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2026-27 · Recreation area
A hunter's look at Tippy Dam Recreation Area
Who runs it, which DMU and bear unit cover it, and the public land and towns around it in Manistee County.
Photo: kevin dooley (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Tippy Dam Recreation Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Tippy Dam Recreation Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Upper Tippy Dam Boat RampBoat ramp · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Lower Tippy Dam Boat RampBoat ramp · 0.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Tunk Hole River Access SiteParking · 0.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.8 mi from the centreDirections
- GateGate · 0.8 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.
Tippy Dam Recreation Area in short
Classed as a state recreation area, Tippy Dam Recreation Area is found in Manistee County. The Northern Lower Peninsula Region of the DNR looks after this part of the northern Lower Peninsula. Day-to-day care of the ground falls to the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. At 102 acres it is number 22 by size among the 22 Michigan recreation areas with a figure on file. Drive northeast from Wellston for roughly 3 miles.
- On the park hunting map: 102 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 Tippy Dam Recreation Area
Tippy Dam Recreation Area: species and bag limits
The record lists no species for Tippy Dam Recreation Area, so the state seasons for its county, DMU and units apply.
23 species have dated seasons reaching Manistee County (41 rows), White-tailed deer, Black bear, Wild turkey, Ruffed grouse and Woodcock 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.
Tippy Dam Recreation Area: DMU, BMU and turkey unit
Tippy Dam Recreation Area falls in Zone 2, Northern Lower Peninsula. Up to 5 antlerless licenses may be used in Manistee County. Antler point rule in DMU 051: at least 3 points on one side. Early and late antlerless firearm hunts run in Manistee County. Bear hunters here apply for the Baldwin BMU; hunt 0021 runs Sept. 12–22 and Oct. 2–8 with 395 licenses in 2026. Turkey: spring unit NN, fall unit I; spring 2027 dates are not published yet. It is Middle Zone waterfowl ground (Oct 3-Nov 29 and Dec 12-Dec 13).
Deer management units over Tippy Dam Recreation Area
| DMU | Called | WCO status | Use limit | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 051 | Manistee county | Open | 5 | 3+ points a side |
Bear units that cover Tippy Dam Recreation Area
| Bear unit | Hunt periods | Licenses | Resident points | 2025 registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin | 1 hunt | 395 | 7–8 | 114 |
Turkey units, Tippy Dam Recreation Area
| Unit | Turkeys | When |
|---|---|---|
| Spring NN | 4,156 | 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.
Tippy Dam Recreation Area on the map with its neighbors
Tippy Dam Recreation Area gets the large pin; the smaller ones are 10 neighboring public places. The tracts on the map total 655,413 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manistee | Ranger district | 123,931 | 8.9 mi | southwest |
| Cadillac | Ranger district | 128,755 | 13 mi | east |
| Manistee River | State game area | 4,378 | 15 mi | west |
| Little Widewaters Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 225 | 18 mi | southeast |
| Cadillac Forest Management Unit | Forest unit | 234,198 | 19 mi | southeast |
| Little Betsie River | GEMS | 4,183 | 20 mi | north |
| Mitchell | State park | 724 | 24 mi | east |
| Grass Lake Flooding | Flooding or WMA | 2,627 | 24 mi | north |
| Baldwin | Ranger district | 155,651 | 27 mi | south |
| Betsie River | State game area | 741 | 27 mi | northwest |
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.
Tippy Dam Recreation Area rules and licenses
Access rules for Tippy Dam Recreation Area
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. DNR park rules open every state recreation area to hunting unless it is designated closed.
- Standard 450' Safety Zones apply around occupied buildings (not shown). No trapping within 50' of mowed portions of developed areas.
- Early goose (9/1 – 9/15): open.
Blind, stand and baiting law for Tippy Dam Recreation Area
- 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.
- Public-land bear bait: on the ground, no containers.
Tippy Dam Recreation Area 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.
