Red Lake County, Minnesota: public hunting land
Red Lake County has 2,704 acres of public land open to the public, 1% of the county, the largest share state wildlife management areas (2,704 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 7 wildlife management areas here covering 2,611 acres, the largest Crane WMA (1,160 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer permit area: DPA 257 (979 deer in 2025), DPA 209 (1,486 deer in 2025), DPA 256 (1,042 deer in 2025) and DPA 210 (1,487 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 areasRed Lake CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 276,845 acres (433 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 1% (2,704 acres) |
| WMAs | 7 (2,611 acres) |
| Walk-In Access | None mapped this year |
| Deer permit areas | DPA 257, DPA 209, DPA 256, DPA 210 |
| Towns | Plummer, Red Lake Falls, Brooks, Oklee, St. Hilaire and Mentor |
How much public hunting land is in Red Lake County?
2,704 of the county's 276,845 acres are public land open to the public (1%). 2,704 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Red Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 2,704 | 1% |
| All public land open to the public | 2,704 | 1% |
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.
Which wildlife management areas are in Red Lake County?
7, largest first.
| WMA | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Crane WMA | 1,160 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Moran WMA | 426 | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Huot WMA | 424 | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Marcoux WMA | 380 | deer, ducks and geese, sharp-tailed grouse and small game |
| Emardville WMA | 88 | deer and bear |
| Gervais WMA | 83 | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Pembina WMA | 50 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse and bear |
How many deer are taken in Red Lake County?
The DNR counts deer by permit area, not by county. Red Lake County lies in 4 permit areas; the largest share is in DPA 257 (35% 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 257 | 35% | 979 | 2025 |
| DPA 209 | 32.2% | 1,486 | 2025 |
| DPA 256 | 26.4% | 1,042 | 2025 |
| DPA 210 | 6.4% | 1,487 | 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 Red Lake County?
Highways: MN 92 (about 24 miles in the county), MN 32 (about 16 miles in the county), US 59 (about 14 miles in the county) and US 2 (about 4 miles in the county). Towns: Plummer, Red Lake Falls, Brooks and Oklee.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Red Lake County, Minnesota?
2,704 acres, 1% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1.
What is the largest WMA in Red Lake County?
Crane WMA, with 1,160 acres inside the county. The county has 7 WMAs in all.
Does Red Lake 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 Red Lake County in?
DPA 257 (35%), DPA 209 (32.2%), DPA 256 (26.4%) and DPA 210 (6.4%). 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 257 DPA 209 DPA 256 DPA 210 Polk County Pennington County