Marget Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Marget Lake Wildlife Management Area is 508 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Isanti County, near Isanti, inside Deer Permit Area 227. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for it. Hunters registered 4,198 deer in DPA 227 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 areasCounty, city and regional landMarget Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 508 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Isanti County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 227 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Isanti |
| DNR area office | Cambridge |
| Nearest towns | Isanti (3 mi), Bethel (4 mi) and St. Francis (6 mi) |
What is Marget Lake WMA like?
Consists of 188 acre open water wetland (Marget Lake). Restored prairie grasslands present interspersed with small oak wood lots. Sufficient parking lots to accommodate various uses, including water access to Marget Lake.
Management of water levels and prairie grassland enhancement. Numerous wading bird species can be viewed as well as Blanding's turtles are present. Northern harriers can be seen using the open spaces.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Marget Lake WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for Marget Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Marget Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Marget Lake WMA?
Marget Lake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 227. The DNR registered 4,198 deer in DPA 227 in 2025, against 3,893 in 2024.
| DPA | Marget Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 227 | 508 | 4,198 | 3,893 | 3,470 |
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 Marget Lake WMA?
From Isanti, go 1 mile W on CSAH 5 then 1 1/2 miles S and W on CSAH 10 then 1 mile S on TWP RD.
Nearest towns: Isanti (3 miles), Bethel (4 miles), St. Francis (6 miles) and Cambridge (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 65 and MN 47.
What other public land is near Marget Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Bethel WMA: 755 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Athens WMA: 192 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Crooked Road WMA: 390 acres, 6.1 miles away
- Spencer Brook WMA: 310 acres, 6.2 miles away
- Carl E. Bonnell WMA: 78 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Spectacle WMA: 505 acres, 6.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Marget Lake WMA
Counting Marget Lake WMA itself, 813 of the 26,819 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 734 |
| County, city and regional land | 79 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Marget Lake WMA?
In Isanti County, near Isanti. The DNR's directions: From Isanti, go 1 mile W on CSAH 5 then 1 1/2 miles S and W on CSAH 10 then 1 mile S on TWP RD.
Which deer permit area is Marget Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 227. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Marget Lake WMA?
813 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Marget Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Bethel WMA (2.5 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Marget Lake 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.