Tippy Dam Recreation Area dates from September to March
Tippy Dam Recreation Area is in Lower Peninsula Zone 2. The 41 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 | |
| Black bear | Hunt period 1 (firearm/bait/dogs) | Baldwin BMU | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Period 1, archery | Baldwin BMU | Oct 2, 2026 | Oct 8, 2026 | |
| 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 2 | 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 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Split 2 | Middle Zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 13, 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 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Dark goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 1 | Middle Zone | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 30, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Light goose part 2 | Middle Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Dec 18, 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 G | Jan 1, 2027 | Jan 20, 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 Tippy Dam Recreation Area area
Manistee County hunters reported 2,439 deer in 2025, 1,332 of them antlered. Yearly totals swing between 2,439 and 3,243. 395 deer reported so far in 2026. CWD testing in Manistee County, 2024: 324 wild deer tested, 0 positive. The 2026 spring turkey count for Manistee County is 105. The DNR reports by county and DMU, not by property; read these as the picture around Tippy Dam Recreation Area.
Manistee County antlered and antlerless
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 230 | 165 | 395 |
| 2025 | 1,332 | 1,107 | 2,439 |
| 2024 | 1,454 | 1,326 | 2,780 |
| 2023 | 1,428 | 1,323 | 2,751 |
| 2022 | 1,525 | 1,718 | 3,243 |
2025 DMU figures for Tippy Dam Recreation Area
| DMU | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 051 | 1,332 | 1,106 | 2,438 |
Manistee County CWD sampling
| Year | Tested | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 324 | 0 |
| 2023 | 213 | 0 |
Turkey figures, Manistee County
| Item | Count |
|---|---|
| Reported, spring 2026 | 105 |
| Fall 2026 to date | 5 |
| Survey, fall 2025 | 13 |
| Fall hunters 2025 | 137 |
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 Tippy Dam Recreation Area 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellston | Manistee | 3.2 mi | – | 104,594 |
| Brethren | Manistee | 4.8 mi | – | 77,417 |
| Kaleva | Manistee | 8.4 mi | 523 | 57,523 |
| Caberfae | Wexford | 11 mi | – | 128,226 |
Counties this land touches, with pages: Manistee County.
Gun shops and processors that serve Tippy Dam Recreation Area
DNR and federal desks that cover Tippy Dam Recreation Area
The DNR customer service center for Manistee County is DNR Traverse City Customer Service Center, 231-922-5280.
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.
Tippy Dam Recreation Area: 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 Tippy Dam Recreation Area
Tippy Dam Recreation Area has no range; Supply Road Shooting Range is the nearest DNR range, about 40 miles away. Two club options sit alongside.
Takes trap, skeet, 5-stand, rifle, handgun
Takes sporting clays, shotgun
From the DNR shooting page and its range pages, checked October 22, 2026.
Tippy Dam Recreation Area questions, answered from the data
Is Tippy Dam Recreation Area 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 Tippy Dam Recreation Area in for 2026?
The DMU layer gives 051. Use limit, Manistee County: 5.
Can I hunt bear at Tippy Dam Recreation Area?
Baldwin BMU. Licenses come by preference-point drawing; the first Baldwin hunt has 395 licenses in 2026.
Can I hunt turkeys at Tippy Dam Recreation Area?
Yes, unit NN in spring and I in fall.
Which duck zone is Tippy Dam Recreation Area in?
Waterfowl zone: Middle. Non-toxic shot is required for waterfowl statewide.
Has CWD been found near Tippy Dam Recreation Area?
Banned, as everywhere in the Lower Peninsula. No free-ranging deer from this county has tested positive since 2015.
Is hunter pink legal at Tippy Dam Recreation Area?
Archers in archery seasons are exempt, but not during a firearm deer season.
Where do I report game taken on Tippy Dam Recreation Area?
Report deer and turkeys within 72 hours through the DNR site or app.
Do stands need ID at Tippy Dam Recreation Area?
Sept. 1 through the end of the deer seasons.
Does Tippy Dam Recreation Area need any permit beyond my licenses?
Your Michigan licenses; no landowner permission on public ground.
Where can I hunt inside Tippy Dam Recreation Area?
In the open zones of the DNR park hunting map.
What public ground borders or neighbors Tippy Dam Recreation Area?
The closest alternatives are Manistee Ranger District (Huron-Manistee National Forest) (9 miles), Cadillac Ranger District (Huron-Manistee National Forest) (13 miles) and Manistee River State Game Area (15 miles).
How does the record classify Tippy Dam Recreation Area?
It is a state recreation area, run by the DNR Parks and Recreation Division.
Before you drive to Tippy Dam Recreation Area
Use this page as a start: the manager of Tippy Dam Recreation Area 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: ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA 4.0).