Plover River Fishery Area: hunting and access
Plover River Fishery Area is 1,475 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Marathon County, 2 miles from Aniwa. Hunters registered 12,041 deer in Marathon County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's DNR property data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Metrics.
State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR landCounty forestState parksVoluntary Public Access landPlover River Fishery AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,475 acres in 8 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Marathon County |
| Deer Management Unit | Marathon County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Plover River Fishery Area |
| Nearest towns | Aniwa (2 mi), Hatley (4 mi) and Birnamwood (4 mi) |
What is Plover River Fishery Area like?
Plover River Fishery Area includes hardwood forests, cedar forests, lowlands, and spring ponds along Plover River in Marathon County. Plover River Fishery Area stretches from County Hwy N to State Hwy 52 along the Plover River in Marathon County.
Wade fishing for trout and canoe fishing the spring ponds. Plover River Fishery Area is managed to maintain the trout population in the Plover River. Fisheries Biologist Department of Natural Resources 225051 Rib Mountain Drive Wausau, WI 54401 (715) 679-0678.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Plover River Fishery Area?
The DNR's property map lists Plover River Fishery Area as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Hunting follows Wisconsin's statewide seasons and the rules posted on the property.
Activities the DNR lists for Plover River Fishery Area: Hunting, Trapping, Hiking, Snowmobiling trail, Cross-country skiing, Wildlife viewing, Fishing - trout, Bird watching, Swimming, Berry picking and Canoeing.
How many deer are taken around Plover River Fishery Area?
Plover River Fishery Area lies in Marathon County. The DNR registered 12,041 deer in Marathon County in 2025, against 11,715 in 2024.
| DMU | Plover River Fishery Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon County | 1,475 | 12,041 | 11,715 | 10,082 |
Harvest for the whole deer management unit, not the property alone: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
How do you get to Plover River Fishery Area?
Nearest towns: Aniwa (2 miles), Hatley (4 miles), Birnamwood (4 miles) and Eland (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 52, US 45, WI 29 and WI 47. 3 VPA properties within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Plover River Fishery Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA): 4,676 acres, next to it
- Wiouwash State Trail: 277 acres, 1.6 miles away
- Mountain-Bay State Trail: 1,071 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Daneault Springs Fishery Area: 39 acres, 5.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Plover River Fishery Area
Counting Plover River Fishery Area itself, 2,859 of the 54,182 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 2,686 |
| County forest | 170 |
| State parks | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Plover River Fishery Area?
In Marathon County, 2 miles from Aniwa. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Plover River Fishery Area open to hunting?
Yes. The DNR's property map lists it as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Posted refuges or closed areas, where there are any, are marked on site.
Which deer management unit is Plover River Fishery Area in?
Marathon County.
How much public land is around Plover River Fishery Area?
2,859 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Plover River Fishery Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA) (next to it).
Get a Wisconsin hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Wisconsin 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, Wisconsin included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Plover River Fishery Area; Wisconsin DNR managed lands open to hunting.
- 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: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
FilledTag is not part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.