Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area: hunting and access
IDNR's records mark 2,199 acres of Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area open to hunting in LaSalle County, 3 miles from Seneca. Deer archery: open at the site. Deer firearm: special hunt permit from Springfield. Hunters took 1,561 deer in LaSalle County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: IDNR's IDNR hunting site data, read 2026-10. Harvest: IDNR county summaries, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
IDNR sites open to huntingOther IDNR and state landForest preserves, county and city landLand trusts and other open landMarseilles State Fish and Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,199 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | LaSalle County |
| Deer harvest unit | LaSalle County |
| IDNR lists for hunting | Deer, Turkey, Squirrel, Rabbit, Dove, Quail and Pheasant |
| Deer, archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Deer, firearm (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, muzzleloader (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Deer, CWD season (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, spring (IDNR) | special hunt permit from Springfield |
| Turkey, fall archery (IDNR) | open at the site |
| Site type (IDNR) | state fish and wildlife area |
| IDNR region | 1 |
| Nearest towns | Seneca (3 mi), Ottawa (7 mi) and Kinsman (7 mi) |
What is Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area like?
IDNR's records divide the site into 3 hunting areas: Area A, Area C, Area B.
From IDNR's land records.
What can you hunt on Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR's records list deer (archery, firearm, muzzleloader and CWD season), turkey (spring and fall archery), squirrel, rabbit, dove, quail and pheasant for Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area.
What are the rules on Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area?
How each season is hunted here, by IDNR's land records: open at the site for deer archery and turkey fall archery; special hunt permit from Springfield for deer firearm, deer muzzleloader, deer cwd season and turkey spring.
Site-specific rules are in IDNR's Hunting Digest and the site's hunter fact sheet; IDNR's public hunting areas list has the site's permit details.
How many deer are taken around Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area lies in LaSalle County. Hunters took 1,561 deer in LaSalle County in 2025-26, against 1,504 in 2024-25.
| County | Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaSalle County | 2,199 | 1,561 | 1,504 | 1,713 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting site alone: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
How do you get to Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Seneca (3 miles), Ottawa (7 miles), Kinsman (7 miles) and Grand Ridge (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 6, IL 170 and I-80.
What other public land is near Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area?
IDNR hunting sites within 10 miles:
- Illinois and Michigan Canal: 506 acres, 1.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area
Counting Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area itself, 4,507 of the 35,838 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| IDNR sites open to hunting | 2,218 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,056 |
| Other IDNR and state land | 221 |
| Forest preserves, county and city land | 12 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area?
In LaSalle County, 3 miles from Seneca.
Can you deer hunt on Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area?
By IDNR's records: archery, open at the site; firearm, special hunt permit from Springfield; muzzleloader, special hunt permit from Springfield; CWD season, special hunt permit from Springfield.
How much public land is around Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area?
4,507 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Marseilles State Fish and Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and IDNR's hunting area records. The closest other IDNR hunting site is Illinois and Michigan Canal (1.1 miles).
Get a Illinois hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Illinois included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: IDNR land records: sites and hunting areas (OMLP, Prairie Research Institute).
- Boundary and acres: IDNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and IDNR's hunting area records.
- Deer harvest: IDNR white-tailed deer county summaries (2021-22 to 2025-26 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Check IDNR's rules and posted signs before you go.