Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area is 2,629 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Benzie County, next to Bendon, a state wildlife management area by the DNR's map. 2,629 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 1,323 deer in Benzie 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 landState parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,629 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Benzie County |
| Deer harvest unit | Benzie County |
| Kind (DNR) | state wildlife management area |
| DNR region | Northern Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 2,629 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Bendon (next to it), Interlochen (3 mi) and Nessen City (5 mi) |
What are the rules on Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 2,629 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area lies in Benzie County. Hunters reported 1,323 deer in Benzie County in 2025, against 1,410 in 2024.
| County | Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benzie County | 2,629 | 1,323 | 1,410 | 1,244 |
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 Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
Nearest towns: Bendon (next to it), Interlochen (3 miles), Nessen City (5 miles) and Maple Grove (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 31 and M 137.
What other public land is near Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Little Betsie Grouse Enhanced Management System: 4,169 acres, 0.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area
Counting Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area itself, 14,963 of the 37,665 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (39.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 14,235 |
| State game and wildlife areas | 531 |
| State parks and recreation areas | 122 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 64 |
| County, city and regional land | 11 |
Another 225 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 Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
In Benzie County, next to Bendon.
How much of Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area is open to hunting?
2,629 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Grass Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
14,963 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Grass Lake Flooding 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 Little Betsie Grouse Enhanced Management System (0.9 miles).
Get a Michigan hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Michigan 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, Michigan included.
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.