Hubbel Pond Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Hubbel Pond Wildlife Management Area is 3,515 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Becker County, near Rochert, inside Deer Permit Areas 258 and 241. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,329 deer in DPA 258 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasCounty, city and regional landHubbel Pond WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,515 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Becker County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 258, DPA 241 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Rochert |
| DNR area office | Detroit Lakes |
| Nearest towns | Frazee (8 mi), Detroit Lakes (8 mi) and Callaway (13 mi) |
What is Hubbel Pond WMA like?
The habitat diversity includes northern hardwoods, lowland hardwoods, lowland brush, and open fields. The main pool is a semi-permanent wetland of 600 acres with 23 miles of shoreline, with an 8 additional marshes and potholes on the WMA.
Management emphasis is on waterfowl production and habitat improvement for upland game. Strategies include prescribed burns, water level manipulation, timber harvests, wildlife food plots, nest boxes and nest tubes. Originally the Orson Hubbell homestead in 1877, the WMA was the site of the Hubbell Dam during the logging era when millions of board feet of pine logs were floated down the Ottertail River. The WMA is open to hunting, trapping and compatible wildlife uses, although a portion has been designated a wildlife refuge with restricted uses. Migrant waterfowl concentrate on the WMA in the fall attracting hunters. Bird watching is also excellent.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Hubbel Pond WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, mourning doves, bear and small game for Hubbel Pond WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Hubbel Pond WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Hubbel Pond WMA is one of the WMAs where every trapper needs a permit from the area wildlife manager.
Highway-licensed vehicles may drive the established roads on Hubbel Pond WMA; on most WMAs vehicles are kept to designated routes.
How many deer are taken around Hubbel Pond WMA?
Hubbel Pond WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 1,329 deer in DPA 258 in 2025, against 1,093 in 2024.
| DPA | Hubbel Pond WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 258 | 3,352 | 1,329 | 1,093 | 883 |
| DPA 241 | 162 | 7,163 | 6,563 | 6,052 |
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 Hubbel Pond WMA?
From Rochert, go E along Hubbel Pond Road or go N 1.5 m. on CSAH 29, E on Hanson Lake Road.
Nearest towns: Frazee (8 miles), Detroit Lakes (8 miles), Callaway (13 miles) and Wolf Lake (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 34.
What other public land is near Hubbel Pond WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Shelly Island WMA: 103 acres, next to it
- Pickerel WMA: 321 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Frank WMA: 615 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Stenseth WMA: 27 acres, 7.3 miles away
- Bruce J. Schwartz WMA: 89 acres, 8.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Hubbel Pond WMA
Counting Hubbel Pond WMA itself, 11,861 of the 45,231 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (26.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 6,947 |
| State wildlife management areas | 3,987 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 927 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Hubbel Pond WMA?
In Becker County, near Rochert. The DNR's directions: From Rochert, go E along Hubbel Pond Road or go N 1.5 m. on CSAH 29, E on Hanson Lake Road.
Which deer permit area is Hubbel Pond WMA in?
DPA 258 (3,352 acres) and DPA 241 (162 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Hubbel Pond WMA?
11,861 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Hubbel Pond WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 5 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Shelly Island WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Hubbel Pond 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.