area | Fond du Lac | 211 |
Deer, bears and CWD around Rush Lake State Natural Area
Last full season (2025) the Winnebago County unit gave up 2,895 deer. Since 2016 the yearly total has ranged from 1,799 (2019) to 2,895 (2025). So far in 2026 (preliminary, Oct. 19): Winnebago 333 deer. In CWD year 2025, 66 Winnebago County deer were tested and 0 came back positive. Since 1999: 786 sampled, 1 positive. Property-level harvest does not exist for Rush Lake State Natural Area; county numbers stand in.
Deer table, Winnebago County
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,485 | 1,410 | 2,895 |
| 2024 | 1,474 | 1,254 | 2,728 |
| 2023 | 1,211 | 1,069 | 2,280 |
| 2022 | 1,078 | 975 | 2,053 |
| 2021 | 1,007 | 817 | 1,824 |
| 2020 | 1,052 | 1,019 | 2,071 |
CWD results near Rush Lake State Natural Area
| CWD year | Sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 66 | 0 |
| 2024 | 86 | 0 |
| 2023 | 76 | 0 |
| 2022 | 60 | 1 |
| 2021 | 88 | 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 Rush Lake State Natural 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosendale | Fond du Lac | 9.0 mi | 1,037 | 11,757 |
| Green Lake | Green Lake | 11 mi | 1,043 | 9,769 |
| Oshkosh | Winnebago | 12 mi | 67,242 | 922 |
| North Fond du Lac | Fond du Lac | 16 mi | 5,419 | 7,522 |
County hunting overviews: Winnebago County.
Rush Lake State Natural Area: businesses in the area
Offices that answer for Rush Lake State Natural Area
Winnebago County is served by the DNR Oshkosh 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 Rush Lake State Natural Area
Rush Lake State Natural Area is the large pin, with 10 neighbours around it. Their acreage adds up to 10,267.
| Property | Type | Acres | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uihlein | WPA | 2,436 | 2.7 mi | north |
| Keck | WPA | 70 | 3.6 mi | north |
| Rosendale | WPA | 207 | 5.5 mi | southeast |
| Berlin Fen | State natural area | 21 | 7.6 mi | northwest |
| Fox River-Eureka Locks (Remnant) | Fishery area | 2 | 7.7 mi | northwest |
| Berlin Lock and Dam | Fishery area | 401 | 9.8 mi | west |
| Eckstein | WPA | 199 | 10 mi | north |
| Eldorado | Wildlife area | 6,349 | 11 mi | southeast |
| Deppe | Wildlife area | 200 | 12 mi | northwest |
| Puchyan Prairie | State natural area | 382 | 13 mi | west |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR State Natural Areas parcel ownership GIS (centroid of WDNR-owned parcels) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
DNR shooting hours for Rush Lake State Natural 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 88.77 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Rush Lake State Natural Area: nearest ranges
Closest public range: Ripon Rifle & Pistol Club, roughly 6 miles from the middle of Rush Lake State Natural Area. Nearby club or private ranges are shown too.
rifle, handgun, trap, sporting clays, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Rush Lake State Natural Area: the questions that come up
In which Wisconsin county is Rush Lake State Natural Area?
Rosendale is closest (9 miles); the property is in Winnebago County.
How many acres does Rush Lake State Natural Area cover?
442 acres, per WI DNR SNA parcel ownership GIS OWNER_ACRE_AMT, WDNR-owned parcels.
Can I shoot antlerless deer on Rush Lake State Natural Area?
Central Farmland zone; unit Winnebago. 2,000 antlerless deer is the 2026 quota.
Which game seasons apply on Rush Lake State Natural Area?
All open seasons apply, subject to the property rules; the source names no species.
What turkey tag do I need for Rush Lake State Natural Area?
Your spring tag must be for Zone 3 and a period A-F.
What are the bear rules around Rush Lake State Natural Area?
It is in Bear Zone F, target 50 bears in 2026.
Does the baiting ban cover Rush Lake State Natural Area?
Banned in Winnebago County. Winnebago County has had CWD-positive wild deer.
Which duck and goose zones cover Rush Lake State Natural 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 Rush Lake State Natural Area?
Use GameReg online or call 844-426-3734 by 5 p.m. the day after.
What does the orange rule mean at Rush Lake State Natural Area?
Yes, 50% orange or pink above the waist from the youth deer hunt through the Holiday Hunt.
Which properties are close to Rush Lake State Natural Area?
Nearest on the list: Uihlein Waterfowl Production Area (3 miles), Keck Waterfowl Production Area (4 miles) and Rosendale Waterfowl Production Area (5 miles).
How do I get permission to hunt Rush Lake State Natural Area?
A regular Wisconsin license from Go Wild (gun deer $24 for residents); antlerless deer need a public-access tag.
Whose property is Rush Lake State Natural Area?
The Wisconsin DNR oversees this DNR-owned State Natural Area.
Rush Lake State Natural Area: confirm on the ground
A last look before the drive: the Rush Lake State Natural Area map, your Go Wild licenses and any posted closures.
Sources for this page: DNR: RushLake · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA 4.0).