Le Sueur County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Le Sueur County has 6,617 acres of public land open to the public, 2.2% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (5,342 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 20 wildlife management areas here covering 5,039 acres, the largest Dora Lake WMA (742 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 2 sites of private land open to hunters, 157 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 292 (1,197 deer in 2025), DPA 291 (1,896 deer in 2025), DPA 605 (3,115 deer in 2025) and DPA 230 (549 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 AccessLe Sueur CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 303,310 acres (474 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 2.2% (6,617 acres) |
| WMAs | 20 (5,039 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 2 sites, 157 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 292, DPA 291, DPA 605, DPA 230, DPA 232, DPA 338 |
| Towns | Le Sueur, Montgomery, Waterville, Le Center, New Prague and Henderson |
How much public hunting land is in Le Sueur County?
6,617 of the county's 303,310 acres are public land open to the public (2.2%). 6,112 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Le Sueur County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 5,342 | 1.8% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 418 | 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 350 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 347 | 0.1% |
| County, city and regional land | 158 | 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 6,617 | 2.2% |
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 Le Sueur County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Lesueur County Waterfowl Production Area (418 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Le Sueur County?
20, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Dora Lake WMA | 742 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Ottawa WMA | 674 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Sanborn Lake WMA | 549 | wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Diamond Lake WMA | 340 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Sheas Lake WMA | 321 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| St. Thomas Lake WMA | 320 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Factor WMA | 287 | wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Dove Lake WMA | 258 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Cordova WMA | 222 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Murphy WMA | 212 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Bur Oak WMA | 212 | |
| Paddy Marsh WMA | 189 | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Chadderdon WMA | 133 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Seha WMA | 132 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Shanghai Lake WMA | 115 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Earl Swain WMA | 105 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and mourning doves |
| Anton Velishek Memorial WMA | 79 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Bardel's Marsh WMA | 78 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Carl and Verna Schmidt WMA | 49 | |
| Frank Breen Memorial WMA | 22 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Le Sueur County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 2 sites in Le Sueur County, 157 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Le Sueur WIA #802 (96 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Le Sueur WIA #802 | 96 | 44.3339, -93.8536 |
| Le Sueur WIA #599 | 61 | 44.3609, -93.5712 |
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 Le Sueur County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Le Sueur County lies in 6 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 292 (56.9% 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 292 | 56.9% | 1,197 | 2025 |
| DPA 291 | 36.5% | 1,896 | 2025 |
| DPA 605 | 5.2% | 3,115 | 2025 |
| DPA 230 | 0.8% | 549 | 2025 |
| DPA 232 | 0.3% | 745 | 2025 |
| DPA 338 | 0.2% | 704 | 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 Le Sueur County?
Highways: MN 13 (about 27 miles in the county), MN 99 (about 24 miles in the county), MN 112 (about 15 miles in the county), MN 60 (about 11 miles in the county) and MN 21 (about 11 miles in the county). Towns: Le Sueur, Montgomery, Waterville, Le Center, Kasota, Elysian, Cleveland and Heidelberg.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Le Sueur County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Lesueur County Waterfowl Production Area (418 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 5,342 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Le Sueur County?
Dora Lake WMA, with 742 acres inside the county. The county has 20 WMAs in all.
Does Le Sueur County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 2 sites and 157 acres in Le Sueur County.
Which deer permit area is Le Sueur County in?
DPA 292 (56.9%), DPA 291 (36.5%), DPA 605 (5.2%), DPA 230 (0.8%), DPA 232 (0.3%) and DPA 338 (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 292 DPA 291 DPA 605 DPA 230 DPA 232 DPA 338 Rice County Scott County Sibley County Waseca County Nicollet County Blue Earth County Walk-In Access