Diamond Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Diamond Lake Wildlife Management Area is 340 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Le Sueur County, near Kilkenny, inside Deer Permit Area 292. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,197 deer in DPA 292 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 areasWalk-In AccessDiamond Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 340 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Le Sueur County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 292 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Kilkenny |
| DNR area office | Nicollet |
| Nearest towns | Kilkenny (next to it), Waterville (6 mi) and Le Center (8 mi) |
What is Diamond Lake WMA like?
The Diamond Lake WMA is mainly comprised of: Upland and wetland forest types with a restored oak savanna component and a shallow lake.
2 parking areas are available West of Le Sueur CSAH 3 (Kilkenny Road). A carry-in water access for waterfowl hunters is available on the WMA West of Le Sueur CSAH 3 (Kilkenny Road). A culvert water control structure (WCS) is present on the WMA. Several fields have been planted to prairie grasses and wildflowers and are maintained by periodic prescribed burning. Hardwood seedlings have been planted to restore a fragment of Big Woods forest. A carry-in access to Diamond Lake is located on the east side of the lake.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Diamond Lake WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves and small game for Diamond Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Diamond Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Diamond Lake WMA?
Diamond Lake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 292. The DNR registered 1,197 deer in DPA 292 in 2025, against 1,149 in 2024.
| DPA | Diamond Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 292 | 340 | 1,197 | 1,149 | 1,088 |
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 Diamond Lake WMA?
From Kilkenny, go 1/2 mile W on CSAH 2 then 1/4 mile N on township rd.
Nearest towns: Kilkenny (next to it), Waterville (6 miles), Le Center (8 miles) and Montgomery (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 13 and MN 99. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Diamond Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Dora Lake WMA: 742 acres, 0.7 miles away
- Murphy WMA: 212 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Anton Velishek Memorial WMA: 80 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Factor WMA: 287 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Paddy Marsh WMA: 189 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Gray Fox WMA: 76 acres, 4.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Diamond Lake WMA
Counting Diamond Lake WMA itself, 1,384 of the 27,022 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,235 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 149 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Diamond Lake WMA?
In Le Sueur County, near Kilkenny. The DNR's directions: From Kilkenny, go 1/2 mile W on CSAH 2 then 1/4 mile N on township rd.
Which deer permit area is Diamond Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 292. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Diamond Lake WMA?
1,384 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Diamond Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Dora Lake WMA (0.7 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Diamond 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.