Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA: hunting and access
Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA is 766 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Roscommon County, 4 miles from St. Helen, a state wildlife management area by the DNR's map. 766 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 1,993 deer in Roscommon 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 wildlife refugesLand trusts and other open landRussell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 766 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Roscommon County |
| Deer harvest unit | Roscommon County |
| Kind (DNR) | state wildlife management area |
| DNR region | Northern Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 766 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | St. Helen (4 mi), Roscommon (8 mi) and Prudenville (9 mi) |
What are the rules on Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA: 766 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA?
Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA lies in Roscommon County. Hunters reported 1,993 deer in Roscommon County in 2025, against 2,201 in 2024.
| County | Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roscommon County | 766 | 1,993 | 2,201 | 2,013 |
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 Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA?
Nearest towns: St. Helen (4 miles), Roscommon (8 miles), Prudenville (9 miles) and Houghton Lake (12 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-75, M 55, M 18 and M 76.
What other public land is near Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA (open water; State-owned portion of Lake St. Helen): 83 acres, next to it
- Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA (open water; State owned portion of Russell Lake): 101 acres, next to it
- Backus Creek State Game Area: 4,855 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Robinson Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 2,574 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Marsh Creek / Beaver Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 554 acres, 4.5 miles away
- Denton Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 806 acres, 6.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA
Counting Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA itself, 21,757 of the 28,005 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (77.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 19,130 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,970 |
| State game and wildlife areas | 657 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA?
In Roscommon County, 4 miles from St. Helen.
How much of Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA is open to hunting?
766 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA?
21,757 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records. The closest other DNR area or park is Russell Lake / Lake St. Helen SWMA (open water; State-owned portion of Lake St. Helen) (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.