Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area: hunting and access
Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area is 449 acres open to public hunting in Fulton County, next to Rochester, managed by the DNR's Division of Fish and Wildlife and the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves. Hunters took 1,665 deer in Fulton County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's DNR property open to hunting data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Indiana DNR deer reports, 2021 to 2025.
Properties open to public hunting (DNR map)Other DNR landCounty, city and regional landManitou Islands Wetland Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 449 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Fulton County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Waterfowl, Deer and Small game |
| Managed by | the DNR's Division of Fish and Wildlife and the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves |
| DNR contact | Winamac FWA 574-946-4422 |
| Nearest towns | Rochester (next to it), Nyona Lake (4 mi) and Macy (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area?
In the DNR's words: Waterfowl, limited deer, small game.
What are the rules on Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area?
Antlerless deer may not be taken with a firearm during the firearms season on DNR Fish and Wildlife properties and at Mississinewa, Patoka and Salamonie lakes (DNR).
Indiana's statewide bag limit is 1 antlered and 6 antlerless deer, within each county's antlerless limit (DNR).
How many deer are taken around Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area?
Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area lies in Fulton County. Hunters took 1,665 deer in Fulton County in 2025, against 1,451 in 2024.
| County | Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County | 449 | 1,665 | 1,451 | 1,490 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the property alone: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4).
How do you get to Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area?
Nearest towns: Rochester (next to it), Nyona Lake (4 miles), Macy (5 miles) and Akron (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 31.
What other public land is near Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area?
Properties open to public hunting within 10 miles:
- Bob Kern Wetlands Nature Preserve: 166 acres, next to it
- Judy Burton Nature Preserve: 128 acres, next to it
Public land within 3 miles of Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area
Counting Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area itself, 945 of the 28,751 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Properties open to public hunting (DNR map) | 744 |
| County, city and regional land | 188 |
| Other DNR land | 13 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area?
In Fulton County, next to Rochester.
What can you hunt on Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area?
The DNR lists: Waterfowl, limited deer, small game.
How much public land is around Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area?
945 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Manitou Islands Wetland Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries. The closest other public hunting property is Bob Kern Wetlands Nature Preserve (next to it).
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Indiana included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: Indiana DNR properties with public hunting (managed lands layer).
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting property boundaries.
- Deer harvest: Indiana DNR White-tailed Deer Reports (2021 to 2025 seasons, Table 3-4).
FilledTag is not part of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.