Coon Creek Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Coon Creek Wildlife Management Area is 1,102 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lyon and Lincoln counties, near Russell, inside Deer Permit Areas 288 and 286. 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 areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasState parksWalk-In AccessCoon Creek WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,102 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Lyon County and Lincoln County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 288, DPA 286 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Russell |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | Russell (5 mi), Tyler (5 mi) and Arco (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Coon Creek WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Coon Creek WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Coon Creek WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Coon Creek WMA?
Coon Creek WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 731 deer in DPA 288 in 2025, against 634 in 2024.
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 Coon Creek WMA?
From Russell, go 4 miles W and 1/2 mile N on Co Rd 66.
Nearest towns: Russell (5 miles), Tyler (5 miles), Arco (5 miles) and Florence (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 23 and MN 91. 2 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Coon Creek WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Dead Coon Marshes WMA: 101 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Elmer Weltz WMA: 161 acres, 2 miles away
- Norgaard WMA: 21 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Prairie Marshes WMA: 493 acres, 3.3 miles away
- Furgamme WMA: 152 acres, 4 miles away
- Hopeful WMA: 589 acres, 4.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Coon Creek WMA
Counting Coon Creek WMA itself, 1,664 of the 35,447 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.7%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,410 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 254 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Coon Creek WMA?
In Lyon and Lincoln counties, near Russell. The DNR's directions: From Russell, go 4 miles W and 1/2 mile N on Co Rd 66.
Which deer permit area is Coon Creek WMA in?
DPA 288 (969 acres) and DPA 286 (133 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Coon Creek WMA?
1,664 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Coon Creek WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Dead Coon Marshes WMA (0.9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Coon Creek 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.
Minnesota hunting Lyon County Lincoln County DPA 288 DPA 286