Michigan Managed Waterfowl Areas: How the Draws Work

Always verify current regulations with the Michigan DNR before you hunt. Draw times, zones and unit conditions change during the season, and area managers can amend rules with short notice. We checked everything here against official DNR and USFWS pages on November 11, 2026. This is a guide, not legal advice.

Michigan's managed waterfowl areas — the DNR markets them as the Wetland Wonders — are some of the best public duck hunting in the Midwest, and also some of the most confusing for first-timers. You don't buy a permit ahead of time. You show up before dawn (or before lunch), register your party, and wait for your name or number to come up. Then you pick an open zone and go hunt it under that area's special rules.

This guide covers how that works, the 2026 draw schedule for each area, the extra rules that apply inside the managed units, and the reserved opening-weekend drawing that you apply for in August.

The seven draw areas

According to the DNR, seven managed waterfowl areas in southern Michigan conduct drawings for free hunting-zone permits throughout the season:

The Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge is listed in the same DNR table but is federal land and, new for 2026, has no drawing at all. It gets its own page: Shiawassee NWR vs. Shiawassee River SGA.

2026 draw schedules by area

These are the draw days and times printed in the 2026 DNR regulations summary, cross-checked against each area's DNR page.

Pointe Mouillee SGA (Rockwood). Morning draws Sundays, Thursdays and Oct. 17 at 5:30 a.m.; afternoon draws Sundays, Tuesdays and Oct. 17 at 11 a.m. Thursday morning permits are good until the close of shooting hours. Opening weekend is reserved. Full walkthrough: Pointe Mouillee draw guide.

Harsens Island at St. Clair Flats (Algonac). Morning draws daily at 5:30 a.m.; afternoon draws daily at 11:30 a.m. (note the half-hour difference from most areas). Opening weekend is reserved. Getting there requires a short car ferry ride to the island.

Shiawassee River SGA (St. Charles). Afternoon draws daily at 11 a.m. Opening weekend is reserved. Heads-up on the morning time: the 2026 regulations summary lists the morning draw at 5:30 a.m., but the area's own DNR page lists it at 5:00 a.m. We couldn't reconcile those two official sources, so call the area office at 989-865-6211 before you drive up, and check those pages before you go.

Fish Point SWA (Unionville). Morning draws daily at 5:30 a.m.; afternoon draws daily at 11 a.m. Opening weekend of the Middle Zone duck season is reserved.

Nayanquing Point SWA (Linwood). Morning draws daily at 5:30 a.m.; afternoon draws daily at 11 a.m. Opening weekend of the Middle Zone duck season is reserved. The DNR notes managed muzzleloader deer hunts start after the regular waterfowl season closes.

Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center (Twin Lake). Morning draws Tuesdays and Saturdays at 5:30 a.m.; afternoon draws Thursdays and Saturdays at 11 a.m. Open Oct. 20 – Dec. 19, 2026, closed Thanksgiving Day. One thing to double-check: the DNR area page says Tuesday morning permits are valid until close of shooting hours, but the Wildlife Conservation Order (section 13.6) says weekday hunts there end at 2 p.m. We couldn't reconcile those two official sources, so check that page or call the office at 231-788-5055 before you go. It is dry-field hunting only — no water impoundments — and primarily a goose hunt.

Fennville Farm Unit, Allegan SGA. Mostly a goose operation with its own calendar. Morning draws only, at 5:30 a.m., on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays during Oct. 17–18 and Dec. 19, 2026 – Feb. 14, 2027; leftover zones are reissued until 11 a.m. and permits are valid until 4:30 p.m. No drawings Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays from Dec. 19 – Feb. 14. Outside drawing dates there is self-registration for geese (Sept. 1–30 and Oct. 17 – Nov. 4) and for ducks during the South Zone duck season, at the Fennville Farm Unit office.

Youth hunts

On youth days, the Wildlife Conservation Order gives first priority to parties with at least one youth 16 or younger, with no more than two adults and a maximum party of four.

Veterans preference drawings

The DNR scheduled 2026 veterans preference drawings for properly licensed resident active-duty military and veterans at Pointe Mouillee, Fish Point, Harsens Island, Nayanquing Point, Shiawassee River, and Muskegon County RRC. The regulations summary listed Pointe Mouillee on Nov. 10, Fish Point, Harsens Island, Nayanquing Point and Shiawassee River on Nov. 11, and Muskegon County RRC on Nov. 12. The Pointe Mouillee manager's update noted a change from the regulations summary for that veterans draw without saying what changed, so check the Pointe Mouillee page or the current manager's update before you use that date. There is none at Fennville Farm or Shiawassee NWR. A single hunter must be a veteran or active-duty member; a party needs at least one. Bring military ID, DD-214 or another document the DNR lists, plus a Michigan driver's license or voter registration card.

How a draw actually works

The core rules come from Chapter 13 of the Wildlife Conservation Order, which covers Fish Point, Nayanquing Point, Pointe Mouillee, Shiawassee River and Harsens Island:

1. Register as a party before the draw. Everyone who hunts together registers together on one party card before draw time. Up to three absentee hunters who aren't at the draw may be listed, but the maximum party size is four. Every member's registration information has to be complete before the drawing.
2. Your party is drawn in order and picks a zone. You hunt only the zone, blind or post on your permit, and the whole party hunts together there.
3. Check out. You return your permit to the check station when your hunt period ends or when you quit, whichever comes first, and you submit all game for examination unless signs or permit instructions say otherwise.

