Blue Earth County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Blue Earth County has 9,954 acres of public land open to the public, 2% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (3,949 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 19 wildlife management areas here covering 3,705 acres, the largest Gilfillan Lake WMA (559 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 1 site of private land open to hunters, 49 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 299 (726 deer in 2025), DPA 230 (549 deer in 2025), DPA 291 (1,896 deer in 2025) and DPA 253 (854 deer in 2025).
Data updated October 2026. Land: PAD-US 4.1. Wildlife Management Areas and Walk-In Access: the DNR's map layers, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025.
State wildlife management areasState forest and other DNR landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasState parksCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessBlue Earth CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 489,978 acres (766 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 2% (9,954 acres) |
| WMAs | 19 (3,705 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 1 site, 49 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 299, DPA 230, DPA 291, DPA 253, DPA 292 |
| Towns | Mankato, Eagle Lake, Lake Crystal, Madison Lake, Minnesota Lake and North Mankato |
How much public hunting land is in Blue Earth County?
9,954 of the county's 489,978 acres are public land open to the public (2%). 7,622 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Blue Earth County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 3,949 | 0.8% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 3,653 | 0.7% |
| State parks | 1,610 | 0.3% |
| County, city and regional land | 722 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 20 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 9,954 | 2% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). State wildlife management areas, state forest land and national forests are open to hunting in season; refuges and waterfowl production areas follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; state parks allow hunting only in special hunts; national park land is closed to hunting; city and county parks set their own rules. PAD-US 4.1 leaves out most of the tax-forfeited land Minnesota counties manage, much of it open to hunting, so the public land here may be more than shown; the county land department has the maps.
The largest public areas in Blue Earth County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Blue Earth County Waterfowl Production Area (3,654 acres) and Rasmussen Woods (175 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Blue Earth County?
19, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Gilfillan Lake WMA | 559 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Stokman WMA | 495 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Maple River WMA | 492 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Lost Marsh WMA | 329 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| O A Vee Memorial WMA | 253 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Pick WMA | 199 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Born WMA | 185 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Picnic Rock WMA | 181 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Evans Slough WMA | 165 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Gary Clancy WMA | 162 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Hobza WMA | 158 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| George & Elizabeth Lang WMA | 134 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Lembke WMA | 93 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Latourelle WMA | 83 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Cambria WMA | 82 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Duckhaven WMA | 40 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Saiki WMA | 39 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Gage WMA | 29 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese and small game |
| Thompson Slough WMA | 27 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Blue Earth County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 1 site in Blue Earth County, 49 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31: Blue Earth WIA #1001. DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Earth WIA #1001 | 49 | 44.1798, -94.3618 |
Locations are the middle of each site, from the DNR's 2026 layer. Landowners may leave the program during the year; the DNR's Walk-In Access page and its site status page have the current list.
How many deer are taken in Blue Earth County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Blue Earth County lies in 5 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 299 (45.1% of the county). Each figure below is for the whole permit area.
| DPA | Share of the county | Deer harvested in the whole DPA | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 299 | 45.1% | 726 | 2025 |
| DPA 230 | 23.6% | 549 | 2025 |
| DPA 291 | 16.8% | 1,896 | 2025 |
| DPA 253 | 13.8% | 854 | 2025 |
| DPA 292 | 0.6% | 1,197 | 2025 |
Harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report). Share of the county measured by FilledTag from the DNR's deer permit areas and the Census county line.
How do you get around Blue Earth County?
Highways: MN 60 (about 65 miles in the county), MN 22 (about 42 miles in the county), US 169 (about 34 miles in the county), MN 30 (about 32 miles in the county) and US 14 (about 27 miles in the county). Towns: Mankato, Eagle Lake, Lake Crystal, Madison Lake, Mapleton, St. Clair, Good Thunder and Vernon Center.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Blue Earth County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Blue Earth County Waterfowl Production Area (3,654 acres in the county) and Rasmussen Woods (175 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 3,949 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Blue Earth County?
Gilfillan Lake WMA, with 559 acres inside the county. The county has 19 WMAs in all.
Does Blue Earth County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 1 site and 49 acres in Blue Earth County.
Which deer permit area is Blue Earth County in?
DPA 299 (45.1%), DPA 230 (23.6%), DPA 291 (16.8%), DPA 253 (13.8%) and DPA 292 (0.6%). Bag limits and firearms dates follow the permit area.
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Where these numbers come from
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). Wildlife Management Areas: Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible. Walk-In Access: Minnesota DNR Walk-In Access sites.
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
- County line: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads.
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps.
Minnesota hunting DPA 299 DPA 230 DPA 291 DPA 253 DPA 292 Brown County Martin County Waseca County Le Sueur County Nicollet County Watonwan County Faribault County Walk-In Access