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Deer Firearm & Muzzleloader Lottery opens 3/3! Spring Turkey Permits available OTC 3/10!
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Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area

Site Contact Info

  • Office phone: 618-425-3533
  • Office address: RR2 Box 233, Vandalia, IL 62471
  • Site coordinates: 38.65669 -89.26755
  • Satellite: East Fork Management Unit (394 acres) – CR #3 – Boulder Road – northeast of Boulder in Clinton County.
  • County: Clinton, Fayette
  • Site Superintendent
  • District Wildlife Biologist
  • Conservation Police

Site Map

Site Characteristics

  • Huntable acres: 9,868
  • Habitat: consists of about 400 acres of upland habitat and 9,500 acres of bottomland. Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site.

Site Specific Regulations

  • All statewide hunting regulations apply at site unless noted hereafter.
  • Site requires use of windshield card, displayed on vehicle dashboard, to report hunting effort and harvest by 15 February.
  • Hunters are required to sign-in and sign-out at the nearest registration box located at the access parking lots.
  • It is unlawful to trespass in the sub-impoundment area seven days prior to the waterfowl season, except for youth waterfowl hunting season participants.
  • It is unlawful to trespass upon areas designated as waterfowl rest areas from two weeks prior to the start of regular duck season through the close of Canada goose season.
  • The sub-impoundment area is closed to hunting other species seven days prior to and during the waterfowl season
  • Hunters must remove tree stands from the area at the end of each day’s hunt.
  • Species-specific rules:

Deer

  • Archery
    • Statewide regulations with some closures before and during waterfowl season. Check with site for more details.
    • Windshield Card required and can be obtained through the IDNR Windshield Card System. You must report your harvest and hunter trips via the system, even if you did not hunt, by February 15. You must also report your harvest via the statewide call-in system. Failure to do so will result in loss of hunting privileges for the next hunting season.
  • Youth Firearm
    • Requires county specific permit
  • Firearm and Muzzleloader
    • Site-specific permit. Contact site for information.
    • East Fork Unit in Clinton Co: Statewide regulations shall apply at the following sites by special permit allocated through the regular statewide drawing for both regular firearm season and muzzleloader season.
    • Statewide regulations apply at Carlyle SFWA, but some areas are closed to deer hunting during muzzleloader season. Check with the site for more details.

Turkey

  • Spring
    • Statewide regulations apply at Carlyle SFWA. Site-specific permit is required at East Fork Unit in Clinton.
    • A Windshield Card is required and can be obtained through the IDNR Windshield Card System. You must report your harvest and hunter trips via the system, even if you did not hunt, by February 15. You must also report your harvest via the statewide call-in system. Failure to do so will result in loss of hunting privileges for the next hunting season.
  • Fall Archery
    • Statewide regulations apply at Carlyle SFWA. Site-specific permit is required at East Fork Unit in Clinton.
    • A Windshield Card is required and can be obtained through the IDNR Windshield Card System. You must report your harvest and hunter trips via the system, even if you did not hunt, by February 15. You must also report your harvest via the statewide call-in system. Failure to do so will result in loss of hunting privileges for the next hunting season.

Waterfowl

  • Youth
    • Statewide regulations
  • Regular season
    • Only walk-in hunting and hunting with boats without motors shall be permitted in the sub-impoundment area.
    • When the water level in the subimpoundment area is too high (due to flooding) to allow walk-in hunting, Department personnel shall post that the area is open to boats with motors (no airboats) operating at no wake speed and will designate boat launching locations.
    • No one may enter the sub-impoundment area before 4:30 am or remain in the area after 3 pm each day of the waterfowl hunting season, except during the last 3 days of Canada goose season and during and goose season that occur after Canada goose season.
    • Hunters may not possess more than 25 shotshells.
    • All waterfowl hunters must register prior to hunting each day of the waterfowl hunting season at the nearest accessible registration box.
  • Teal and Early Goose
    • Statewide regulations
  • Waterfowl hunters must hunt over a minimum of 12 decoys and maintain a 200 yard distance between hunting parties.

Squirrels/Rabbits

  • Squirrels
    • Statewide regulations apply.
    • A Windshield Card is required and can be obtained through the IDNR Windshield Card System. You must report your harvest and hunter trips via the system, even if you did not hunt, by February 15. You must also report your harvest via the statewide call-in system. Failure to do so will result in loss of hunting privileges for the next hunting season.
  • Rabbits
    • Statewide regulations apply.
    • A Windshield Card is required and can be obtained through the IDNR Windshield Card System. You must report your harvest and hunter trips via the system, even if you did not hunt, by February 15. You must also report your harvest via the statewide call-in system. Failure to do so will result in loss of hunting privileges for the next hunting season.

Upland Birds

  • Pheasant & Quail
    • Statewide regulations.
    • Pheasants are rare.
    • A Windshield Card is required and can be obtained through the IDNR Windshield Card System. You must report your harvest and hunter trips via the system, even if you did not hunt, by February 15. You must also report your harvest via the statewide call-in system. Failure to do so will result in loss of hunting privileges for the next hunting season.
  • Dove
    • Statewide regulations.
    • Non-toxic shot required.
    • 25 shotshell limit.
    • A Windshield Card is required and can be obtained through the IDNR Windshield Card System. You must report your harvest and hunter trips via the system, even if you did not hunt, by February 15. You must also report your harvest via the statewide call-in system. Failure to do so will result in loss of hunting privileges for the next hunting season.

Furbearers

  • Hunting
    • Statewide regulations
    • Rimfire rifles .22 caliber and smaller may be used from sunset to sunrise.
    • Furbearer hunting closed during Firearm Deer Season
      • Hunters with a valid, unfilled firearm deer permit for the hunt area may take coyotes during legal hours of the firearm deer season. Otherwise, the use of shotgun slugs to take furbearing mammals is prohibited on state sites.
    • Coyote and striped skunk season coincides with the statewide fox season.
    • A Windshield Card is required and can be obtained through the IDNR Windshield Card System. You must report your harvest and hunter trips via the system, even if you did not hunt, by February 15. You must also report your harvest via the statewide call-in system. Failure to do so will result in loss of hunting privileges for the next hunting season.
    • Sub-impoundment area closed 7 days prior to and during the waterfowl season
  • Trapping
    • Site-specific permit. Contact site office.
    • No trapping in the sub-impoundment areas until after the close of the regular duck season.

Amenities