Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Lake of the Woods County has 360,671 acres of public land open to the public, 31.7% of the county, the largest share state forest and other DNR land (166,078 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 13 wildlife management areas here covering 152,478 acres, the largest Red Lake WMA (122,091 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 111 (412 deer in 2025), DPA 105 (2,485 deer in 2025), DPA 114 (30 deer in 2025) and DPA 104 (450 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 areasOther federal landState parksLand trusts and other open landLake of the Woods CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 1,138,874 acres (1,779 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 31.7% (360,671 acres) |
| WMAs | 13 (152,478 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 111, DPA 105, DPA 114, DPA 104, DPA 101 |
| Towns | Baudette, Williams, Angle Inlet, Roosevelt and Warroad |
How much public hunting land is in Lake of the Woods County?
360,671 of the county's 1,138,874 acres are public land open to the public (31.7%). 355,466 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Lake of the Woods County |
|---|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 166,078 | 14.6% |
| State wildlife management areas | 152,598 | 13.4% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 33,104 | 2.9% |
| Other federal land | 3,686 | 0.3% |
| State parks | 3,245 | 0.3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,960 | 0.2% |
| All public land open to the public | 360,671 | 31.7% |
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 Lake of the Woods County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Lake of the Woods State Forest (138,586 acres), Beltrami Wildlife Management Area (49,691 acres), Northwest Angle State Forest (14,164 acres) and Garden Island (527 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Lake of the Woods County?
13, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Red Lake WMA | 122,091 | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Carp Swamp WMA | 15,272 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Graceton WMA | 10,713 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Prosper WMA | 1,942 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Rocky Point WMA | 466 | deer, ducks and geese, sharp-tailed grouse and small game |
| Silver Creek WMA | 460 | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| South Shore WMA | 412 | deer, ducks and geese, sharp-tailed grouse and small game |
| Rako WMA | 400 | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Spooner WMA | 359 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Border WMA | 121 | deer, ducks and geese, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Four Mile Bay WMA | 89 | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| North Rapid River WMA | 78 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Larry Bernhoft WMA | 75 | deer, ducks and geese and small game |
How many deer are taken in Lake of the Woods County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Lake of the Woods County lies in 5 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 111 (40.2% 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 111 | 40.2% | 412 | 2025 |
| DPA 105 | 32.6% | 2,485 | 2025 |
| DPA 114 | 23.2% | 30 | 2025 |
| DPA 104 | 3.8% | 450 | 2025 |
| DPA 101 | 0.2% | 759 | 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 Lake of the Woods County?
Highways: MN 11 (about 32 miles in the county). Towns: Baudette, Williams and Angle Inlet.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Lake of the Woods County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Lake of the Woods State Forest (138,586 acres in the county), Beltrami Wildlife Management Area (49,691 acres in the county) and Northwest Angle State Forest (14,164 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state forest and other DNR land, 166,078 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Lake of the Woods County?
Red Lake WMA, with 122,091 acres inside the county. The county has 13 WMAs in all.
Does Lake of the Woods County have Walk-In Access land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access map. The program is mostly in western and southern Minnesota.
Which deer permit area is Lake of the Woods County in?
DPA 111 (40.2%), DPA 105 (32.6%), DPA 114 (23.2%), DPA 104 (3.8%) and DPA 101 (0.2%). 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 111 DPA 105 DPA 114 DPA 104 DPA 101 Roseau County Beltrami County Koochiching County