Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area: hunting and access
Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area is 846 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Delta County, 2 miles from Escanaba, a state wildlife management area by the DNR's map. 846 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 3,565 deer in Delta 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 landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 846 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Delta County |
| Deer harvest unit | Delta County |
| Kind (DNR) | state wildlife management area |
| DNR region | Upper Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 846 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Escanaba (2 mi), Gladstone (10 mi) and Rapid River (15 mi) |
What are the rules on Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area: 846 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area?
Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area lies in Delta County. Hunters reported 3,565 deer in Delta County in 2025, against 3,743 in 2024.
| County | Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta County | 350 | 3,565 | 3,743 | 2,929 |
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 Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area?
Nearest towns: Escanaba (2 miles), Gladstone (10 miles), Rapid River (15 miles) and Powers (18 miles). Highways within 5 miles: M 35, US 2 and US 41.
What other public land is near Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Portage Marsh State Wildlife Management Area: 234 acres, next to it
Public land within 3 miles of Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area
Counting Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area itself, 464 of the 41,336 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 217 |
| State game and wildlife areas | 147 |
| County, city and regional land | 100 |
Another 496 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 Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area?
In Delta County, 2 miles from Escanaba.
How much of Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area is open to hunting?
846 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area?
464 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Portage Marsh State Wildilfe Management Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records. The closest other DNR area or park is Portage Marsh State Wildlife Management Area (next to it).
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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.