Gores Pool #3 Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Gores Pool #3 Wildlife Management Area is 7,109 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Goodhue and Dakota counties, near Hastings, inside Deer Permit Areas 605 and 341. 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 3,115 deer in DPA 605 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 landOther federal landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landGores Pool #3 WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 7,109 acres in 7 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Goodhue County and Dakota County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 605, DPA 341 |
| 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) | Hastings |
| DNR area office | South Metro |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Hastings (next to it), Red Wing (2 mi) and Miesville (6 mi) |
What is Gores Pool #3 WMA like?
This WMA consists entirely of Mississippi and Vermillion River floodplain forest and backwater marshes.
The purpose of this WMA is to preserve and provide recreation in a large, unbroken area of floodplain forest, as well as preserving waterfowl and furbearer habitat. This WMA is located adjacent to the Mississippi River which offers many recreational opportunities including fishing or boating. There are 2 boat launches within the unit and another where C.R. 68 crosses the Vermillion River.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Gores Pool #3 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 Gores Pool #3 WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Gores Pool #3 WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Gores Pool #3 WMA: There is a designated Migratory Waterfowl Refuge near the south end of North Lake which is off limits to all activities. This WMA contains a portion in the NW corner that is closed to firearms deer hunting. Portions are posted archery only for deer. All other game restricted to shotguns with BBB shot or smaller.
How many deer are taken around Gores Pool #3 WMA?
Gores Pool #3 WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 3,115 deer in DPA 605 in 2025, against 2,826 in 2024.
| DPA | Gores Pool #3 WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 605 | 6,947 | 3,115 | 2,826 | 2,821 |
| DPA 341 | 162 | 3,312 | 2,953 | 3,034 |
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 Gores Pool #3 WMA?
1 mile east of Hastings on 4th St., jogging to the south and east. After it turns to gravel, stay to the left.
Wheelchair access is limited to the boat launch parking lot adjacent to the WMA.
Nearest towns: Hastings (next to it), Red Wing (2 miles), Miesville (6 miles) and Cottage Grove (6 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 61, US 10, MN 55, MN 19 and MN 95.
What other public land is near Gores Pool #3 WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Hastings WMA: 40 acres, 1.6 miles away
- John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA: 395 acres, 5.3 miles away
- Spring Lake Islands WMA: 766 acres, 7.3 miles away
- Perched Valley WMA: 247 acres, 9.2 miles away
- John Murtaugh Memorial WMA: 120 acres, 9.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Gores Pool #3 WMA
Counting Gores Pool #3 WMA itself, 10,810 of the 88,720 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 7,386 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 2,818 |
| County, city and regional land | 378 |
| Other federal land | 199 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 29 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Gores Pool #3 WMA?
In Goodhue and Dakota counties, near Hastings. The DNR's directions: 1 mile east of Hastings on 4th St., jogging to the south and east. After it turns to gravel, stay to the left.
Which deer permit area is Gores Pool #3 WMA in?
DPA 605 (6,947 acres) and DPA 341 (162 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Gores Pool #3 WMA?
10,810 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Gores Pool #3 WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 5 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Hastings WMA (1.6 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Gores Pool #3 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 Goodhue County Dakota County DPA 605 DPA 341