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2026-27 · Flooding or WMA
A hunter's look at Pike Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area
Who runs it, which DMU and bear unit cover it, and the public land and towns around it in Houghton County.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Pike Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area
Pike Lake Flooding WMA in short
Classed as a DNR wildlife management area (a flooding or marsh unit), Pike Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area is found in Houghton County. The Upper Peninsula Region of the DNR looks after this part of the Upper Peninsula. Day-to-day care of the ground falls to the DNR Wildlife Division. At 130 acres it is number 65 by size among the 72 Michigan wildlife management areas with a figure on file. Printed DNR figure: 115 acres. It appears on the DNR list of game and wildlife areas. Drive west from Pelkie for roughly 10 miles.
From the source page (MI DNR Wildlife Property Boundary GIS Acres field); region from the DNR wildlife region layer. Checked October 22, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Pike Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area
Pike Lake Flooding WMA: species and bag limits
The record lists no species for Pike Lake Flooding WMA, so the state seasons for its county, DMU and units apply.
22 species have dated seasons reaching Houghton County (40 rows), White-tailed deer, Black bear, Wild turkey, Ruffed grouse and Woodcock first.
Species from the source (The DNR list gives no species for this area; open seasons follow statewide/zone regulations.); bag limits from the DNR regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Pike Lake Flooding WMA: DMU, BMU and turkey unit
Pike Lake Flooding WMA falls in Zone 1, Upper Peninsula. Antlerless licenses are not valid in DMU 131. Bear hunters here apply for the Baraga BMU; hunt 0004 runs Sept. 9 – Oct. 21 with 305 licenses in 2026. Turkey: spring unit M, fall unit M; spring 2027 dates are not published yet. It is North Zone waterfowl ground (Sep 26-Nov 22 and Nov 28-Nov 29).
Deer management units over Pike Lake Flooding WMA
| DMU | Called | WCO status | Use limit | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 131 | Twin lakes unit | Closed | Closed | No APR |
Bear units that cover Pike Lake Flooding WMA
| Bear unit | Hunt periods | Licenses | Resident points | 2025 registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baraga | 3 hunts | 1,570 | 3–4 | 349 |
Turkey units, Pike Lake Flooding WMA
| Unit | Turkeys | When |
|---|---|---|
| Spring M | 1,254 | Unit total, spring |
| Fall M | 124 | 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.
Pike Lake Flooding WMA on the map with its neighbors
Pike Lake Flooding WMA gets the large pin; the smaller ones are 10 neighboring public places. The tracts on the map total 527,963 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazel Swamp | GEMS | 2,377 | 5.7 mi | east |
| Ontonagon | Ranger district | 144,587 | 12 mi | southwest |
| Baraga Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | 142,356 | 16 mi | south |
| Baraga Plains | Flooding or WMA | 13,361 | 18 mi | southeast |
| Sturgeon River Sloughs | Flooding or WMA | 8,964 | 18 mi | northeast |
| Kenton | Ranger district | 211,314 | 23 mi | south |
| F.J. McLain | State park | 182 | 30 mi | north |
| Norwich | GEMS | 4,400 | 31 mi | southwest |
| Net River Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 298 | 31 mi | southeast |
| Nestoria Creek Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 124 | 34 mi | southeast |
Points from the DNR wildlife, GEMS, parks, forest, USFS, USFWS and NPS layers (MI DNR Wildlife Property Boundary GIS (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Pike Lake Flooding WMA rules and licenses
Access rules for Pike Lake Flooding WMA
Expect a dike, open water and marsh edge on most DNR floodings. Pike Lake Flooding WMA is open in state seasons, apart from any posted refuge or closed area.
Blind, stand and baiting law for Pike Lake Flooding WMA
- 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.
- UP rule: 2 gallons of scattered bait from Sept. 15 through Jan. 1.
- Public-land bear bait: on the ground, no containers.
- Firearm deer season brings ORV quiet hours on public hunting land, 7-11 a.m. and 2-5 p.m.
Pike Lake Flooding WMA 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.
