Athens Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Athens Wildlife Management Area is 192 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Isanti County, near Isanti, inside Deer Permit Area 227. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 4,198 deer in DPA 227 in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's wildlife management area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2021 to 2025.
State wildlife management areasCounty, city and regional landAthens WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 192 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Isanti County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 227 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Isanti |
| DNR area office | Cambridge |
| Nearest towns | Isanti (2 mi), Bethel (4 mi) and Cambridge (7 mi) |
What is Athens WMA like?
(Transition Landscape) WMA consists of habitats which are composed primarily of large type 4 wetland with significant cattail coverage interspersed with scattered prairie fields and upland hardwood forest.
Management is primarily maintenance of current cover types. Wildlife viewing is limited due to nature and location of cover types. Unique species present include Blanding's turtles and terns.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Athens WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Athens WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Athens WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Athens WMA?
Athens WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 227. The DNR registered 4,198 deer in DPA 227 in 2025, against 3,893 in 2024.
| DPA | Athens WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 227 | 192 | 4,198 | 3,893 | 3,470 |
Harvest for the whole deer permit area, not the WMA alone: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
How do you get to Athens WMA?
From Isanti, go 2 miles S on SH 65.
Nearest towns: Isanti (2 miles), Bethel (4 miles), Cambridge (7 miles) and East Bethel (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 65.
What other public land is near Athens WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Marget Lake WMA: 508 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Bethel WMA: 755 acres, 3.2 miles away
- Gordie Mikkelson WMA: 860 acres, 6.5 miles away
- Marvin W. Schubring Memorial WMA: 285 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Mallard Marsh WMA: 56 acres, 8 miles away
- Robert and Marilyn Burman WMA: 204 acres, 8.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Athens WMA
Counting Athens WMA itself, 394 of the 22,478 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 240 |
| County, city and regional land | 154 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Athens WMA?
In Isanti County, near Isanti. The DNR's directions: From Isanti, go 2 miles S on SH 65.
Which deer permit area is Athens WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 227. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Athens WMA?
394 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Athens WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Marget Lake WMA (2.6 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Minnesota included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Athens WMA; Minnesota DNR Wildlife Management Area boundaries, publicly accessible.
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
- Deer harvest: Minnesota DNR Deer Harvest Reports (2021 to 2025, 2025 report).
FilledTag is not part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.