Sweet Marsh Wildlife Area is a 2,855 acre public area located just outside of the city limits of Tripoli.  Visitors or residents of Tripoli can drive a couple of miles north or east of town to reach portions of Sweet Marsh.  Contained within Sweet Marsh are Plum Creek and the Wapsipinicon River.

Sweet Marsh contains five major pools (segments) of water and marsh totaling nearly 1,098 acres.  "The Marsh," as it is known to the locals, was designed in the late 1940s, with actual construction beginning in 1950.  Funds for the project came from the sales of hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses.  Also providing funds were the excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and fishing equipment.

Sweet Marsh can best be described as a system of dikes (more than eight miles) and one dam that hold water in pools at various levels throughout the year.  Water levels in many of the pools are manipulated to allow for vegetative growth to serve as food for migrating waterfowl.  During migrations, the water level is raised to provide plentiful habitat for the thousands of migrating waterfowl that use Sweet Marsh each season.

In addition to the marsh habitat, Sweet Marsh includes acres of upland timber and a small segment of remnant sand prairie.  Due to the varied habitat of Sweet Marsh, wildlife of many species can be observed year round.

Sweet Marsh's primary purpose for construction was to provide a public hunting area.  That goal has certainly been attained as recognized by the numerous duck hunters who hunt waterfowl at Sweet Marsh each fall.  Other recreational uses of Sweet Marsh are fishing, trapping, hiking, paddling, birding, and nature photography, to name a few. 

Fishing at Sweet Marsh is enjoyed primarily on Segment B - also known as Marten's Lake.  Species of interest are largemouth bass, northern pike, crappies, bluegills, and bullheads.  Anglers utilize Marten's Lake year-round, either by boat/canoe/kayak or by ice-fishing.  Aquatic vegetation poses late summer fishing challenges for boat props.  However, the same plants known to frustrate boat owners are also habitat for a healthy largemouth bass population.  Eurasian Watermilfoil, an exotic invasive plant species, is problematic resulting in various efforts to eradicate it from Sweet Marsh.  Please check your boat trailer and boat before unloading/loading your boat at Sweet Marsh.

Waterfowl by the tens of thousands frequent Sweet Marsh.  Other common wildlife readily observed are whitetail deer, wild turkeys, typical upland species: pheasants, rabbits, and squirrels, and a wide variety of non-game species.   Special spring visitors include pelicans and osprey.  Of particular interest are the sandhill cranes, river otters, and bald eagles.  All three species have established populations with documented reproduction.  Other non-game species of interest known to exist at Sweet Marsh are central newts, Blanding's turtles, and the elusive massasauga rattlesnakes.  Although the massasuga rattlesnakes are known to survive at Sweet Marsh, their population is fragile at best.  Full protection is offered to all of above named non-game species at Sweet Marsh.

Sweet Marsh is recognized as one of the top birding locations in the state.  Numerous birding field trips to "The Marsh" occur each year.  The migration periods are probably the best times to explore Sweet Marsh if you are looking for variety.  But, any time of year, including the winter months (Bald Eagles), is a good time to visit Sweet Marsh.

Finally, Sweet Marsh is the site of a geocache.  Contact us for specific coordinates.

For more information on Sweet Marsh, call (319) 882-4252.