Lyon County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Lyon County has 16,547 acres of public land open to the public, 3.6% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (11,922 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 47 wildlife management areas here covering 11,804 acres, the largest Coon Creek WMA (966 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 19 sites of private land open to hunters, 1,657 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 288 (731 deer in 2025), DPA 295 (904 deer in 2025), DPA 289 (558 deer in 2025) and DPA 294 (472 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 AccessLyon CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 461,790 acres (722 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 3.6% (16,547 acres) |
| WMAs | 47 (11,804 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 19 sites, 1,657 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 288, DPA 295, DPA 289, DPA 294 |
| Towns | Marshall, Tracy, Minneota, Balaton, Ruthton and Milroy |
How much public hunting land is in Lyon County?
16,547 of the county's 461,790 acres are public land open to the public (3.6%). 14,600 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Lyon County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 11,922 | 2.6% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,546 | 0.6% |
| State parks | 1,803 | 0.4% |
| County, city and regional land | 144 | under 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 132 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 16,547 | 3.6% |
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 Lyon County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Lyon County Waterfowl Production Area (2,313 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Lyon County?
47, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Coon Creek WMA | 966 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Amiret WMA | 937 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Meadow Creek WMA | 858 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Green Valley WMA | 793 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Vallers WMA | 771 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Sodus WMA | 756 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Lyons WMA | 572 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Prairie Marshes WMA | 493 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Sioux Prairie WMA | 443 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Grandview WMA | 437 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Clifton WMA | 381 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| SE Clifton WMA | 371 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Rolling Hills WMA | 356 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Lines WMA | 325 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Jacobson WMA | 290 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Brakke WMA | 269 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Brawner Lake WMA | 258 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Lake Yankton WMA | 237 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Lyndwood WMA | 168 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Bue-tiful Acres WMA | 168 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Elmer Weltz WMA | 161 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Shelburne WMA | 160 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Tillemans WMA | 154 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Furgamme WMA | 152 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Rooster Flats WMA | 126 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Deer Lane WMA | 117 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Gabriel Anderson WMA | 102 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Rock Lake Marsh WMA | 100 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Sham Lake WMA | 84 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Garvin WMA | 82 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Bosque WMA | 70 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Ringneck Ravine WMA | 69 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Good Medicine WMA | 57 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Hope WMA | 55 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Lyrock WMA | 55 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Greenhead WMA | 48 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Deutz WMA | 42 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Nyroca Flats WMA | 42 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Richard Dwire WMA | 40 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Redwood WMA | 40 | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Hoffman Creek WMA | 37 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Giese WMA | 37 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Russell WMA | 35 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Gadwall WMA | 32 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Dayland Marsh WMA | 21 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Happy Hollow WMA | 19 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| White Prairie WMA | 18 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Lyon County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 19 sites in Lyon County, 1,657 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Lyon WIA #858 (176 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Lyon WIA #858 | 176 | 44.4944, -95.9327 |
| Lyon WIA #691 | 159 | 44.5965, -96.0069 |
| Lyon WIA #616 | 159 | 44.4191, -95.9929 |
| Lyon WIA #186 | 132 | 44.2301, -95.8102 |
| Lyon WIA #1089 | 128 | 44.2887, -96.0416 |
| Lyon WIA #964 | 120 | 44.4917, -96.0512 |
| Lyon WIA #690 | 119 | 44.2923, -95.9454 |
| Lyon WIA #952 | 92 | 44.5138, -96.0483 |
| Lyon WIA #1036 | 76 | 44.5891, -95.6498 |
| Lyon WIA #788 | 72 | 44.2201, -95.8003 |
| Lincoln WIA #600 | 61 | 44.4922, -96.0792 |
| Lyon WIA #851 | 56 | 44.5361, -95.9446 |
| Lyon WIA #781 | 53 | 44.4473, -95.9304 |
| Lyon WIA #783 | 48 | 44.2916, -95.9092 |
| Lyon WIA #963 | 46 | 44.5172, -95.7446 |
| Lyon WIA #142 | 45 | 44.2934, -95.8283 |
| Lyon WIA #411 | 39 | 44.5488, -95.8365 |
| Lyon WIA #941 | 39 | 44.6258, -96.0611 |
| Lyon WIA #1150 | 37 | 44.627, -96.0566 |
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 Lyon County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Lyon County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 288 (87.2% 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 288 | 87.2% | 731 | 2025 |
| DPA 295 | 7.5% | 904 | 2025 |
| DPA 289 | 2.8% | 558 | 2025 |
| DPA 294 | 2.5% | 472 | 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 Lyon County?
Highways: MN 23 (about 51 miles in the county), US 59 (about 31 miles in the county), MN 68 (about 28 miles in the county), US 14 (about 24 miles in the county) and MN 19 (about 24 miles in the county). Towns: Marshall, Tracy, Minneota, Balaton, Lynd, Taunton, Cottonwood and Russell.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Lyon County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Lyon County Waterfowl Production Area (2,313 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 11,922 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Lyon County?
Coon Creek WMA, with 966 acres inside the county. The county has 47 WMAs in all.
Does Lyon County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 19 sites and 1,657 acres in Lyon County.
Which deer permit area is Lyon County in?
DPA 288 (87.2%), DPA 295 (7.5%), DPA 289 (2.8%) and DPA 294 (2.5%). 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 288 DPA 295 DPA 289 DPA 294 Murray County Lincoln County Redwood County Pipestone County Yellow Medicine County Walk-In Access