Lake County, Michigan: deer harvest and public hunting land
Lake County covers 574 square miles around Baldwin. Hunters reported 1,820 deer here in the 2025 license year, 928 of them antlered, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is down 22% from 2024, and the fewest in the 4 years shown. 46.9% of Lake County is public land open to the public, the largest share national forest (111,879 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: the DNR's reported deer totals, 2022 to 2025. Land: PAD-US 4.1, the DNR's land ownership records and its wildlife, parks, Commercial Forest and HAP layers.
State game and wildlife areasState forest and other DNR landNational forestCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landCommercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law)Lake CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 367,547 acres (574 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,820 (928 antlered, 892 antlerless) |
| Regular firearm season, 2025 | 860 deer |
| Public land | 46.9% (172,245 acres) |
| Wildlife areas and parks | 1 (226 acres inside Lake County) |
| Hunting Access Program land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Baldwin, Luther, Reed City, Tustin and Le Roy |
How many deer are harvested in Lake County?
Hunters reported 1,820 deer in Lake County in 2025: 928 antlered and 892 antlerless. By season: 860 in the regular firearm season, 707 by archers (early and late segments) and 110 in the muzzleloader season.
| License year | Deer reported | Antlered | Antlerless | Regular firearm | Archery, early | Archery, late | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,820 | 928 | 892 | 860 | 691 | 16 | 110 |
| 2024 | 2,344 | 1,138 | 1,206 | 1,119 | 800 | 34 | 205 |
| 2023 | 2,497 | 1,150 | 1,347 | 1,266 | 843 | 45 | 90 |
| 2022 | 3,227 | 1,355 | 1,872 | 1,699 | 1,099 | 59 | 104 |
Source: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025), Lake County. These are deer hunters reported; seasons not shown (youth, Liberty, antlerless and others) are in the total. The DNR's survey estimates, which count deer that were not reported, are higher.
How much public land is in Lake County?
172,245 of Lake County's 367,547 acres are public land open to the public (46.9%). The biggest share is national forest: 111,879 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 111,879 | 30.4% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 60,040 | 16.3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 192 | 0.1% |
| State game and wildlife areas | 107 | under 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 27 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 172,245 | 46.9% |
| Commercial Forest (private, open to hunting by law) | 742 | 0.2% |
742 acres of Lake County (0.2%) 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.
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's land ownership records (state forest). Hunting rules differ by manager: state game areas and state forest land are open to hunting in season unless posted; national forests are open; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; state parks and recreation areas are open, open with restrictions or closed by the DNR's map; national park land is closed to most hunting; city and county land sets its own rules.
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Lake County
DNR wildlife areas and parks open to hunting in Lake County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Little Widewaters Flooding State Wildlife Management Area: 226 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Manistee National Forest (111,930 acres) and Cadillac State Forest Area (59,494 acres).
How do you get to Lake County?
Highways through it: US 10 (about 27 miles inside). Towns inside: Baldwin and Luther. Nearby: Reed City (3 miles), Tustin (5 miles), Le Roy (5 miles) and Hersey (6 miles).
Which counties border Lake County?
Lake County touches 7 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Hunting Access Program land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason County | 4,294 | 2025 | 20.2% | |
| Oceana County | 4,589 | 2025 | 18.4% | |
| Mecosta County | 4,353 | 2025 | 5.7% | |
| Newaygo County | 5,727 | 2025 | 21.9% | 2 |
| Osceola County | 4,180 | 2025 | 8.1% | |
| Wexford County | 1,658 | 2025 | 41.8% | |
| Manistee County | 2,439 | 2025 | 31.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Lake County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,820 deer: 928 antlered and 892 antlerless (DNR reported deer totals). In 2024: 2,344.
Is there public hunting land in Lake County?
Yes. 172,245 acres, 46.9% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's state forest records, the largest share national forest (111,879 acres). The DNR's maps show 1 wildlife area or park open to hunting here.
Does Lake County have Hunting Access Program land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 layer of active HAP properties.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Michigan DNR reported deer harvest (license years 2022 to 2025).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's land ownership records (state forest). state game areas: Michigan DNR wildlife property project areas. Hunting Access Program land: Michigan DNR Hunting Access Program properties.
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Michigan hunting Mason County Oceana County Mecosta County Newaygo County Osceola County Wexford County Manistee County