Nobles County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Nobles County has 7,798 acres of public land open to the public, 1.7% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (6,925 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 32 wildlife management areas here covering 6,892 acres, the largest Herlein-Boote WMA (741 acres in the county). The DNR's Walk-In Access program adds 3 sites of private land open to hunters, 264 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 237 (301 deer in 2025), DPA 234 (288 deer in 2025), DPA 250 (505 deer in 2025) and DPA 238 (114 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 areasCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessNobles CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 462,414 acres (723 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 1.7% (7,798 acres) |
| WMAs | 32 (6,892 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | 3 sites, 264 acres |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 237, DPA 234, DPA 250, DPA 238 |
| Towns | Worthington, Brewster, Adrian, Kinbrae, Kenneth and Magnolia |
How much public hunting land is in Nobles County?
7,798 of the county's 462,414 acres are public land open to the public (1.7%). 7,689 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Nobles County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 6,925 | 1.5% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 745 | 0.2% |
| County, city and regional land | 109 | under 0.1% |
| State forest and other DNR land | 19 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 7,798 | 1.7% |
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 Nobles County by PAD-US, besides the WMAs: Nobles County Waterfowl Production Area (746 acres).
Which wildlife management areas are in Nobles County?
32, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Herlein-Boote WMA | 741 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Swessinger WMA | 713 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Lone Tree WMA | 564 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| West Graham WMA | 506 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Wachter WMA | 473 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Fenmont WMA | 415 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Ransom Ridge WMA | 382 | deer, pheasants, mourning doves and small game |
| Lake Bella WMA | 359 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, bear and small game |
| Peterson WMA | 325 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Lambert Prairie WMA | 306 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Bigelow WMA | 234 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Schweigert WMA | 219 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Groth WMA | 171 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Windy Acres WMA | 160 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Fulda WMA | 157 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| James Willey WMA | 138 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| John Erickson WMA | 121 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Kinbrae WMA | 109 | deer, pheasants and ducks and geese |
| County Line WMA | 100 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Fred Hoffenkamp WMA | 87 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Van Drie Ridge WMA | 84 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Sherwood WMA | 82 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Champepedan WMA | 81 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Bluebird Prairie WMA | 78 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Eagle Lake WMA | 52 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Einck WMA | 50 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Stable Banks WMA | 45 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Scheuring WMA | 36 | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Pheasant Run WMA | 31 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Lambert Heikes WMA | 31 | deer, pheasants and small game |
| Fury WMA | 26 | ducks and geese |
| Dewald WMA | 16 | pheasants and small game |
Where is the Walk-In Access in Nobles County?
The DNR's 2026 Walk-In Access layer shows 3 sites in Nobles County, 264 acres of private land open to hunters with a Walk-In Access validation from September 1 to May 31. The largest is Nobles WIA #934 (130 acres). DNR Walk-In Access.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Nobles WIA #934 | 130 | 43.6583, -95.9094 |
| Nobles WIA #767 | 80 | 43.5893, -96.0485 |
| Nobles WIA #510 | 54 | 43.8035, -95.8368 |
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 Nobles County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Nobles County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 237 (80.1% 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 237 | 80.1% | 301 | 2025 |
| DPA 234 | 17.2% | 288 | 2025 |
| DPA 250 | 1.6% | 505 | 2025 |
| DPA 238 | 1.1% | 114 | 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 Nobles County?
Highways: I-90 (about 60 miles in the county), MN 60 (about 41 miles in the county), US 59 (about 34 miles in the county), MN 91 (about 28 miles in the county) and MN 264 (about 4 miles in the county). Towns: Worthington, Brewster, Adrian, Kinbrae, Round Lake, Ellsworth, Wilmont and Bigelow.
Questions hunters ask
What is the largest public land in Nobles County besides the WMAs?
By PAD-US 4.1: Nobles County Waterfowl Production Area (746 acres in the county). The largest kind of public land here is state wildlife management areas, 6,925 acres.
What is the largest WMA in Nobles County?
Herlein-Boote WMA, with 741 acres inside the county. The county has 32 WMAs in all.
Does Nobles County have Walk-In Access land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 layer shows 3 sites and 264 acres in Nobles County.
Which deer permit area is Nobles County in?
DPA 237 (80.1%), DPA 234 (17.2%), DPA 250 (1.6%) and DPA 238 (1.1%). 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 237 DPA 234 DPA 250 DPA 238 Rock County Murray County Jackson County Cottonwood County Walk-In Access