Muskegon State Game Area: hunting and access
Muskegon State Game Area is 15,735 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Muskegon and Newaygo counties, next to Wolf Lake, a state game area by the DNR's map. 15,735 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 2,819 deer in Muskegon 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 landLand trusts and other open landMuskegon State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 15,735 acres in 8 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Muskegon County and Newaygo County |
| Deer harvest unit | Muskegon County, Newaygo County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Southwest Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 15,735 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Wolf Lake (next to it), North Muskegon (2 mi) and Muskegon (3 mi) |
What is Muskegon State Game Area like?
The DNR's map names 3 units within Muskegon State Game Area: southwest, west and far-west.
Counted by FilledTag from the unit names on the DNR's wildlife property map.
What are the rules on Muskegon State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Muskegon State Game Area: 15,735 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Muskegon State Game Area?
Muskegon State Game Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters reported 2,819 deer in Muskegon County in 2025, against 2,936 in 2024.
| County | Muskegon State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon County | 9,662 | 2,819 | 2,936 | 2,985 |
| Newaygo County | 6,073 | 5,727 | 6,895 | 6,568 |
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 Muskegon State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Wolf Lake (next to it), North Muskegon (2 miles), Muskegon (3 miles) and Muskegon Heights (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 31, M 46 and M 120.
What other public land is near Muskegon State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Muskegon County Wastewater system management area: 11,188 acres, next to it
- Duck Lake State Park: 739 acres, 9.3 miles away
- Rogue River State Game Area: 6,206 acres, 9.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Muskegon State Game Area
Counting Muskegon State Game Area itself, 26,371 of the 111,634 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (23.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 23,751 |
| National forest | 1,758 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 457 |
| County, city and regional land | 400 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Muskegon State Game Area?
In Muskegon and Newaygo counties, next to Wolf Lake.
How much of Muskegon State Game Area is open to hunting?
15,735 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Muskegon State Game Area?
26,371 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Muskegon 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 Muskegon County Wastewater system management area (next to it).
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.