Home › Ohio › Public land › Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area
Wildlife area in Ottawa County, Ohio
Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area hunting, rules and county limits
A 133-acre Ohio state wildlife area in Ottawa County.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Fox’s Marsh Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Fox’s Marsh Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Getting to know the Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area ground
At 133 acres, Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area is a state wildlife area in Ottawa County; the ODNR Division of Wildlife looks after it. The Division of Wildlife handles it from its Findlay office (District 2, Northwest Ohio). Cover on the property page: Lake Erie and marsh. Other uses listed: birding. The hunting layer shows the parcels as owned outright by the state. The administrative code lists it under 1501:31-15-04(A)(1), written "Fox's marsh".
Pick your number: 60 acres at the low end, 135 at the high end, by source.
| Source | Acres |
|---|---|
| Area map PDF | 133 |
| Property Details layer | 60 |
| Hunting-status layer | 133 |
| GIS parcel area | 135 |
From the ODNR property page, ODNR hunting-status layer, OAC; retrieved 2026-11-05, checked November 6, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Fox’s Marsh Wildlife Area
Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area hunting rules, line by line
ODNR marks every parcel of Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area open to hunting.
- Park in designated spots; off-road driving is illegal.
- Leave the tent at home: no camping here.
- Night closure (8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in fall and winter) does not apply to hunters and trappers.
- Plinking is not allowed outside the designated ranges.
- Leave the corn at home: no bait on public land.
- Stands: portable, no devices driven into the bark.
- Two antlerless deer at most from all public hunting areas in a license year.
From the agency page, public hunting area rules; checked November 6, 2026.
Hunting calendar matched to Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area
The property page is silent on species, so the rows below are the usual statewide seasons.
| Quarry | Season | Start | End | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sep 26, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | County limit |
| Deer | Youth gun | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | County limit |
| Deer | Gun | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | County limit |
| Deer | Bonus gun | Dec 19, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | County limit |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 5, 2027 | County limit |
| Squirrels | Regular | Sep 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | 6 daily |
| Cottontail | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 4 daily |
| Pheasant | Regular | Nov 6, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | 2 roosters daily |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 4 daily |
| Cottontail | Youth small game weekend | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 4 daily |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 | 2 roosters daily |
| Pheasant | Youth small game weekend | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | 2 roosters daily |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | No limit |
| Raccoon | Lake Erie trapping | Nov 10, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | No limit |
Dates and limits from the 2026-27 hunting seasons list and the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; species from the record (No species named by ODNR for this area); checked November 6, 2026.
County limits that apply on Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area
Deer bag in Ottawa County: 3, with a single antlered deer allowed across Ohio. ODNR counted 851 deer in Ottawa County for 2025-26, 507 of them antlerless. The 2026-27 count stood at 196 on November 3, 2026.
| County | Limit | DSA | Zone | Spring | Fall turkey | 2025-26 deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County | 3 deer | No | A | South | Closed | 851 |
From the deer bag limit map, DSA, waterfowl zones, turkey zones, 2025-26 deer harvest report, harvest to date (ODNR Division of Wildlife); checked November 6, 2026.
Public hunting land within reach of Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area
Drive under a mile northeast and the next public tract is North Bass Island State Park. Around it on the map: 3 state parks and 3 wildlife areas. Within 15 miles but not open to hunters: Middle Bass Island State Park (park without hunting), Oak Point State Park (park without hunting) and Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial (NPS memorial).
| Nearby | Type | Acres | County | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Bass Island SP | State park | 593 | Ottawa | under a mile | northeast |
| Honey Point Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 8 | Ottawa | under a mile | east |
| Kuehnle Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 19 | Ottawa | 2 miles | southeast |
| Kelleys Island State Park | State park | 677 | Erie | 10 miles | southeast |
| East Harbor State Park | State park | 1,831 | Ottawa | 11 miles | south |
| West Harbor Wildlife Area | Wildlife area | 77 | Ottawa | 12 miles | south |
Point: ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 1 parcel (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Closed places from the lands.json closed list. Checked November 6, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area maps, address and officers
For permits and questions try the Wildlife District Two office, 419-424-5000. The Ottawa County wildlife officer is Reid Van Cleve, (419) 429-8389. Anonymous tip line: 1-800-POACHER.