At Pointe Mouillee, the manager's update notes that registration opens 30 minutes before each draw, and that once the number of parties climbs above roughly 30–40, staff switch from lottery balls to random-number draw sheets to speed things up. Other areas may run things a little differently — call the office if it's your first visit.

The DNR also warns that normal drawings can be canceled late in the season if extreme weather drives participation down. Managers post amended rules at least two days ahead, and the DNR suggests calling the headquarters late in the season to confirm a draw will be held.

Special rules inside the managed units

On top of all normal state and federal waterfowl rules, the managed areas add their own. From the Wildlife Conservation Order, Chapter 13:

The DNR also recommends waders, decoys and calls at every area, and small boats and motors at many of them. Some zones are walk-in only. Water levels and access change year to year, so the area's weekly manager's update is required reading before each trip.

The reserved opening-weekend drawing

Opening weekend at Fish Point, Harsens Island, Nayanquing Point, Pointe Mouillee and Shiawassee River is by reservation only. For 2026:

• Application period: Aug. 1–28, 2026. Results: Sept. 14, 2026.
• Cost: $5, and you can buy only one reserved waterfowl application per year (with a first and optional second hunt choice).
• You don't need your licenses to apply, but the DNR urges buying them before your hunt.
• Winners must bring one to three licensed hunters, for a maximum party of four (no more than two adults on youth hunts).
• Being drawn earns you a spot in a "day-of" drawing at that area, date and time — staff verify eligibility on site.

2026 hunt numbers ranged from 21 hunts per period at Pointe Mouillee to 40 at Shiawassee River. The 2027 reserved hunt dates, hunt numbers and application window have not been published yet. The DNR's 2027 proposed South Zone opener is Oct. 16, 2027, and the Middle Zone's is Oct. 2, 2027, but those are proposals only — not a final calendar. Check the DNR waterfowl regulations page before you plan around any 2027 date. Get the cheat sheet and we'll email you when the 2027 window is announced.

Picking an area

We'll be honest: we're not going to rank these areas for you on hearsay. What we can tell you from official sources:

• Pointe Mouillee (Lake Erie, about 4,040 acres of managed marsh) is the closest Wetland Wonder for most of metro Detroit and Livingston County. For 2026, Roberts Road is closed south of Reaume Road, which cuts off one of the two main boat launches. Details in the Pointe Mouillee guide.
• Harsens Island (about 3,355 acres in the St. Clair Flats delta) requires the ferry. The DNR says mallards are the most-harvested species, with black ducks, pintails, wood ducks and Canada geese also taken.
• Shiawassee River SGA is the largest managed waterfowl area in the state at nearly 10,000 acres.
• Fish Point (2,477 acres on Saginaw Bay) offers marsh, flooded corn and dry-field hunting, and the DNR notes open-water hunting on the bay is a short boat ride away.
• Nayanquing Point (1,505 acres on Saginaw Bay's west shore) is smaller but a major migration stop.
• Muskegon County is ag-field goose hunting, with lagoons that the DNR says can hold up to 12,000 ruddy ducks and 5,000-plus shovelers.

Of the Wetland Wonders on this list, I've hunted Fish Point and the Shiawassee Flats. I don't have first-hand notes on Pointe Mouillee, Harsens Island, Nayanquing Point, or Muskegon County, so the details above come from the DNR's own area pages.

What to bring

The DNR's own list is waders, decoys and calls, with a small boat and motor recommended at many areas. Add non-toxic loads counted out to 25 or fewer, your licenses and duck stamp on your phone or paper, and a way to check your zone map. Our full list is in the license and gear checklist.

Disclaimer: Always verify current regulations with the Michigan DNR (michigan.gov/wetlandwonders and michigan.gov/waterfowl) and, at Shiawassee NWR, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before every hunt. The Marsh Brief is independent and not affiliated with either agency. Last verified November 11, 2026.

Sources

• Michigan DNR, 2026 Waterfowl Hunting Regulations Summary (Wetland Wonders table, youth hunts, veterans preference draws, reserved hunt table and application details, managed-area FAQ): https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/laws/regulations/waterfowl — retrieved Nov. 11, 2026
• Michigan DNR, Wetland Wonders: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/hunting/where/wetland-wonders
• Michigan DNR area pages (acreage, descriptions, draw times): Pointe Mouillee SGA https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/hunting/where/wetland-wonders/pointe-mouillee-sga ; Harsens Island https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/hunting/where/wetland-wonders/harsens-island ; Shiawassee River SGA https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/hunting/where/wetland-wonders/shiawassee-river-sga ; Fish Point SWA https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/hunting/where/wetland-wonders/fish-point-swa ; Nayanquing Point SWA https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/hunting/where/wetland-wonders/nayanquing-point-swa ; Muskegon County RRC https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/hunting/where/wetland-wonders/muskegon-county-rr ; Fennville Farm Unit https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/hunting/where/wetland-wonders/fennville-farm-unit-at-allegan-state-game-area
• Michigan DNR, Pointe Mouillee manager's update (Nov. 2–8, 2026): https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/hunting/where/wetland-wonders/pointe-mouillee-sga/manager-update
• Michigan DNR, Wildlife Conservation Order Chapter XIII, Managed State Game and Wildlife Areas: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/-/media/Project/Websites/dnr/Documents/Orders/Wildlife-Conservation-Order/ChapterXIII.pdf
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Shiawassee NWR hunting: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/shiawassee/visit-us/activities/hunting