Lake Bella Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Lake Bella Wildlife Management Area is 359 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Nobles County, near Bigelow, inside Deer Permit Area 237. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 301 deer in DPA 237 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 areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasLake Bella WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 359 acres in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Nobles County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 237 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Bigelow |
| DNR area office | Slayton-Talcot Lake |
| Nearest towns | Bigelow (3 mi), Round Lake (7 mi) and Worthington (7 mi) |
What is Lake Bella WMA like?
This unit consists of several subunits adjacent to Lake Bella. This Northwest subunit contains grasslands, foot plots, and a pond. This unit consists of several subunits adjacent to Lake Bella. This South East subunit contains grasslands, food plots, and a pond. This WMA consists of 100 acres restored prairie. The balance of the acres are wet meadow along the Ocheyedan River.
This subunit is adjacent to part of the Lake Bella WPA.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Lake Bella WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, bear and small game for Lake Bella WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Lake Bella WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Lake Bella WMA?
Lake Bella WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 237. The DNR registered 301 deer in DPA 237 in 2025, against 332 in 2024.
| DPA | Lake Bella WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 237 | 359 | 301 | 332 | 359 |
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 Lake Bella WMA?
From Bigelow, go 4 miles E on CR2/52 then.5 miles N, then.3 miles W on 330th St. From Bigelow, go 4 miles E on CR2 then.5 miles N on CR57. From Bigelow, go 4 miles E on CR2/52 then.7 miles N on CR57. From Worthington take CSAH 57 So. 6.5 miles to CSAH 4, then 0.5 mile W on CSAH 4. Unit is located on the south side of the road.
Nearest towns: Bigelow (3 miles), Round Lake (7 miles), Worthington (7 miles) and Rushmore (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 60 and US 59.
What other public land is near Lake Bella WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Peterson WMA: 325 acres, next to it
- Wachter WMA: 473 acres, next to it
- John Erickson WMA: 121 acres, 1 mile away
- James Willey WMA: 138 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Bigelow WMA: 234 acres, 3 miles away
- Ransom Ridge WMA: 382 acres, 6.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Lake Bella WMA
Counting Lake Bella WMA itself, 1,465 of the 28,992 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,392 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 73 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Lake Bella WMA?
In Nobles County, near Bigelow. The DNR's directions: From Bigelow, go 4 miles E on CR2/52 then.5 miles N, then.3 miles W on 330th St. From Bigelow, go 4 miles E on CR2 then.5 miles N on CR57. From Bigelow, go 4 miles E on CR2/52 then.7 miles N on CR57. From Worthington take CSAH 57 So. 6.5 miles to CSAH 4, then 0.5 mile W on CSAH 4. Unit is located on the south side of the road.
Which deer permit area is Lake Bella WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 237. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Lake Bella WMA?
1,465 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Lake Bella WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Peterson WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Lake Bella 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.