Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area is 3,617 acres of land the Michigan DNR manages for wildlife in Kalkaska and Antrim counties, next to Rapid City, a state wildlife management area by the DNR's map. 3,617 acres are marked open to general hunting. Hunters reported 1,298 deer in Kalkaska 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)Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,617 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Kalkaska County and Antrim County |
| Deer harvest unit | Kalkaska County, Antrim County |
| Kind (DNR) | state wildlife management area |
| DNR region | Northern Lower Peninsula |
| Open to general hunting | 3,617 acres (100%) |
| Nearest towns | Rapid City (next to it), Alden (3 mi) and Kalkaska (6 mi) |
What are the rules on Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area?
The DNR's map marks each piece of Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area: 3,617 acres open to general hunting.
How many deer are taken around Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area?
Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area lies in 2 counties. Hunters reported 1,298 deer in Kalkaska County in 2025, against 1,835 in 2024.
| County | Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska County | 3,514 | 1,298 | 1,835 | 1,624 |
| Antrim County | 103 | 2,153 | 2,588 | 2,004 |
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 Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area?
Nearest towns: Rapid City (next to it), Alden (3 miles), Kalkaska (6 miles) and Elk Rapids (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: M 72.
What other public land is near Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area?
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Petobego State Game Area: 787 acres, 4.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area
Counting Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area itself, 10,209 of the 44,040 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (23.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 7,949 |
| State game and wildlife areas | 2,107 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 91 |
| County, city and regional land | 62 |
Another 400 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 Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area?
In Kalkaska and Antrim counties, next to Rapid City.
How much of Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area is open to hunting?
3,617 acres are marked general hunting, by the DNR's map.
How much public land is around Skegemog Lake State Wildlife Management Area?
10,209 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Skegemog Lake 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 Petobego State Game Area (4.6 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.