Byrne Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Byrne Lake Wildlife Management Area is 217 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Swift County, near Holloway, inside Deer Permit Area 275. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 997 deer in DPA 275 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 areasByrne Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 217 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Swift County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 275 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Holloway |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Hancock (7 mi), Clontarf (9 mi) and Danvers (10 mi) |
What can you hunt on Byrne Lake WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Byrne Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Byrne Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Byrne Lake WMA?
Byrne Lake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 275. The DNR registered 997 deer in DPA 275 in 2025, against 880 in 2024.
| DPA | Byrne Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 275 | 217 | 997 | 880 | 775 |
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 Byrne Lake WMA?
From Holloway, go 13 miles N on US 59 then 2 miles E on CSAH 4 then 1 mile S on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Hancock (7 miles), Clontarf (9 miles), Danvers (10 miles) and Holloway (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 59.
What other public land is near Byrne Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Bill Freeman WMA: 322 acres, 4.7 miles away
- Ehrenberg WMA: 168 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Hennen WMA: 35 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Danvers WMA: 3,032 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Reimers WMA: 26 acres, 7.8 miles away
- Chippewa River WMA: 124 acres, 8.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Byrne Lake WMA
Counting Byrne Lake WMA itself, 434 of the 24,742 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 | 217 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 217 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Byrne Lake WMA?
In Swift County, near Holloway. The DNR's directions: From Holloway, go 13 miles N on US 59 then 2 miles E on CSAH 4 then 1 mile S on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Byrne Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 275. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Byrne Lake WMA?
434 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Byrne Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Bill Freeman WMA (4.7 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Byrne 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.