Little Sioux Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Little Sioux Wildlife Management Area is 307 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Jackson County, near Lakefield, inside Deer Permit Area 250. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 505 deer in DPA 250 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 areasLittle Sioux WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 307 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 250 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Lakefield |
| DNR area office | Windom |
| Nearest towns | Lakefield (7 mi), Jackson (11 mi) and Okabena (13 mi) |
What can you hunt on Little Sioux WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Little Sioux WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Little Sioux WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Little Sioux WMA?
Little Sioux WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 250. The DNR registered 505 deer in DPA 250 in 2025, against 479 in 2024.
| DPA | Little Sioux WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 250 | 307 | 505 | 479 | 497 |
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 Little Sioux WMA?
From Lakefield, go 8 miles S on SH 86 then 1 mile W on Co Rd 66.
Nearest towns: Lakefield (7 miles), Jackson (11 miles), Okabena (13 miles) and Round Lake (14 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-90 and MN 86.
What other public land is near Little Sioux WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Pletz Slough WMA: 118 acres, next to it
- Sangl WMA: 342 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Husen WMA: 79 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Pavelko WMA: 58 acres, 2 miles away
- Minneota WMA: 214 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Skunk Lake WMA: 238 acres, 3.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Little Sioux WMA
Counting Little Sioux WMA itself, 2,825 of the 26,177 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,860 |
| State wildlife management areas | 965 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Little Sioux WMA?
In Jackson County, near Lakefield. The DNR's directions: From Lakefield, go 8 miles S on SH 86 then 1 mile W on Co Rd 66.
Which deer permit area is Little Sioux WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 250. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Little Sioux WMA?
2,825 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Little Sioux WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Pletz Slough WMA (next to it).
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, Little Sioux 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.