Dora Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Dora Lake Wildlife Management Area is 742 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, 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 AccessDora Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 742 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Le Sueur County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 292 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Kilkenny |
| DNR area office | Nicollet |
| Nearest towns | Kilkenny (next to it), Montgomery (6 mi) and Waterville (8 mi) |
What is Dora Lake WMA like?
The Dora Lake WMA is mainly comprised of: Upland and wetland forest types with a restored oak savanna component and an agricultural food plot.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Dora Lake WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Dora Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Dora Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Dora Lake WMA?
Dora 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 | Dora Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 292 | 742 | 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 Dora Lake WMA?
From Kilkenny, go 2.5 miles North and East on CSAH3.
Nearest towns: Kilkenny (next to it), Montgomery (6 miles), Waterville (8 miles) and Le Center (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 Dora Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Anton Velishek Memorial WMA: 80 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Diamond Lake WMA: 340 acres, 0.7 miles away
- Gray Fox WMA: 76 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Boyd Sartell WMA: 1,367 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Factor WMA: 287 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Murphy WMA: 212 acres, 4.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Dora Lake WMA
Counting Dora Lake WMA itself, 1,407 of the 28,308 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,245 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 162 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Dora Lake WMA?
In Le Sueur County, near Kilkenny. The DNR's directions: From Kilkenny, go 2.5 miles North and East on CSAH3.
Which deer permit area is Dora Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 292. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Dora Lake WMA?
1,407 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Dora Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Anton Velishek Memorial WMA (0.5 miles).
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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, Dora 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.