Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area is 3,221 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Sandusky County, next to Wightmans Grove, listed by ODNR as restricted to hunting by place, season or permit. Hunters checked 1,485 deer in Sandusky County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: ODNR's ODNR area open to hunting data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Division of Wildlife harvest reports, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Land on ODNR's hunting mapNational wildlife refugesOther state landMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landPickerel Creek Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,221 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Sandusky County |
| Deer harvest unit | Sandusky County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Restricted |
| Kind (ODNR) | wildlife area |
| Managed by | the Division of Wildlife |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | Wightmans Grove (next to it), Whites Landing (next to it) and Vickery (2 mi) |
What are the rules on Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
ODNR's land layer lists hunting here as restricted: hunting is limited by place, season or permit, and the area's hunting map shows where.
ODNR's hunting map for the area shows the boundaries, parking and any no-hunting zones.
Deer bag limits in Ohio are set by county; the Division's 2026-27 season list points to the bag limit map.
How many deer are taken around Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area lies in Sandusky County. Hunters checked 1,485 deer in Sandusky County in 2025-26, against 1,364 in 2024-25.
| County | Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandusky County | 3,165 | 1,485 | 1,364 | 1,181 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
How do you get to Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Wightmans Grove (next to it), Whites Landing (next to it), Vickery (2 miles) and Crystal Rock (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-90, I-80, US 6, US 20 and OH 2.
What other public land is near Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Wildlife Production Area 30 Wildlife Area: 58 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Willow Point Wildlife Area: 432 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Resthaven Wildlife Area: 2,216 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 65 Wildlife Area: 31 acres, 4.3 miles away
- Wildlife Production Area 22 Wildlife Area: 65 acres, 4.3 miles away
- Little Portage Wildlife Area: 356 acres, 4.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area
Counting Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area itself, 7,206 of the 57,063 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 3,723 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 3,226 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 226 |
| Other state land | 31 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
In Sandusky County, next to Wightmans Grove.
Can you hunt on Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
Yes, with restrictions: ODNR's layer lists hunting here as restricted. The area's hunting map shows where.
How much public land is around Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area?
7,206 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Wildlife Production Area 30 Wildlife Area (1.5 miles).
Get a Ohio hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Ohio 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, Ohio included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: ODNR, Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area; ODNR lands hunting status.
- Boundary and acres: ODNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and ODNR's land boundaries with hunting status.
- Deer harvest: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
FilledTag is not part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. Check ODNR's rules and posted signs before you go.