Manston Marsh Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Manston Marsh Wildlife Management Area is 2,731 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Wilkin County, near Rothsay, inside Deer Permit Areas 269 and 270. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 464 deer in DPA 269 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasWalk-In AccessManston Marsh WMACounty lineHighway
| Size | 2,731 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Wilkin County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 269, DPA 270 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Rothsay |
| DNR area office | Fergus Falls |
| Special restrictions | Yes, see the rules below |
| Nearest towns | Kent (7 mi), Rothsay (10 mi) and Wolverton (10 mi) |
What can you hunt on Manston Marsh WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Manston Marsh WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Manston Marsh WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
Special restriction the DNR lists for Manston Marsh WMA: A State Wildlife Sanctuary, with no trespass from Sept. 1 to November 15, includes that part of the WMA in and around the NE1/4 of Section 30 of Manston Township as posted.
How many deer are taken around Manston Marsh WMA?
Manston Marsh WMA lies in 2 deer permit areas. The DNR registered 464 deer in DPA 269 in 2025, against 418 in 2024.
| DPA | Manston Marsh WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 269 | 2,727 | 464 | 418 | 395 |
| DPA 270 | 4 | 330 | 304 | 247 |
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 Manston Marsh WMA?
From Rothsay, go 10 1/5 miles W on CSAH 26.
Nearest towns: Kent (7 miles), Rothsay (10 miles), Wolverton (10 miles) and Barnesville (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 9. 4 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Manston Marsh WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Rogelstad Swanson WMA: 632 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Atherton WMA: 523 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Rothsay WMA: 4,085 acres, 5.5 miles away
- Andrea WMA: 110 acres, 8.2 miles away
- Akron WMA: 81 acres, 8.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Manston Marsh WMA
Counting Manston Marsh WMA itself, 4,651 of the 38,870 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 3,345 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,306 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Manston Marsh WMA?
In Wilkin County, near Rothsay. The DNR's directions: From Rothsay, go 10 1/5 miles W on CSAH 26.
Which deer permit area is Manston Marsh WMA in?
DPA 269 (2,727 acres) and DPA 270 (4 acres). Each part follows its own permit area's bag limit.
How much public land is around Manston Marsh WMA?
4,651 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Manston Marsh WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 5 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Rogelstad Swanson WMA (1.8 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, Manston Marsh 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.