Boon Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Boon Lake Wildlife Management Area is 186 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Renville County, near Hutchinson, inside Deer Permit Area 284. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 714 deer in DPA 284 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 areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasBoon Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 186 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Renville County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 284 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Hutchinson |
| DNR area office | New Ulm |
| Nearest towns | Cedar Mills (4 mi), Cosmos (5 mi) and Hutchinson (10 mi) |
What can you hunt on Boon Lake WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Boon Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Boon Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Boon Lake WMA?
Boon Lake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 284. The DNR registered 714 deer in DPA 284 in 2025, against 675 in 2024.
| DPA | Boon Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 284 | 186 | 714 | 675 | 605 |
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 Boon Lake WMA?
From Hutchinson, go 11.6 miles W on CSAH 14 + 12. From Hutchinson, go 9 miles W on CSAH 14 + 12.
Access is via the Meeker/Renville County Line Road which forms the northern boundary of the unit.
Nearest towns: Cedar Mills (4 miles), Cosmos (5 miles), Hutchinson (10 miles) and Buffalo Lake (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 7, MN 4 and MN 22.
What other public land is near Boon Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Boon Lake Slough WMA: 89 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Prieve WMA: 40 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Daak WMA: 40 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Greenleaf WMA: 437 acres, 5.1 miles away
- Ras-Lynn WMA: 1,460 acres, 6.5 miles away
- Mahlon W. James Memorial WMA: 59 acres, 7.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Boon Lake WMA
Counting Boon Lake WMA itself, 593 of the 25,364 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 318 |
| State wildlife management areas | 275 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Boon Lake WMA?
In Renville County, near Hutchinson. The DNR's directions: From Hutchinson, go 11.6 miles W on CSAH 14 + 12. From Hutchinson, go 9 miles W on CSAH 14 + 12.
Which deer permit area is Boon Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 284. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Boon Lake WMA?
593 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Boon Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Boon Lake Slough WMA (1.1 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Boon Lake 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.