Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area is 715 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Grand Traverse County, 2 miles from Fife Lake, a state wildlife management area by the DNR's map. 715 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 1,837 deer in Grand Traverse 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 landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 715 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Grand Traverse County |
| Deer harvest unit | Grand Traverse County |
| Kind (DNR) | state wildlife management area |
| DNR region | Northern Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 715 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Fife Lake (2 mi), South Boardman (7 mi) and Kingsley (8 mi) |
What are the rules on Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area: 715 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area?
Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area lies in Grand Traverse County. Hunters reported 1,837 deer in Grand Traverse County in 2025, against 2,184 in 2024.
| County | Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Traverse County | 715 | 1,837 | 2,184 | 1,928 |
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 Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area?
Nearest towns: Fife Lake (2 miles), South Boardman (7 miles), Kingsley (8 miles) and Manton (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 131, M 113 and M 186.
What other public land is near Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area?
Public land within 3 miles of Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area
Counting Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area itself, 12,246 of the 28,660 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (42.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 11,815 |
| State game and wildlife areas | 424 |
| County, city and regional land | 7 |
Another 80 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 Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area?
In Grand Traverse County, 2 miles from Fife Lake.
How much of Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area is open to hunting?
715 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area?
12,246 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Headquarters Lake Impoundment State Wildlife Management Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
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.