New Munster Wildlife Area

New Munster Wildlife Area is a 1226 acre property located in western Kenosha County. The property can be found approximately 6 miles west of the Village of Paddock Lake off of HWY KD.

In 1947, the Wisconsin Conservation Commission created the New Munster Wildlife Area. The wildlife area was established to provide important pheasant and upland game habitat in a rapidly developing area of Wisconsin. In the project protects water quality, improves fish habitat, and provides public access for fishing, hunting, and trapping. The New Munster Bog Island State Natural Area is found within the boundaries of the property and was one of the early state natural areas, designated in 1967.

A 177.4 acre DOT wetland mitigation site was added to the property in 2008, encompassing 3050 linear feet of bank frontage on both sides of the Fox River. The addition of the DOT property to the wildlife area added riverine and emergent/open water wetland habitat to an area that was predominately oak woodland, lowland woodland, shallow marsh, grassland, and agricultural fields to create a larger contiguous block of habitat. Two perennial streams, Palmer Creek and New Munster creek, flow through this property into the Fox River. Palmer Creek, a Class III trout stream, runs through the northwest part of the property, provides canoeing opportunities, and is stocked with brown and rainbow trout in portions of the wildlife area.

New Munster State Wildlife Area is featured in the Lake Michigan Region of the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail [PDF 7.1MB, Exit DNR] as a property with a mix of habitats that provides opportunities to see great horned, long-eared, and short-eared owls, golden crowned kinglets, brown creepers, and nuthatches.

For more information on New Munster Wildlife Area contact the property manager.

Questions for Wildlife Management