Gilfillan Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Gilfillan Lake Wildlife Management Area is 559 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Blue Earth County, near Madison Lake, inside Deer Permit Area 291. 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 1,896 deer in DPA 291 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 landState parksCounty, city and regional landGilfillan Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 559 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Blue Earth County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 291 |
| 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) | Madison Lake |
| DNR area office | Nicollet |
| Nearest towns | Madison Lake (next to it), Eagle Lake (3 mi) and Mankato (6 mi) |
What is Gilfillan Lake WMA like?
The Gilfillan Lake WMA is mainly comprised of: A restored oak savanna wetland complex with a upland and lowland forest and a managed shallow lake..
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Gilfillan 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 Gilfillan Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Gilfillan Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Gilfillan Lake WMA?
Gilfillan Lake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 291. The DNR registered 1,896 deer in DPA 291 in 2025, against 1,513 in 2024.
| DPA | Gilfillan Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 291 | 559 | 1,896 | 1,513 | 1,504 |
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 Gilfillan Lake WMA?
From Madison Lake, go 1 1/2 miles W on CSAH 26.
There is a gravel parking lot on the east side of the unit.
Nearest towns: Madison Lake (next to it), Eagle Lake (3 miles), Mankato (6 miles) and Kasota (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 60, US 14, MN 22 and MN 83.
What other public land is near Gilfillan Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Frank Breen Memorial WMA: 22 acres, 3.5 miles away
- Bur Oak WMA: 212 acres, 4 miles away
- Born WMA: 185 acres, 5 miles away
- Dove Lake WMA: 258 acres, 6.2 miles away
- Earl Swain WMA: 105 acres, 7.3 miles away
- Swan Lake WMA: 3,396 acres, 7.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Gilfillan Lake WMA
Counting Gilfillan Lake WMA itself, 621 of the 28,623 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 602 |
| State parks | 8 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 7 |
| County, city and regional land | 4 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Gilfillan Lake WMA?
In Blue Earth County, near Madison Lake. The DNR's directions: From Madison Lake, go 1 1/2 miles W on CSAH 26.
Which deer permit area is Gilfillan Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 291. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Gilfillan Lake WMA?
621 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Gilfillan Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Frank Breen Memorial WMA (3.5 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Minnesota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
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, Gilfillan 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.