4850 South State Road 446
Bloomington, IN 47401
812-837-9546
Paynetown SRA, Fairfax SRA, Allen's Creek SRA, Cutright SRA, Moore's Creek SRA, Salt Creek SRA
Hunting and Trapping
Monroe Lake provides a wide variety of hunting options. Woodland species such as white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrels, and grouse are hunted on over 7,000 acres of woodlands. Upland fields and early successional habitats of over 3,500 acres provide rabbit, woodcock and mourning dove hunting. Night hunting for raccoon, fox and coyote is permitted. State hunting regulations apply to all legal species. The 10,750 acre lake and the over 400 acres of managed wetlands offer waterfowl hunters the chance to hunt open water, streams and marshes for migrating waterfowl. Special hunts are held in managed seasonal Waterfowl Resting Areas and selected mourning dove fields on a draw basis. Reserve waterfowl draws are offered through the online application process. Contact the property office for additional information. Archery and firearms shooting ranges are not available. Safety Zones are closed to all hunting. Wildlife viewing areas are abundant.
Monroe Lake allows the use of bonus county antlerless deer tags.
Trapping opportunities are available through a sealed bidding process for specific trapping units. Contact the property office in late summer for details on the bidding process.
All hunters must register and sign the waiver of liability at one of the nineteen hunter sign-in stations on the property. Hunter sign-in is mandatory, and failure to sign in and out properly may result in a fine. All game taken must be recorded on a required one-day hunter permit card that is carried with you as you hunt and turned in at the end of the day. At some properties, the card must be returned to the same hunter sign-in station where the waiver of liability was signed; please look for that requirement when you check-in. Take and use only one card per day. This system provides valuable wildlife management information.
Accessible hunting opportunities are available. Inquire at the property office or by calling 812-837-9546.
2024-2025 Waterfowl Season
All waterfowl hunting requires mandatory check-in and checkout and possession of a one-day Waterfowl Hunting Permit Card. Hunting parties must hunt at least 300 yards away from any and all resting area lines and some recreation areas, as well as safety zones, boat ramps, and other hunting parties. Hunter check-in stations are located at most boat ramps and many other locations around the lake.
Early Duck Season, Nov. 2–Nov.10, 2024
All areas of the lake not in Waterfowl Resting Area or under special restrictions, including the Crooked Creek marshes are open to hunting during legal shooting hours first-come, first-served.
Northfork Resting Area & Stillwater-Northfork Marshes will be hunted as public draw hunts on the following days; Nov. 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. (Nov. 2, 6, and 10 will be drawn at 5:30 a.m. and will hunt until noon). All other hunts will draw at 10:30 a.m. and will hunt from noon to sunset.
All early season hunts will be public draw. Parties of two and three will draw first, singles last. The Nov. 6 hunt will be EST. All hunting sites in the area north of the south boundary of the Northfork Resting area to the Kent Bridge on the Northfork of Salt Creek and the Stevens Creek Bridge on Friendship Road will be by drawing at the Northfork Check Station if conditions warrant. Waterfowl hunting will only be permitted from designated locations in this area. Some areas may not be flooded, check with the Monroe Lake office for sites available. A shell limit of 25 shot shells per hunter will be in effect for all Stillwater-Northfork hunts.
Middlefork Resting Area can be hunted all day during legal shooting hours, but ONLYon the same days as Stillwater-Northfork draw hunts. These will be first-come, first-served.
Southfork Marshes can be hunted all day during legal shooting times, but ONLY on the same days as Stillwater-Northfork draw hunts. These will be first-come, first-served.
Late Duck Season, Nov. 23, 2024-Jan.12, 2025
All areas of the lake not in the Waterfowl Resting Areas or under special restrictions, including the Crooked Creek marshes, are open to hunting during legal shooting hours first-come, first-served. Check in-out at the orange hunter booths located around the lake. Please return your card to the booth you signed in at.
Northfork Resting Area & Stillwater-Northfork Marshes will be hunted as public draw hunts on the following days: Nov. 23, 26, 30; Dec. 2, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 26, 30, 2024; and Jan. 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 2025. All late season hunts will be public draw. Parties of two and three draw first, singles draw last. (Nov. 23, Dec. 4, Dec. 22, and Jan. 12 hunts will be the only a.m. hunts and will draw at 5:30 a.m. and hunt until noon). All other hunts will draw at 10:30 a.m. and hunt from noon to sunset. The calendar of hunt dates and times are available at the Paynetown office, on the DNR Monroe Lake webpage under activities-waterfowl, and at all manned waterfowl check stations. All hunting sites in the area north of the south boundary of the Northfork Resting Area to the Kent Road Bridge on the Northfork of Salt Creek and to the Stevens Creek Bridge on Friendship Road will be by draw at the Northfork-Stillwater Check Station if conditions warrant. Waterfowl hunting will only be permitted from designated locations in this area. A shell limit of 25 shot shells per hunter will be in effect for all Stillwater-Northfork hunts.
