Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area: hunting and access
Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area is 948 acres of MDC land in St. Charles County, 4 miles from Portage Des Sioux. MDC lists deer hunting here only on managed hunts. Hunters checked 2,141 deer in St. Charles County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MDC's conservation area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries, 2021 to 2025.
MDC conservation areasState parks and historic sitesMarais Temps Clair Conservation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 948 acres |
|---|---|
| County | St. Charles County |
| Deer harvest unit | St. Charles County |
| MDC lists for hunting | Dove |
| MDC area number | 7902 |
| MDC region | St. Louis |
| MDC managed hunts | deer and turkey |
| Nearest towns | Portage Des Sioux (4 mi), Hazelwood (6 mi) and St. Charles (8 mi) |
What is Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area like?
Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area is in north St. Charles County. This 918-acre area was once part of an expansive marsh ranging from St. Charles to Alton. The Marais Temps Clair marsh is an old oxbow of the Missouri River and was formed prior to the arrival of European settlers.
In French, Marais Temps Clair means fair weather marsh. Located in a river floodplain, the area has served as a resting and feeding place for waterfowl for centuries. The area has 10 pools with electric pumps used to maintain water levels to provide habitat for waterbirds. Marais Temps Clair provides suitable habitat for a variety of plants, birds, mammals, amphibians, fish, and reptiles. The rare Eurasian tree sparrow frequently visits this area. Little blue herons, black-crowned night herons, king rails, ospreys, and yellow-headed blackbirds have also been spotted here. Bullfrogs, leopard frogs, spring peepers, softshells, and painted turtles are common on the area. The acquisition of the area was made possible by funds from the Conservation Sales Tax and by a donation of land, equipment, and improvements in the names of M.R. Williams and L. K. Ayers.
In MDC's words, from the Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area page.
What can you hunt on Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area?
MDC's page for Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area lists: Dove. It also lists managed hunts for deer and turkey; MDC's managed deer hunt list has the dates and how to apply.
What are the rules on Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area?
Closings: Portions of this department area are closed to protect waterfowl from October 15 through March 1.
Hunting: Nontoxic shot is required for all hunting with a shotgun on this area. Use or possession of lead shot is prohibited.
Waterfowl Hunting: Waterfowl may be taken only by holders of a valid area Daily Waterfowl Hunting Tag and only from a blind or in a designated area, except that hunters may retrieve dead birds and pursue and shoot downed cripples outside the designated area. Waterfowl hunters must check out immediately after the close of their hunting trip and prior to processing birds by accurate completion and return of the Daily Waterfowl Hunting Tag to designated locations. These department areas are closed to waterfowl hunting on December 25. Only authorized persons are allowed within the waterfowl shooting areas during...
Every conservation area also follows MDC's standard rules in Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code; the area's full rules are on MDC's site.
How many deer are taken around Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area?
Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area lies in St. Charles County. Hunters checked 2,141 deer in St. Charles County in 2025, against 2,231 in 2024.
| County | Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Charles County | 948 | 2,141 | 2,231 | 2,297 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: Go north from St. Charles on Highway 94 to Route H. Follow Route H northeast to Island Road and go north on Island Road to the area.
Nearest towns: Portage Des Sioux (4 miles), Hazelwood (6 miles), St. Charles (8 miles) and Bridgeton (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MO 94.
What other public land is near Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Upper Mississippi Conservation Area: 12,715 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Saint Stanislaus Conservation Area: 877 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Pelican Island Natural Area: 2,570 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Kluesner Lake (St. Charles): 25 acres, 6.2 miles away
- Blanchette Landing Access: 21 acres, 6.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area
Counting Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area itself, 1,251 of the 29,765 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 1,248 |
| State parks and historic sites | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area?
In St. Charles County, 4 miles from Portage Des Sioux.
Can you deer hunt on Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area?
Only on MDC managed hunts, by MDC's page. Managed hunts are applied for through MDC.
How much public land is around Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area?
1,251 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Upper Mississippi Conservation Area (2.4 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Marais Temps Clair Conservation Area; MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Boundary and acres: MDC's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Deer harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Check MDC's rules and posted signs before you go.