Announcements
Mermet Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area
Site Contact Info
Office phone: 618-524-5577
Office address: 1812 Grinnel Rd., Belknap, Il 62908
Site coordinates: 37.2783 -88.85242
County: Massac
Site Map
Site Characteristics
Huntable acres: Total Acres: 2,625; Huntable Acres: 2,000, Water Acres: 690, Timber Acres: 1,250, Flooded for Waterfowl Hunting: 900.
Habitat: Bottomland forest, managed sub-impoundments for waterfowl hunting, swamps and sloughs.
Active habitat management will be occurring throughout the year on the site.
Site/Species Specific Regulations
Statewide and associated species regulations in accordance with the Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations apply at site unless noted hereafter.
Site requires use of windshield card for all upland hunters. Card must be displayed on vehicle dashboard and used to report hunting effort/harvest by 15 February.
Check station is present on the area (see map) and waterfowl hunters must sign in and out and report harvest each day.
Rifle may be used to hunt furbearers and squirrels.
The area will be closed to fishing from two weeks before through the last day of the waterfowl season.
No overnight camping is allowed.
Portable stands only for deer hunting. No permanent stands, screw in steps or other devices that pierce the bark of trees. Stands must be visibly marked with the hunter’s name, address and phone number. Stands may be left unattended from Sept. 15 – Jan. 31. Limit of one tree stand per hunter.
Deer
Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply. Statewide permit required.
Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply. County permit required.
Late Winter Antlerless
Available at this site if county is open to LWA season. Statewide regulations apply. County permit required.
Muzzleloader
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply. County permit required.
Special CWD
Not available at this site.
Youth Firearm
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply. Statewide youth permit required.
Turkey
Fall Archery
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply. Statewide permit required.
Fall Shotgun
Available at tis site. Statewide regulations apply. County permit required.
Spring
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- This site requires a site-specific permit obtained via the statewide permit lottery.
- Disabled hunter opportunity is available through draw of a site-specific permit through the statewide lottery.
Youth Spring
Not available at this site.
Waterfowl
Mermet has 27 blinds and pools that are available to hunt, as well as two free-lance walk in areas that do not require a draw.
All 27 locations area available to draw daily through the statewide lottery.
One handicap blind is available and will be allocated on a daily draw system one hour prior to legal shooting time. Proof of P2 status is required.
Stand-by hunting is available to hunt in locations that are not drawn through lottery.
Blind area hunting is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Walk-in areas will remain open.
Ducks/Coots/Mergansers
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply. Lottery hunters, standby hunters and walk in hunters available.
Daily Procedure for Blinds and Pools
- Hunters will pull into the site and park at the sign that corresponds to their permit number and stay in vehicle
- Staff will record all hunters’ names within the party
- The hunting party will receive their hunter harvest card, map and rule & regulations.
- Staff will ask hunting party to tune their vehicle’s radio to a specific frequency for announcements, and stay in vehicle (signage will direct traffic flow and list radio frequency)
- At designated draw time (two hours before sunrise), staff will make daily announcements over FM transmitter.
- Staff will announce over the FM system for permit “number” to pull up to check station and select their hunting position, they will stay in their vehicle.
- Selected party will pull in front of check station and choose hunting location from map on outside of check station (positions are covered as they are taken)
- Hunting party will receive their marked waterfowl harvest card with their chosen location
- Hunting party will then be sent to their hunting location
- Hunter records harvest at the end of the hunt and places card in the lock box located on the side of the check station by 2:00 p.m. the same day of the hunt.
Daily Procedure for Walk-in Areas
- Hunters will arrive and follow sign to pick up a registration/harvest card and sign-in.
- Hunting is on a first-come, first-serve basis. (25) Twenty-five hunters per walk-in area for a total of fifty walk-in hunters on site.
- All hunting will stop at 1pm and hunters must vacate the area by 2pm after depositing their harvest cards.
- Hunters will not be allowed into the area before 1.5hrs before sunrise.
Goose
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply. Lottery hunters, standby hunters and walk in hunters available.
Daily Procedure for Blinds and Pools
- Hunters will pull into the site and park at the sign that corresponds to their permit number and stay in vehicle
- Staff will record all hunters’ names within the party
- The hunting party will receive their hunter harvest card, map and rule & regulations.
- Staff will ask hunting party to tune their vehicle’s radio to a specific frequency for announcements, and stay in vehicle (signage will direct traffic flow and list radio frequency)
- At designated draw time (two hours before sunrise), staff will make daily announcements over FM transmitter.
- Staff will announce over the FM system for permit “number” to pull up to check station and select their hunting position, they will stay in their vehicle.
- Selected party will pull in front of check station and choose hunting location from map on outside of check station (positions are covered as they are taken)
- Hunting party will receive their marked waterfowl harvest card with their chosen location
- Hunting party will then be sent to their hunting location
- Hunter records harvest at the end of the hunt and places card in the lock box located on the side of the check station by 2:00 p.m. the same day of the hunt.
Daily Procedure for Walk-in Areas
- Hunters will arrive and follow sign to pick up a registration/harvest card and sign-in.
- Hunting is on a first-come, first-serve basis. (25) Twenty-five hunters per walk-in area for a total of fifty walk-in hunters on site.
- All hunting will stop at 1pm and hunters must vacate the area by 2pm after depositing their harvest cards.
- Hunters will not be allowed into the area before 1.5hrs before sunrise.
Snipe/Rail
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Youth Waterfowl
Available at this site if announced by public announcement. Statewide Regulations apply.
Upland/Small Game
Controlled Pheasant
Not available at this site.
Crow
Not available at this site.
Dove
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Pheasant/Quail/Partridge
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Rabbits
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Squirrels
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Non-toxic shot must be used in all waterfowl hunting areas.
- Season closes September 30, except in the upland game areas
Woodcock
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply.
Furbearers
Furbearer Hunting
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Hunting limited to upland game area
- Hunting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset
Furbearer Trapping
Available at this site. Statewide regulations apply, except:
- Requires site specific permit. Contact site for more information
- Only Egg Traps®, D-P (Dog-Proof) Traps®, Lil Grizz Get’rz®, box traps, cage traps, and traps of similar design may be used for land sets.
Amenities
Archery Range
Boat Access
Fishing
Hiking Trails