Lines Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Lines Wildlife Management Area is 325 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lyon County, near Cottonwood, inside Deer Permit Area 289. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 558 deer in DPA 289 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 areasWalk-In AccessLines WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 325 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lyon County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 289 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Cottonwood |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Cottonwood (2 mi), Wood Lake (6 mi) and Hanley Falls (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Lines WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Lines WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Lines WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Lines WMA: A portion of this WMA is a Wildlife Sanctuary which is closed to trespass during the duck season.
How many deer are taken around Lines WMA?
Lines WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 289. The DNR registered 558 deer in DPA 289 in 2025, against 526 in 2024.
| DPA | Lines WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 289 | 325 | 558 | 526 | 512 |
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 Lines WMA?
From Cottonwood, go 1 mile S on CSAH 9 then 1 1/2 miles E on CSAH 24.
Nearest towns: Cottonwood (2 miles), Wood Lake (6 miles), Hanley Falls (7 miles) and Echo (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 23. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Lines WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Sham Lake WMA: 84 acres, 1.1 miles away
- Gabriel Anderson WMA: 110 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Timm's Lake WMA: 203 acres, 4.1 miles away
- Green Valley WMA: 793 acres, 4.6 miles away
- Posen WMA: 155 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Spellman Lake WMA: 60 acres, 6.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Lines WMA
Counting Lines WMA itself, 410 of the 28,638 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (1.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 410 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Lines WMA?
In Lyon County, near Cottonwood. The DNR's directions: From Cottonwood, go 1 mile S on CSAH 9 then 1 1/2 miles E on CSAH 24.
Which deer permit area is Lines WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 289. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Lines WMA?
410 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Lines WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Sham Lake WMA (1.1 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Lines 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.