Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area is 1,394 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Dickinson County, 17 miles from Norway, a state wildlife management area by the DNR's map. 1,394 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 1,964 deer in Dickinson 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 landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,394 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Dickinson County |
| Deer harvest unit | Dickinson County |
| Kind (DNR) | state wildlife management area |
| DNR region | Upper Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 1,394 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Norway (17 mi), Quinnesec (19 mi) and Iron Mountain (20 mi) |
What are the rules on Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area: 1,394 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area?
Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area lies in Dickinson County. Hunters reported 1,964 deer in Dickinson County in 2025, against 2,181 in 2024.
| County | Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickinson County | 1,394 | 1,964 | 2,181 | 1,542 |
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 Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area?
Nearest towns: Norway (17 miles), Quinnesec (19 miles), Iron Mountain (20 miles) and Hermansville (20 miles).
What other public land is near Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Hancock Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 652 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Felch Mountain (flooding) State Wildlife Management Area: 714 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Genes Pond State Wildlife Management Area: 3,452 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Ralph Grouse Enhanced Management System: 5,308 acres, 7.4 miles away
- Blomgren's Marsh State Wildlife Management Area: 567 acres, 8.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area
Counting Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area itself, 11,500 of the 36,233 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (31.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 10,067 |
| State game and wildlife areas | 1,393 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 40 |
Another 5,995 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 Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area?
In Dickinson County, 17 miles from Norway.
How much of Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area is open to hunting?
1,394 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Hardwood Reservoir (north side) State Wildlife Management Area?
11,500 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hardwood Reservoir (north side) 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 Hancock Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area (5.1 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.