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2026-27 · State park
A hunter's look at Coldwater State Park
Who runs it, which DMU and bear unit cover it, and the public land and towns around it in Branch County.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Coldwater State Park
Parking, trailheads and gates near Coldwater State Park
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Silver Lake Boat LaunchBoat ramp · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Coldwater Lake Boat LaunchBoat ramp · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Lake George Boat LaunchBoat ramp · 3.4 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.
Coldwater State Park in short
Classed as a state park with land open to hunting, Coldwater State Park is found in Branch County. The Southwest Lower Peninsula Region of the DNR looks after this part of southwest Michigan. Day-to-day care of the ground falls to the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. At 404 acres it is number 28 by size among the 37 Michigan state parks with a figure on file. Drive south from Coldwater for roughly 10 miles.
- On the park hunting map: 404 open acres.
From the source page (MI DNR Parks Hunting Land Boundary GIS Acres, polygons marked Open or Open-Restricted); region from the DNR wildlife region layer. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Coldwater State Park
Coldwater State Park: species and bag limits
The record lists no species for Coldwater State Park, so the state seasons for its county, DMU and units apply.
22 species have dated seasons reaching Branch County (44 rows), White-tailed deer, Wild turkey, Ruffed grouse, Woodcock and Pheasant first.
Local park controls can limit which firearms you carry.
Species from the source (The park hunting layer does not list species; open seasons follow statewide/zone regulations unless a restriction is listed.); bag limits from the DNR regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Coldwater State Park: DMU, BMU and turkey unit
Coldwater State Park falls in Zone 3, Southern Lower Peninsula. Old maps show the Limited Firearm Deer Zone here. The 2026 rules removed it, opening all legal firearms in the Lower Peninsula. Up to 5 antlerless licenses may be used in Branch County. Early and late antlerless firearm hunts run in Branch County. Turkey: spring unit ZZ, fall unit I; spring 2027 dates are not published yet. It is South Zone waterfowl ground (Oct 17-Dec 13 and Dec 26-Dec 27).
Deer management units over Coldwater State Park
| DMU | Called | WCO status | Use limit | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 012 | Branch county | Open | 5 | No APR |
| DMU 486 | Southern Lower Peninsula multicounty | – | By county | No APR |
| DMU 312 | Sherwood Unit | Open | By county | No APR |
Bear units that cover Coldwater State Park
| Bear unit | Hunt periods | Licenses | Resident points | 2025 registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dansville | Closed to bear | – | – | – |
Turkey units, Coldwater State Park
| Unit | Turkeys | When |
|---|---|---|
| Spring ZZ | 13,292 | Unit total, spring |
| Fall I | 822 | Unit total so far |
Zones from the DNR 2026 zone layers as recorded in lands.json; DMU status and APR from the Wildlife Conservation Order; use limits from the 2026 deer summary; BMU hunts and quotas from the 2026 bear summary and bear registration data; turkey from the DNR turkey harvest report; CWD lists from the DNR CWD rules. Checked October 22, 2026.
Coldwater State Park on the map with its neighbors
Coldwater State Park gets the large pin; the smaller ones are 10 neighboring public places. The tracts on the map total 9,743 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lost Nation | State game area | 2,501 | 24 mi | east |
| Leidy Lake | State game area | 109 | 25 mi | northwest |
| Adams Township | State game area | 181 | 26 mi | northeast |
| Fulton | State game area | 680 | 27 mi | northwest |
| Somerset | State game area | 747 | 33 mi | northeast |
| Fabius Township | State game area | 175 | 36 mi | west |
| Lake Hudson | Recreation area | 2,787 | 37 mi | east |
| Schoonover | WPA | 95 | 39 mi | east |
| Three Rivers | State game area | 2,126 | 40 mi | west |
| Seneca | State game area | 342 | 40 mi | east |
Points from the DNR wildlife, GEMS, parks, forest, USFS, USFWS and NPS layers (MI DNR Parks Hunting Land Boundary GIS (centroid of hunting-open polygons) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Coldwater State Park rules and licenses
Access rules for Coldwater State Park
Check the park hunting map first: hunting and trapping are legal only where it shows open. Bring a Recreation Passport for the vehicle and keep 450 feet from occupied buildings. Parks are closed to hunting unless the DNR opens them, as it has here.
