Crane Pond State Game Area: hunting and access
Crane Pond State Game Area is 4,215 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Cass County, 2 miles from Vandalia, a state game area by the DNR's map. 4,215 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 1,713 deer in Cass 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 landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCrane Pond State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,215 acres in 7 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Cass County |
| Deer harvest unit | Cass County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Southwest Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 4,215 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Vandalia (2 mi), Marcellus (3 mi) and Cassopolis (7 mi) |
What is Crane Pond State Game Area like?
The DNR's map names 6 units within Crane Pond State Game Area: Ncenter unit, S.Center, Bogart Lk, Wcenter unit, East and Southeast.
Counted by FilledTag from the unit names on the DNR's wildlife property map.
What are the rules on Crane Pond State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Crane Pond State Game Area: 4,215 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Crane Pond State Game Area?
Crane Pond State Game Area lies in Cass County. Hunters reported 1,713 deer in Cass County in 2025, against 2,075 in 2024.
| County | Crane Pond State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 4,215 | 1,713 | 2,075 | 3,185 |
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 Crane Pond State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Vandalia (2 miles), Marcellus (3 miles), Cassopolis (7 miles) and Three Rivers (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: M 40, M 216 and M 60.
What other public land is near Crane Pond State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Three Rivers State Game Area: 2,128 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Fabius Township State Game Area: 175 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Cornish State Game Area: 490 acres, 7.8 miles away
- Kinney Waterfowl Production Area: 110 acres, 8.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Crane Pond State Game Area
Counting Crane Pond State Game Area itself, 5,800 of the 65,145 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (8.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 4,322 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 835 |
| County, city and regional land | 629 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 14 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Crane Pond State Game Area?
In Cass County, 2 miles from Vandalia.
How much of Crane Pond State Game Area is open to hunting?
4,215 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Crane Pond State Game Area?
5,800 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Crane Pond State Game Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records. The closest other DNR area or park is Three Rivers State Game Area (2.6 miles).
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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.