Iowa Lake Marsh: hunting and access
Iowa Lake Marsh is 444 acres of public hunting land in Kossuth and Emmet counties, 6 miles from Armstrong, managed by the DNR's wildlife bureau. Hunters reported 382 deer in Kossuth County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's public hunting area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Iowa DNR harvest reporting, 2021 to 2025.
Public hunting areas on the DNR atlasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasIHAP landIowa Lake MarshCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 444 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Kossuth County and Emmet County |
| Deer harvest unit | Kossuth County, Emmet County |
| DNR lists for hunting | Deer, Pheasant, Waterfowl and Dove |
| Managed by | the DNR's wildlife bureau |
| Habitat (DNR) | 1/2 Marsh, 1/2 Upland |
| Nontoxic shot | Required (DNR) |
| DNR contact | Prairie Lakes Wildlife Unit |
| Nearest towns | Armstrong (6 mi), Dolliver (8 mi) and Swea City (9 mi) |
What is Iowa Lake Marsh like?
The DNR describes the habitat as 1/2 marsh, 1/2 upland.
From the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
What can you hunt on Iowa Lake Marsh?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant, waterfowl and dove for Iowa Lake Marsh.
What are the rules on Iowa Lake Marsh?
The DNR's layer marks this area as nontoxic shot only.
Iowa's general hunting rules apply, and some DNR land is a posted wildlife refuge closed during set seasons; Iowa DNR wildlife management areas has area maps.
How many deer are taken around Iowa Lake Marsh?
Iowa Lake Marsh lies in 2 counties. Hunters reported 382 deer in Kossuth County in 2025, against 379 in 2024.
| County | Iowa Lake Marsh acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kossuth County | 261 | 382 | 379 | 392 |
| Emmet County | 183 | 237 | 232 | 211 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Iowa Lake Marsh?
The DNR's directions: 7 miles N of Armstrong on Hwy 15, 0.75 mile E on A16.
Nearest towns: Armstrong (6 miles), Dolliver (8 miles), Swea City (9 miles) and Ringsted (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: IA 15. 1 IHAP tract within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Iowa Lake Marsh?
Public hunting areas within 10 miles:
- Iowa Lake Marsh WPA: 134 acres, next to it
- Iowa Lake - Emmet: 522 acres, next to it
- Goose Lake - Kossuth: 289 acres, 0.7 miles away
- Goose Lake - Kossuth WPA: 160 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Burt Lake: 218 acres, 1 mile away
- State Line Marsh WPA: 134 acres, 2.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Iowa Lake Marsh
Counting Iowa Lake Marsh itself, 1,996 of the 27,275 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 1,990 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 5 |
| Other DNR land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Iowa Lake Marsh?
In Kossuth and Emmet counties, 6 miles from Armstrong.
What can you hunt on Iowa Lake Marsh?
The DNR's atlas lists deer, pheasant, waterfowl and dove. Nontoxic shot is required.
How much public land is around Iowa Lake Marsh?
1,996 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Iowa Lake Marsh included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. The closest other public hunting area is Iowa Lake Marsh WPA (next to it).
Get a Iowa hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Iowa are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Iowa included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: Iowa DNR public hunting areas (Hunting Atlas 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 area boundaries.
- Deer harvest: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.