Pike Lake Flooding WMA dates from September to March
Pike Lake Flooding WMA is in Upper Peninsula Zone 1. The 40 rows below are the dated hunts the DNR summaries put there.
| Game | Season | Where | Begins | Through | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Muzzleloader | Upper Peninsula | Dec 4, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 | Amasa BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 | Baraga BMU | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 21, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 2 | Amasa BMU | Sep 14, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 2 | Baraga BMU | Sep 14, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 3 | Amasa BMU | Sep 25, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 3 | Baraga BMU | Sep 25, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Fall unit M | 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 | |
| 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 | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | North Zone | Nov 28, 2026 | Nov 29, 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 | North Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | North Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| 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 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | Bobcat Unit A | Jan 1, 2027 | 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 Pike Lake Flooding WMA area
Houghton County hunters reported 830 deer in 2025, 587 of them antlered. Yearly totals swing between 697 and 1,007. 78 deer reported so far in 2026. CWD testing in Houghton County, 2025: 57 wild deer tested, 0 positive. The 2026 spring turkey count for Houghton County is 105. The DNR reports by county and DMU, not by property; read these as the picture around Pike Lake Flooding WMA.
Houghton County antlered and antlerless
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 41 | 37 | 78 |
| 2025 | 587 | 243 | 830 |
| 2024 | 810 | 132 | 942 |
| 2023 | 578 | 119 | 697 |
| 2022 | 885 | 122 | 1,007 |
2025 DMU figures for Pike Lake Flooding WMA
| DMU | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 131 | 273 | 70 | 343 |
Houghton County CWD sampling
| Year | Tested | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 57 | 0 |
| 2024 | 71 | 0 |
Turkey figures, Houghton County
| Item | Count |
|---|---|
| Reported, spring 2026 | 105 |
| Fall 2026 to date | 13 |
| Survey, fall 2025 | 48 |
| Fall hunters 2025 | 212 |
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 Pike Lake Flooding WMA 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelkie | Baraga | 9.5 mi | – | 50,417 |
| Mass City | Ontonagon | 13 mi | – | 57,310 |
| Baraga | Baraga | 17 mi | 1,795 | 24,970 |
| Rockland | Ontonagon | 17 mi | – | 65,727 |
Counties this land touches, with pages: Houghton County.
Gun shops and processors that serve Pike Lake Flooding WMA
DNR and federal desks that cover Pike Lake Flooding WMA
Local office on the DNR list: Baraga DNR Customer Service Center.
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.
Pike Lake Flooding WMA: 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 Pike Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area
Pike Lake Flooding Wildlife Management Area has no range; Skoglund-Erickson Shooting Range is the nearest DNR range, about 69 miles away. Two club options sit alongside.
Takes handgun, rifle, shotgun, archery
Takes trap, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery
Takes trap, 5-stand, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Pike Lake Flooding WMA questions, answered from the data
In which part of Michigan does Pike Lake Flooding WMA lie?
Houghton County holds it, 10 miles from Pelkie.
Is Pike Lake Flooding WMA 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 Pike Lake Flooding WMA in for 2026?
The DMU layer gives 131.
Can I hunt bear at Pike Lake Flooding WMA?
Baraga BMU. Licenses come by preference-point drawing; the first Baraga hunt has 305 licenses in 2026.
Can I hunt turkeys at Pike Lake Flooding WMA?
Yes, unit M in spring and none in fall.
Which duck zone is Pike Lake Flooding WMA in?
Waterfowl zone: North. Non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl statewide.
Has CWD been found near Pike Lake Flooding WMA?
Allowed under the Upper Peninsula rule. No free-ranging deer from this county has tested positive since 2015.
Is hunter pink legal at Pike Lake Flooding WMA?
Archers in archery seasons are exempt, but not during a firearm deer season.
Where do I report game taken on Pike Lake Flooding WMA?
Report deer and turkeys within 72 hours through the DNR site or app.
Do stands need ID at Pike Lake Flooding WMA?
Sept. 1 through the end of the deer seasons.
Does Pike Lake Flooding WMA need any permit beyond my licenses?
Your Michigan licenses; no landowner permission on public ground.
What public ground borders or neighbors Pike Lake Flooding WMA?
The closest alternatives are Hazel Swamp Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) (6 miles), Ontonagon Ranger District (Ottawa National Forest) (12 miles) and Baraga Forest Management Unit (State Forest) (16 miles).
How does the record classify Pike Lake Flooding WMA?
DNR wildlife management area (a flooding or marsh unit), under the DNR Wildlife Division.
Before you drive to Pike Lake Flooding WMA
Use this page as a start: the manager of Pike Lake Flooding WMA has the final word on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: Michigan DNR: state wildlife game areas list · DNR GIS; regulations from the 2026 Michigan hunting regulation summaries. Checked October 22, 2026.
Other photos on this page: David A Mitchell (CC BY 2.0); Calistemon (CC BY-SA 4.0).