Portland State Game Area: hunting and access
Portland State Game Area is 2,701 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Ionia and Clinton counties, next to Portland, a state game area by the DNR's map. 2,694 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 6,145 deer in Ionia 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 areasCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landPortland State Game AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,701 acres in 10 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Ionia County and Clinton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Ionia County, Clinton County |
| Kind (DNR) | state game area |
| DNR region | Southwest Lower Peninsula |
| Managed waterfowl hunt area | 7 acres (0.3%) |
| Open to general hunting | 2,694 acres (99.7%) |
| Nearest towns | Portland (next to it), Eagle (2 mi) and Mulliken (2 mi) |
What is Portland State Game Area like?
The DNR's map names one unit within Portland State Game Area: Extension.
Counted by FilledTag from the unit names on the DNR's wildlife property map.
What are the rules on Portland State Game Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Portland State Game Area: 7 acres managed waterfowl hunt area and 2,694 acres open to general hunting.
Managed waterfowl hunt areas are hunted under the DNR's managed-area rules (drawings and check stations for the waterfowl season); outside the waterfowl season they are open like the rest of the area unless posted.
How many deer are taken around Portland State Game Area?
Portland State Game Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters reported 6,145 deer in Ionia County in 2025, against 6,171 in 2024.
| County | Portland State Game Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ionia County | 2,518 | 6,145 | 6,171 | 5,541 |
| Clinton County | 183 | 6,947 | 6,613 | 5,935 |
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 Portland State Game Area?
Nearest towns: Portland (next to it), Eagle (2 miles), Mulliken (2 miles) and Lyons (2 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-96, M 43, M 21 and M 100.
What other public land is near Portland State Game Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Maple River State Game Area: 9,966 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Grand River State Game Area: 1,023 acres, 4 miles away
- Tamarack Lake State Game Area: 266 acres, 7 miles away
- Ionia Recreation Area: 4,238 acres, 8.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Portland State Game Area
Counting Portland State Game Area itself, 2,936 of the 92,673 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State game and wildlife areas | 2,372 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 375 |
| County, city and regional land | 189 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Portland State Game Area?
In Ionia and Clinton counties, next to Portland.
How much of Portland State Game Area is open to hunting?
2,694 acres are marked general hunting, 7 acres are a managed waterfowl hunt area, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Portland State Game Area?
2,936 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Portland 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 Maple River State Game Area (3.5 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.