Lee Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Lee Wildlife Management Area is 2,245 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Beltrami County, near Grygla, inside Deer Permit Area 111. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 412 deer in DPA 111 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 landLee WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,245 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Beltrami County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 111 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Grygla |
| DNR area office | Thief River Falls |
| Nearest towns | Grygla (8 mi), Goodridge (14 mi) and Little Rock (28 mi) |
What can you hunt on Lee WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for Lee WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Lee WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Lee WMA?
Lee WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 111. The DNR registered 412 deer in DPA 111 in 2025, against 370 in 2024.
| DPA | Lee WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 111 | 2,245 | 412 | 370 | 318 |
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 Lee WMA?
From Grygla, go 5 miles S on CSAH 54 then 1 mile E on Co Rd 2 then 4 miles E on CSAH 42.
Nearest towns: Grygla (8 miles), Goodridge (14 miles), Little Rock (28 miles) and Ponemah (29 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 89 and MN 1.
What other public land is near Lee WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Carmelee WMA: 3,907 acres, next to it
- Hamre WMA: 4,530 acres, next to it
- Wolf Trail WMA: 7,792 acres, next to it
- Willow-Run WMA: 3,564 acres, 1 mile away
- Saw-whet WMA: 1,286 acres, 2 miles away
- Fireweed WMA: 2,266 acres, 3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Lee WMA
Counting Lee WMA itself, 16,868 of the 36,181 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (46.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 16,868 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Lee WMA?
In Beltrami County, near Grygla. The DNR's directions: From Grygla, go 5 miles S on CSAH 54 then 1 mile E on Co Rd 2 then 4 miles E on CSAH 42.
Which deer permit area is Lee WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 111. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Lee WMA?
16,868 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Lee WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Carmelee WMA (next to it).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
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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, Lee 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.