Onsted State Game Area: hunting and access
Onsted State Game Area is 893 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Lenawee County, 2 miles from Vineyard Lake, a state game area by the DNR's map. 893 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 5,768 deer in Lenawee 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 parks and recreation areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landOnsted State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 893 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lenawee County |
| Deer harvest unit | Lenawee County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Southeast Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 893 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Vineyard Lake (2 mi), Onsted (3 mi) and Brooklyn (3 mi) |
What are the rules on Onsted State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Onsted State Game Area: 893 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Onsted State Game Area?
Onsted State Game Area lies in Lenawee County. Hunters reported 5,768 deer in Lenawee County in 2025, against 4,717 in 2024.
| County | Onsted State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lenawee County | 893 | 5,768 | 4,717 | 4,204 |
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 Onsted State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Vineyard Lake (2 miles), Onsted (3 miles), Brooklyn (3 miles) and Cement City (3 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 12, M 50, US 223, M 124 and US 127.
What other public land is near Onsted State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Watkins Lake State Park: 373 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Somerset State Game Area: 748 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Sharonville State Game Area: 4,392 acres, 7.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Onsted State Game Area
Counting Onsted State Game Area itself, 1,500 of the 32,718 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 878 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 361 |
| County, city and regional land | 198 |
| State parks and recreation areas | 63 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Onsted State Game Area?
In Lenawee County, 2 miles from Vineyard Lake.
How much of Onsted State Game Area is open to hunting?
893 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Onsted State Game Area?
1,500 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Onsted 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 Watkins Lake State Park (6.4 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.