Ewy Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Ewy Lake Wildlife Management Area is 227 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Watonwan County, near Sveadahl, inside Deer Permit Area 296. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 607 deer in DPA 296 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 areasWalk-In AccessEwy Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 227 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Watonwan County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 296 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Sveadahl |
| DNR area office | Windom |
| Nearest towns | Butterfield (4 mi), Darfur (5 mi) and St. James (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Ewy Lake WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Ewy Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Ewy Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Ewy Lake WMA?
Ewy Lake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 296. The DNR registered 607 deer in DPA 296 in 2025, against 642 in 2024.
| DPA | Ewy Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 296 | 227 | 607 | 642 | 642 |
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 Ewy Lake WMA?
From Sveadahl, go 4 miles S on CSAH 18.
Nearest towns: Butterfield (4 miles), Darfur (5 miles), St. James (6 miles) and La Salle (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 60, MN 30 and MN 4. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Ewy Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Curry WMA: 111 acres, next to it
- Voss WMA: 43 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Wood Lake WMA: 805 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Mulligan Slough WMA: 644 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Sulem Lake WMA: 55 acres, 6.6 miles away
- Regehr WMA: 65 acres, 7.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Ewy Lake WMA
Counting Ewy Lake WMA itself, 339 of the 23,426 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 339 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ewy Lake WMA?
In Watonwan County, near Sveadahl. The DNR's directions: From Sveadahl, go 4 miles S on CSAH 18.
Which deer permit area is Ewy Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 296. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Ewy Lake WMA?
339 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Ewy Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Curry 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, Ewy 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.