Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area is 5,902 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Alger County, 2 miles from Chatham, a state wildlife management area by the DNR's map. 5,902 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 521 deer in Alger County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's state game area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR reported deer harvest, 2022 to 2025.
State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landNational forestCounty, city and regional landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 5,902 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Alger County |
| Deer harvest unit | Alger County |
| Kind (DNR) | state wildlife management area |
| DNR region | Upper Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 5,902 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Chatham (2 mi), Munising (15 mi) and Rock (16 mi) |
What are the rules on Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area: 5,902 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area?
Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area lies in Alger County. Hunters reported 521 deer in Alger County in 2025, against 546 in 2024.
| County | Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alger County | 5,902 | 521 | 546 | 482 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the game area alone: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025).
How do you get to Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area?
Nearest towns: Chatham (2 miles), Munising (15 miles), Rock (16 miles) and Rapid River (21 miles). Highways within 5 miles: M 94, M 67 and US 41.
What other public land is near Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Au Train Basin SWMA, Upper Peninsula Power Co. cooperative land: 940 acres, next to it
- Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park: 970 acres, 8.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area
Counting Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area itself, 21,186 of the 60,787 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (34.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National forest | 12,431 |
| State game and wildlife areas | 5,551 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 3,128 |
| County, city and regional land | 76 |
Another 7,537 acres within 3 miles are Commercial Forest land: privately owned, but under state law (MCL 324.51113) the owner may not deny the public hunting and fishing unless the DNR or the legislature closes it.
Questions hunters ask
Where is Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area?
In Alger County, 2 miles from Chatham.
How much of Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area is open to hunting?
5,902 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area?
21,186 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Au Train Basin State Wildlife Management Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records. The closest other DNR area or park is Au Train Basin SWMA, Upper Peninsula Power Co. cooperative land (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: Michigan DNR wildlife property project areas.
- 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 land ownership records (state forest).
- Deer harvest: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025).
FilledTag is not part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.