Clifton Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Clifton Wildlife Management Area is 381 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lyon County, near Marshall, inside Deer Permit Area 288. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 731 deer in DPA 288 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 areasState forest and other DNR landCounty, city and regional landClifton WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 381 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Lyon County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 288 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Marshall |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | Marshall (4 mi), Milroy (7 mi) and Lynd (8 mi) |
What can you hunt on Clifton WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Clifton WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Clifton WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Clifton WMA?
Clifton WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 288. The DNR registered 731 deer in DPA 288 in 2025, against 634 in 2024.
| DPA | Clifton WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 288 | 381 | 731 | 634 | 556 |
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 Clifton WMA?
From Marshall, go 4 miles E on SH 19 then 2 miles S on CSAH 9 then 1/2 mile W on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Marshall (4 miles), Milroy (7 miles), Lynd (8 miles) and Ghent (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 23, MN 19, MN 68 and US 59.
What other public land is near Clifton WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Rolling Hills WMA: 356 acres, next to it
- Meadow Creek WMA: 858 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Amiret WMA: 937 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Rooster Flats WMA: 126 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Green Valley WMA: 793 acres, 4 miles away
- SE Clifton WMA: 371 acres, 4.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Clifton WMA
Counting Clifton WMA itself, 1,079 of the 24,697 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 973 |
| County, city and regional land | 54 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 52 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Clifton WMA?
In Lyon County, near Marshall. The DNR's directions: From Marshall, go 4 miles E on SH 19 then 2 miles S on CSAH 9 then 1/2 mile W on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Clifton WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 288. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Clifton WMA?
1,079 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Clifton WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Rolling Hills WMA (next to it).
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, Clifton 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.