Middlefork Resting Area can be hunted all day during legal shooting times, but ONLY on the same days as the Stillwater-Northfork draw hunts. These will be first-come, first-served.
Southfork Marshes can be hunted during legal shooting hours, but ONLY on the same days as the Stillwater-Northfork draw hunts. These will be hunted first-come, first-served.
Goose Hunting
SPECIAL EARLY SEASON DATES: Sept. 1–15, 2024
Geese can be hunted during legal shooting hours all day in all areas. This will be first-come, first-served. All state and federal regulations apply.
EARLY SEASON DATES: Nov. 2–10, 2024
Geese can be hunted during early duck season while hunting Stillwater-Northfork public draw hunts and in all other areas open to hunting. In all other locations, all state and federal regulations apply. All rules listed for late season apply for early season, excluding the section on the extended season.
LATE SEASON DATES: Nov. 23, 2024–Feb. 9, 2025
Geese can be hunted during legal shooting hours during all open seasons on the main lake and in the Crooked Creek area within state and federal regulations. Goose hunting in Stillwater-Northfork Marshes will be on drawn hunt days only beginning Nov. 23 through the end of duck season (Jan. 12, 2025).
EXTENDED DATES: From Jan. 15–Feb. 9, 2025
Stillwater-Northfork Marsh Area will have a limited number of blinds that can be hunted. Mandatory self check-in and out is required at the Stillwater-Northfork Check Station first-come, first-served. GOOSE HUNTING IS ONLY ALLOWED on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Stillwater-Northfork goose hunters can self-check-in from 4:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. only on hunt days.
Middlefork Resting Area and Southfork Marshes can only be hunted on Wednesdays and Saturdays during legal shooting hours first-come, first-served.
2024 Youth Duck Hunt
A special hunt will be held Oct. 26 and Oct. 27, 2024, for hunters 17 years old and younger. All youth must be accompanied by an adult (not allowed to hunt ducks on that day unless a veteran). Youth hunters 16 years old or older are required to have a federal waterfowl stamp. Youth are required to abide by all harvest restrictions and bag limits. For these youth hunt days, all open hunt areas of the lake can be hunted within the regular season restrictions. A special drawing will be held at the Stillwater-Northfork Check Station at 5:30 a.m. Oct. 26, and youths selected can hunt from legal shooting time until noon. A special drawing will be held at the Stillwater-Northfork Check Station at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 27, and youths selected can hunt from noon to sunset.
Southfork Marshes can be hunted on both days for all day hunts during legal shooting hours. The Hunter Check Station is located at the Robertson Cemetery. For these hunts only, at least one youth hunter required per party. Youth hunters will not have a shell limit for resting area hunts.
Middlefork Resting Area can be hunted on both days for all day hunts during legal shooting hours. For these hunts only, at least one youth hunter is required per party.
Veterans Special Waterfowl Hunts
Military Veterans may hunt waterfowl on Oct. 26 and 27, 2024 during legal shooting hours and within all state and federal regulations. All areas of the lake that are not under special restrictions are open to hunting. The Middlefork Resting Area and the Southfork Marshes will be open for this hunt.
The Northfork–Stillwater marshes will be closed to veterans except for those veterans hunting with a Youth who have participated in the public draw. Veterans hunting with youth have a 25-shell limit.
Directions to Stillwater–Northfork and Southfork Check Stations
Stillwater-Northfork: Travel east on State Road 46 from Bloomington to Kent Road (approx. 4.1 miles from S.R. 446 intersection). Turn right onto Kent Road and cross the bridge, The Stillwater-Northfork Waterfowl Check Station is on the right. Address: 8550 E. Kent Road, Bloomington, IN 47401, (GPS 39.149534, - 86.397285)
Southfork: Travel South on State Road 446 to Tower Ridge Road (Deam Wilderness, Maumee Scout Camp), turn left (east) on Tower Ridge Road and take every left turn past the fire tower. This brings you to Robertson Cemetery. Turn left again, and hunter check-in station is on the right.
(GPS 39.038393, - 86.276822).
