Indian Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Indian Lake Wildlife Management Area is 626 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Sibley County, near Winthrop, inside Deer Permit Area 284. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 714 deer in DPA 284 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 areasIndian Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 626 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Sibley County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 284 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Winthrop |
| DNR area office | Nicollet |
| Nearest towns | Winthrop (2 mi), Gaylord (5 mi) and New Auburn (8 mi) |
What is Indian Lake WMA like?
The Indian Lake WMA is mainly comprised of: A restored prairie wetland complex with a shallow lake or large wetland component.
Access to the south end of the WMA requires a 1/4-mile walk from the township road. An addition along CSAH 10 was seeded to prairie grasses and wildflowers in 2002. A food plot has been established at the south end of the unit. A parking lot and carry-in boat access to the lake is located at the NE corner of the unit.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Indian Lake WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Indian Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Indian Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Indian Lake WMA?
Indian Lake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 284. The DNR registered 714 deer in DPA 284 in 2025, against 675 in 2024.
| DPA | Indian Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 284 | 626 | 714 | 675 | 605 |
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 Indian Lake WMA?
From Winthrop, go 2 1/2 miles N on SH 15 then 2 1/2 miles E on CSAH 10.
Wheelchair access is limited to primitive access lane, parking lot, and adjacent county and township roads.
Nearest towns: Winthrop (2 miles), Gaylord (5 miles), New Auburn (8 miles) and Lafayette (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 19, MN 15 and MN 22.
What other public land is near Indian Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Alfsborg WMA: 73 acres, 3 miles away
- Penn WMA: 90 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Kujas Lake WMA: 116 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Spiering WMA: 157 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Ward Lake WMA: 71 acres, 5.7 miles away
- Baker's Lake WMA: 313 acres, 6.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Indian Lake WMA
Counting Indian Lake WMA itself, 626 of the 29,725 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 626 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Indian Lake WMA?
In Sibley County, near Winthrop. The DNR's directions: From Winthrop, go 2 1/2 miles N on SH 15 then 2 1/2 miles E on CSAH 10.
Which deer permit area is Indian Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 284. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Indian Lake WMA?
626 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Indian Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Alfsborg WMA (3 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, Indian 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.