Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area is 850 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Marquette and Alger counties, 10 miles from Harvey, a state wildlife management area by the DNR's map. 850 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 1,502 deer in Marquette 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)Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 850 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Marquette County and Alger County |
| Deer harvest unit | Marquette County, Alger County |
| Kind (DNR) | state wildlife management area |
| DNR region | Upper Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 850 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Harvey (10 mi), Chatham (13 mi) and Marquette (13 mi) |
What are the rules on Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 850 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters reported 1,502 deer in Marquette County in 2025, against 1,666 in 2024.
| County | Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marquette County | 849 | 1,502 | 1,666 | 1,248 |
| Alger County | 1 | 521 | 546 | 482 |
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 Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
Nearest towns: Harvey (10 miles), Chatham (13 miles), Marquette (13 miles) and K. I. Sawyer (14 miles). Highways within 5 miles: M 28.
What other public land is near Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Lake LaVasseur Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 403 acres, 2.1 miles away
- Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park: 970 acres, 5.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area
Counting Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area itself, 9,961 of the 27,814 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (35.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 8,837 |
| State game and wildlife areas | 893 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 231 |
Another 3,471 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 Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
In Marquette and Alger counties, 10 miles from Harvey.
How much of Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area is open to hunting?
850 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area?
9,961 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Sand River / Jeske Flooding State Wildlife Management Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records. The closest other DNR area or park is Lake LaVasseur Flooding State Wildlife Management Area (2.1 miles).
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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.