Carmans Marsh is an excellent waterfowl habitat and is, therefore, a popular waterfowl hunting area. The WMA offers good birding for wetland species. The buttonbush marsh and forested swamp provide cover for many small songbirds. For instance, the beautiful Baltimore oriole prefers woodlands adjacent to water. Ruffed grouse occur in the forested section.

Carmans Marsh Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is an 83-acre parcel in Swanton located on a point of land north of the VT-78 causeway between Swanton and Alburg. There is a boat launch on the north side of the road. Access to the rest of the property is via a small, gated camp road or by boat. The land is owned by the State of Vermont and managed by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. The northern end of the WMA is known as Sandy Point and is a prominent feature on the shore of Lake Champlain.

Carmans Marsh has a variety of habitat types contained within its small area. It is mostly comprised of scrub/shrub wetlands with lakeside floodplain forest inclusions. Near VT-78 there are intermittently flooded fields that support warm-water fish spawning in the spring. North of the fields is a buttonbush shrub marsh. There is a forested swamp on the east side of the property. At the northeastern edge is a marshy area along the shore of Lake Champlain, which is sheltered in a small bay.

The western shore is a river cobble shore community, which is an important nesting area for the State-endangered spiny softshell turtle. This turtle only nests on a few beaches at the northern end of the Inland Sea of Lake Champlain. Efforts are made to protect the nests from predation and human disturbance. Please obey posted signs along the beach. It is against the law to disturb or harass endangered species.