- Standard 450' Safety Zones apply around occupied buildings (not shown).
- Early goose season: closed on this park land.
Blind, stand and baiting law for Coldwater State Park
- Public-land stands: portable, set no earlier than Sept. 1, removed by March 1, labelled with your name and address or Sportcard number, and nothing driven into the bark.
- A portable blind leaves with you each day; a blind of dead natural material needs no ID; a constructed blind needs ID and is not allowed on Zone 3 game areas, parks or recreation areas.
- Michigan law asks for hunter orange from Aug. 15 to April 30, visible from all sides when deer hunting with a firearm; archers in archery season are exempt.
- Report a deer or a turkey within 72 hours of recovery, online or in the Hunt Fish app, and keep the confirmation number.
- Stay 150 yards off occupied buildings with a firearm unless you hold written permission.
- Leave the seed at home; food plots are banned on public land.
- The Lower Peninsula baiting and feeding ban applies here.
Coldwater State Park license list
eLicense and the Hunt Fish app sell everything here. Choose a single deer or deer combo license when you buy; antlerless licenses come over the counter.
Access from the source page; public-land stand, blind, safety-zone and food-plot rules from the DNR deer regulations summary; hunter orange from MCL 324.40116; prices from the 2026 license fee tables. Checked October 22, 2026.
Coldwater State Park dates from September to March
Coldwater State Park is in Lower Peninsula Zone 3. The 44 rows below are the dated hunts the DNR summaries put there.
| Game | Season | Where | Begins | Through | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Early antlerless firearm | Listed antlerless county | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Liberty Hunt | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, early | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Independence Hunt | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Regular firearm | Statewide | Nov 15, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery, late | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | December firearm | Lower Peninsula | Dec 4, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Late antlerless firearm | Listed antlerless county | Dec 7, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Fall unit I | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Fall first part | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Fall second part | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Fall | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Oct 29, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Fall | Zone 3 | Oct 20, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | December | Zone 3 | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Fall | Open quail county | Oct 20, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | |
| Fox and gray squirrel | Private-land season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| Fox and gray squirrel | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Private-land season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| Cottontail | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe hare | Regular | Statewide | Sep 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Crow | Summer | Statewide | Aug 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Crow | Late winter | Statewide | Feb 1, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 1 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Veterans days | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Waterfowl | Youth weekend | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 2 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 3 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 4 | South Zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | South Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 2 | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 3 | South Zone | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 4 | South Zone | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Management season | Statewide | Apr 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Red and gray fox | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Mar 1, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Management season | Statewide | Mar 2, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 | |
| Coyote | Regular hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Mar 1, 2027 | |
| Feral swine | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Opossum | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Skunk | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Woodchuck | Year-round | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 2026 hunting regulation summaries (deer, bear, elk, turkey, small game, waterfowl and furbearer editions), checked October 22, 2026.
Mandatory reporting numbers for the Coldwater State Park area
Branch County hunters reported 5,674 deer in 2025, 2,503 of them antlered. Yearly totals swing between 4,316 and 5,674. 993 deer reported so far in 2026. CWD testing in Branch County, 2022: 259 wild deer tested, 0 positive. The 2026 spring turkey count for Branch County is 299. The DNR reports by county and DMU, not by property; read these as the picture around Coldwater State Park.
Branch County antlered and antlerless
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 196 | 797 | 993 |
| 2025 | 2,503 | 3,171 | 5,674 |
| 2024 | 2,309 | 2,948 | 5,257 |
| 2023 | 2,398 | 2,394 | 4,792 |
| 2022 | 2,288 | 2,028 | 4,316 |
2025 DMU figures for Coldwater State Park
| DMU | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 312 | 5,386 | 5,989 | 11,375 |
Branch County CWD sampling
| Year | Tested | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 259 | 0 |
Turkey figures, Branch County
| Item | Count |
|---|---|
| Reported, spring 2026 | 299 |
| Fall 2026 to date | 5 |
| Survey, fall 2025 | 12 |
| Fall hunters 2025 | 197 |
Deer from the DNR Harvest Report Summary (mandatory reporting; 2026 season to date); CWD from the DNR CWD testing data; turkeys from the turkey harvest report and the 2025 fall survey. Checked October 22, 2026.