- Area map PDF (published 5/19/2022) · legend: marsh
- Map pin
Address and phone from the agency page and the ODNR Property Details layer; district offices from the ODNR Districts layer; officers from the officer list; point from ODNR DNR_Lands_Hunting_Status layer, 1 parcel (polygon centroid); checked November 6, 2026.
Towns and outfitters a short drive from Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area
From the point, Port Clinton sits 15 miles away. A bigger stop is Sandusky, population 24,174. For face-to-face help, the Sandusky ODNR office lies 19 miles away as the crow flies.
| Place | County | Population | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Clinton | Ottawa | 5,915 | 15 miles | south |
| Sandusky | Erie | 24,174 | 19 miles | south |
| Castalia | Erie | 746 | 21 miles | south |
| Reno Beach | Lucas | – | 23 miles | west |
| Wightmans Grove | Sandusky | – | 23 miles | southwest |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); ODNR offices and businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 6, 2026.
Gun-week light and other opener times on Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area
ODNR prints no sunrise table and points hunters to its app, the NOAA calculator and the Naval Observatory; the times for Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area below are worked out with the NOAA solar formula for its own location.
| Date | Opener | Sunrise | Sunset | Big game | Duck window | Pheasant window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:21 a.m. | 7:24 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Rabbit and pheasant | 7:09 a.m. | 5:22 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Second duck split | 7:19 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Deer gun week | 7:37 a.m. | 5:03 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. | 7:37 a.m. to 5:03 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:55 a.m. | 5:04 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. | 7:55 a.m. to 5:04 p.m. |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Muzzleloader | 7:58 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 7:58 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Eastern Time); checked November 6, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Field and woods views near Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area
Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area: the nearest public range, then clubs
Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area hunters reach Resthaven Wildlife Area Shooting Range, the nearest ODNR-listed range, after about 21 miles. Next to it: the nearest club ranges, all inside 30 miles.
From ODNR’s public range list and range pages, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 6, 2026.
Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area: what Buckeye hunters keep asking
Can Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area be hunted all seven days?
No statewide Sunday limit applies.
Is any special pass needed to hunt Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area?
An Ohio hunting license ($19 resident, $180.96 nonresident) plus the permit for your game: deer or turkey permit, fur taker permit, or HIP and stamps for waterfowl.
What size is Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area on the ODNR books?
About 133 acres by the main source; other layers are in the acreage table. Different layers give slightly different totals.
What deer limit covers Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area?
3 deer, the Ottawa County limit. Statewide: 6 deer, 1 antlered; public hunting areas: 2 antlerless at most.
Is any hunting at Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area by permit only?
No; the 2026 lottery list does not include it.
Which zone sets the waterfowl calendar at Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area?
Zone B. Splits: Oct 17 to Oct 25, 2026; Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027.
Where can hunters stay overnight at Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area?
No. Camping is banned on wildlife areas except at Appalachian Hills, Simco and Woodbury.
Can I leave a tree stand or use bait on Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area?
No bait, and stands must be portable.
Must I wear orange while hunting Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area in winter?
During the youth gun, gun, bonus gun, DSA early gun and muzzleloader seasons, every hunter except waterfowl hunters wears a hunter orange vest, coat, jacket or coveralls.
When does legal deer light start on Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area?
7:07 a.m. to 5:33 p.m. on November 30, 2026.
Who should I phone about hunting Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area?
Try 419-424-5000.
Nearest town for supplies near Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area?
Port Clinton (15 miles).
Is every part of Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area open to hunting?
The whole area is open.
Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area: the night-before checklist
Gravel lanes and parking lots can flood or close in wet weather; check access to Fox's Marsh Wildlife Area before the drive.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4 · source 5; seasons from the 2026-27 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked November 6, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0); fishhawk (CC BY 2.0).