Ottawa Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Ottawa Wildlife Management Area is 674 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Le Sueur County, near St. Peter, inside Deer Permit Area 291. 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 1,896 deer in DPA 291 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 landCounty, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landWalk-In AccessOttawa WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 674 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Le Sueur County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 291 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | St. Peter |
| DNR area office | Nicollet |
| Nearest towns | St. Peter (2 mi), Kasota (3 mi) and Cleveland (4 mi) |
What is Ottawa WMA like?
The Ottawa WMA is mainly comprised of: Upland, lowland and wetland forest types with a restored oak savanna component.
A parking area with a carry in water access is available 1.5 miles North of Highway 99 on the West side of Le Sueur CSAH 23 (Ottawa Road). The parking area is located on the St. Peter Aquatic Managment Area or the St. Peter Trout Ponds. Three spring-fed ponds on the area are stocked annually with trout.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Ottawa 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 Ottawa WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Ottawa WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Ottawa WMA?
Ottawa WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 291. The DNR registered 1,896 deer in DPA 291 in 2025, against 1,513 in 2024.
| DPA | Ottawa WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 291 | 674 | 1,896 | 1,513 | 1,504 |
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 Ottawa WMA?
From Saint Peter, go 1 mile E on SH 99 then 2 1/2 miles NE on CSAH 23.
Wheelchair access is limited to a gravel parking lot at the trout ponds.
Nearest towns: St. Peter (2 miles), Kasota (3 miles), Cleveland (4 miles) and Le Sueur (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 169, MN 22, MN 99 and MN 112. 1 Walk-In Access site within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Ottawa WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Bur Oak WMA: 212 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Swan Lake WMA: 3,396 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Frank Breen Memorial WMA: 22 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Shanghai Lake WMA: 115 acres, 7.8 miles away
- Gilfillan Lake WMA: 559 acres, 7.9 miles away
- Sigler WMA: 73 acres, 7.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Ottawa WMA
Counting Ottawa WMA itself, 1,366 of the 29,824 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 688 |
| County, city and regional land | 510 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 167 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Ottawa WMA?
In Le Sueur County, near St. Peter. The DNR's directions: From Saint Peter, go 1 mile E on SH 99 then 2 1/2 miles NE on CSAH 23.
Which deer permit area is Ottawa WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 291. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Ottawa WMA?
1,366 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Ottawa WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Bur Oak WMA (3.9 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, Ottawa 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.