Towns and shops that serve Coldwater State Park hunters
The nearest towns with pages of their own, then the businesses that serve this ground.
| Town | County | Straight line | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coldwater | Branch | 10 mi | 14,314 | 129 |
| Hillsdale | Hillsdale | 19 mi | 7,983 | 1,987 |
| North Adams | Hillsdale | 26 mi | 466 | 2,876 |
| Pittsford | Hillsdale | 26 mi | – | 2,994 |
Counties this land touches, with pages: Branch County.
Gun shops and processors that serve Coldwater State Park
DNR and federal desks that cover Coldwater State Park
The DNR customer service center for Branch County is DNR Plainwell Customer Service Center, 269-685-6851.
Towns and populations from Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from the land layers; businesses from store locators and listings (license-only agents left out); offices from DNR, USFS and USFWS pages. Checked October 22, 2026. Call ahead.
Coldwater State Park: shooting hours by date
Every time below comes from the DNR deer table; the B, C and D columns add the offsets printed on the zone map legend.
| Date | Moment | Zone A hours | Zone B hours | Zone C hours | Zone D hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:59 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 7:52 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 7:58 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 8:04 p.m. |
| Oct 15, 2026 | Independence Hunt | 7:15 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 7:36 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Nov 15, 2026 | Firearm opener | 6:53 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 5:54 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 6:06 p.m. |
| Nov 30, 2026 | Firearm close | 7:11 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
| Dec 5, 2026 | December hunts | 7:16 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 5:51 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 5:57 p.m. |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Late archery close | 7:31 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. | 7:37 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 5:52 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
Zone A times from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources deer hunting hours table, zone offsets from the DNR hunting hours map legend, checked October 22, 2026. Hunting hours for every zone.
DNR range closest to Coldwater State Park
Coldwater State Park has no range; Lost Nation Shooting Range is the nearest DNR range, about 25 miles away. Two club options sit alongside.
Takes rifle, handgun, shotgun
Takes trap, rifle, archery, silhouette, shotgun
Takes trap, shotgun, rifle, handgun
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Coldwater State Park questions, answered from the data
Is hunter pink legal at Coldwater State Park?
Archers in archery seasons are exempt, but not during a firearm deer season.
Where do I report game taken on Coldwater State Park?
Report deer and turkeys within 72 hours through the DNR site or app.
Do stands need ID at Coldwater State Park?
Sept. 1 through the end of the deer seasons.
Does Coldwater State Park need any permit beyond my licenses?
Your Michigan licenses; no landowner permission on public ground.
Where can I hunt inside Coldwater State Park?
In the open zones of the DNR park hunting map.
What public ground borders or neighbors Coldwater State Park?
The closest alternatives are Lost Nation State Game Area (24 miles), Leidy Lake State Game Area (25 miles) and Adams Township State Game Area (26 miles).
How does the record classify Coldwater State Park?
State park with land open to hunting, under the DNR Parks and Recreation Division.
How many acres of Coldwater State Park are there to hunt?
404 acres, the mapped total.
In which part of Michigan does Coldwater State Park lie?
Branch County holds it, 10 miles from Coldwater.
Is Coldwater State Park open for every species in season?
No species list is published, so every open season applies under the area rules.
What deer management unit is Coldwater State Park in for 2026?
The DMU layer gives 012, 486 and 312. Use limit, Branch County: 5.
Can I hunt bear at Coldwater State Park?
Dansville BMU. Dansville: no bear hunting.
Can I hunt turkeys at Coldwater State Park?
Yes, unit ZZ in spring and I in fall.
Before you drive to Coldwater State Park
Use this page as a start: the manager of Coldwater State Park has the final word on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: DNR GIS · Michigan DNR: rules; regulations from the 2026 Michigan hunting regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); colmmcsky (CC BY-SA 2.0).