Rock Marsh Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Rock Marsh Wildlife Management Area is 1,159 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Pine County, near Rock Creek, inside Deer Permit Areas 225 and 159. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 5,598 deer in DPA 225 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's wildlife management area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025.
State wildlife management areasState forest and other DNR landNational park landRock Marsh WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,159 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Pine County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 225, DPA 159 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Rock Creek |
| DNR area office | Cloquet |
| Nearest towns | Rock Creek (2 mi), Rush City (7 mi) and Pine City (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Rock Marsh WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Rock Marsh WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Rock Marsh WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Rock Marsh WMA?
Rock Marsh WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 5,598 deer in DPA 225 in 2025, against 5,038 in 2024.
| DPA | Rock Marsh WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 225 | 1,122 | 5,598 | 5,038 | 4,326 |
| DPA 159 | 38 | 1,863 | 1,609 | 1,344 |
Harvest for the whole deer permit area, not the WMA alone: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
How do you get to Rock Marsh WMA?
From Rock Creek, go 1 mile S on SH 361 then 5 1/2 miles E on CO RD 104 then 1/4 mile E on Trail.
Nearest towns: Rock Creek (2 miles), Rush City (7 miles), Pine City (7 miles) and Harris (12 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 70.
What other public land is near Rock Marsh WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Pine City WMA: 56 acres, 7.5 miles away
- Rush Lake WMA: 676 acres, 9.1 miles away
- Conservation Officer Eugene H. Wynn Jr. Memorial WMA: 694 acres, 9.3 miles away
- Wild Rose WMA: 199 acres, 9.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Rock Marsh WMA
Counting Rock Marsh WMA itself, 2,532 of the 33,774 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,194 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 1,107 |
| National park land | 231 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Rock Marsh WMA?
In Pine County, near Rock Creek. The DNR's directions: From Rock Creek, go 1 mile S on SH 361 then 5 1/2 miles E on CO RD 104 then 1/4 mile E on Trail.
Which deer permit area is Rock Marsh WMA in?
DPA 225 (1,122 acres) and DPA 159 (38 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Rock Marsh WMA?
2,532 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Rock Marsh WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 4 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Pine City WMA (7.5 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota 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, Minnesota included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Rock Marsh WMA; Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible.
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.