I have been hunting in Denton County for over a decade. Every year I get a permit to hunt Lake Lewisville, and since I get so many questions about it from my hunting buddies I decided to share how you can get one as well. 

There are two ways to get a Lake Lewisville hunting permit:

• A free permit through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• A paid permit through the City of Denton

I have personally obtained both of these permits for several years, and below are the details of exactly how and where to get your public land hunting permit, plus exactly where to hunt around Lake Lewisville. 

Option 1: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Free Hunting Permit

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the office changed the policy from in-person to remote applications by phone and email, mailing out 2020-2021 hunting permits once they reached their limit of 600 applications. 

In a normal year, these free permits can be obtained in person at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) office in mid August. Typically 600 permits are made available for free on a first-come, first-served basis, and they run out in a few days. Most of the huntable areas of Lake Lewisville are accessible by this permit, but not the entire lake.

When: Mid August

Where: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lewisville Lake Project Office

Cost: Free

PRO TIP: These permits go fast! Once Texas hunting licenses are able to be purchased in mid-August, these lake permits will usually be available the following Monday, and are often completely gone by Wednesday. 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office

Address: 1801 N. Mill St., Lewisville, Texas 75057

Phone: (469) 645-9100

Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm (Closed Saturday and Sunday)

Details: Visit the office during office hours. Due to the popularity of this free permit, they will usually set up a temporary station right in the front lobby, so it’s easy to find. You will be asked to sign a waiver.

Make sure to have your Driver’s License, Hunter’s Education Certificate (your “hunter’s safety card”) unless you’re exempt or born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, and your Texas Hunting License for the upcoming hunting season.

You will receive a card and a parking placard. Keep the card with your Hunting License, and place the placard on your dashboard whenever you’re hunting. It’s not required to have the placard to hunt public land, but it’s a wise idea to use it in case someone reports shooting, and the local police are asked to investigate. The permit is good for the entire upcoming hunting season, which goes from September 1 of this year until August 31 of the following year. 

PRO TIP: A bonus feature of the Army Corp Free Hunting Permit is the “Plus One” ability to bring another hunter with you. As long as you are reasonably close to each other, you can bring a friend or family member along and hunt together. Be sure to stay within sight and sound of each other, and that they have all of the same legal requirements besides the permit.

You can explore the interactive hunting map made by the USACE to find areas to hunt on Lake Lewisville.

The rangers at the USACE office are really good about making themselves available for questions, so don’t hesitate to ask them while you’re there if you’re unclear about anything to do with hunting  Lake Lewisville. 

Option 2: City of Denton Paid Hunting Permits

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the office changed the policy from “in-person only” to have the option of an online application in addition to in person, and then permits must be picked up at the Denton Civic Center. 

The portion of Lake Lewisville that is north of Highway 380 on the Elm Fork of the Trinity River known officially as the "Clear Creek Natural Heritage Area" (and unofficially as the “Greenbelt”) is managed by the City of Denton. The city leases the area from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and offers 600 permits (200 per season) available each August on a first-come, first-served basis. They also run out very quickly, typically within the first few days. You do not need to be a city resident in order to get this permit.

Starting in 2021, Denton changed the format for these permits. There used to be 200 permits sold, and they were valid for all species from September through February. Now they have broken the season up into 3 segments: Dove & Feral Hog, Turkey & Waterfowl, and Small Game & Feral Hogs, with 200 permits for each season being sold. There are also a few "Youth Only" weekends on the front and back end of the Turkey & Waterfowl season, with 50 free permits available each weekend (under age 18, with permitted adult). 

When: Mid August

Where: Denton Civic Center

Cost: $30 for city residents, $50 for non-residents

PRO TIP: These permits also go fast! The hunting area is much smaller, but so is the number of permits. It is well worth the time and money to get the City of Denton hunting permit, especially if you're hunting on foot and not from a boat.

Denton Civic Center (Parks & Recreation Department)

Address: 321 E McKinney St, Denton, TX 76201

Phone: (940) 349-8230

Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm (Closed Saturday and Sunday)

Details: Visit the City of Denton website to apply online, or in person at the Parks Department at the Denton Civic Center downtown during office hours. You can just walk up to the front window and ask anyone for a hunting permit. You will be asked to sign a waiver.

They accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, cash and checks as payment.  Be sure to have your Vehicle Make, Model, Color and License Plate Number along with your Driver’s License, Hunter’s Education Certificate (your “hunter’s safety card”) unless you’re exempt or born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, and your Texas Hunting License for the upcoming hunting season. 

You will receive a card and a parking placard. Keep the card with your Hunting License, and place the placard on your dashboard whenever you’re hunting. Unlike the USACE permit, the City of Denton hunting permit is only valid from September 1 until May 31.

PRO TIP: There is a parking area on Rockhill Road to the east of the hunting area, but you can park wherever you can legally park, such as the grassy side of Rockhill Road. Just be sure not to block any gates or emergency exits, even if they’re closed.

The folks at the city office are also really helpful, so don’t hesitate to ask any questions you may have. 

WARNING: Even though on the Army Corps interactive map below you’ll see the entire Clear Creek / Greenbelt area within hunting boundaries, the City of Denton hunting map has further restrictions.

Lake Lewisville Hunting Map

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has created a very detailed and useful free interactive hunting map that shows you exactly where the hunting boundaries are both on and off the water. 

You can also use the popular mobile app called OnX Hunt, which is an excellent tool to see where you are in relation to public and private land at all time. 

PRO TIP: To make sure you are always in the legal hunting, keep this map pulled up in a browser on your smartphone.  You can use the “My Location” feature in the upper left to pinpoint your exact location via GPS. 

City of Denton Hunting Map

The City of Denton leases the entire area marked in red on the Army Corps interactive hunting map for public recreation, but when you receive your permit you will find that there are further restrictions to hunting in this area. There is no hunting permitted west of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, and you must be at least 100 yards from the river to the east.

Once you’re inside the hunting area, it is pretty simple to stay within boundaries. You will have roads to the south and east, river to the west and fences to the north. Give yourself several hundred yards from these boundaries, as well as other hunters for a safe and legal hunt.

PRO TIP: Measure how long your normal paces are, so that you can walk off accurate yardage while in the field. It helps to practice on a football field during the offseason.

Lake Lewisville Hunting Areas

Because Lake Lewisville is located in a suburban area, you cannot hunt the entire lake. There are 3 main hunting areas on Lake Lewisville:

Southwest: Copper Canyon, Highland Village

• Old Alton Bridge
• Veal Spring Branch Trail
• Bryant Branch

Northwest: Denton, Shady Shores, Oak Point

• Greenbelt Park / Fishtrap Park 
• Rockhill Road
• Elm Fork

Northeast: Little Elm, Providence, Frisco

• Little Elm Creek (“Navo Creek”)
• Doe Branch
• Panther Creek

Lake Lewisville Free Public Area Hunting Regulations

There are several special hunting regulations to conduct a legal hunt on Lake Lewisville, including:

• Wear at least 400 square inches of hunters orange unless hunting birds. 
• No larger than #2 shot for shotguns, and non-lead shot only over water.
• Archery only for feral hogs and coyotes, which does include crossbows.
• No shooting within 600 feet of homes, developed parks, roads, fishing piers and emergency spillways. 

You can hunt all these animals on Lake Lewisville; ducks, dove, squirrel, rabbits, snipe, rails, coyote, feral hogs and turkey. You cannot hunt deer on Lake Lewisville public land. Seasons and bag limits are regulated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual for Denton County.