Paddy Marsh Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Paddy Marsh Wildlife Management Area is 189 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Le Sueur County, near Le Center, inside Deer Permit Area 292. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,197 deer in DPA 292 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 landPaddy Marsh WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 189 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Le Sueur County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 292 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Le Center |
| DNR area office | Nicollet |
| Nearest towns | Le Center (4 mi), Kilkenny (6 mi) and Cleveland (6 mi) |
What is Paddy Marsh WMA like?
The Paddy Marsh WMA is mainly comprised of: A large wetland basin.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Paddy Marsh WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds and small game for Paddy Marsh WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Paddy Marsh WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Paddy Marsh WMA?
Paddy Marsh WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 292. The DNR registered 1,197 deer in DPA 292 in 2025, against 1,149 in 2024.
| DPA | Paddy Marsh WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 292 | 189 | 1,197 | 1,149 | 1,088 |
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 Paddy Marsh WMA?
From Le Center, go 5 miles S on CSAH 11.
Wheelchair access is limited to the adjacent county road.
Nearest towns: Le Center (4 miles), Kilkenny (6 miles), Cleveland (6 miles) and Elysian (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 99, MN 13 and MN 112.
What other public land is near Paddy Marsh WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Chadderdon WMA: 133 acres, next to it
- Shanghai Lake WMA: 115 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Cordova WMA: 222 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Carl and Verna Schmidt WMA: 49 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Factor WMA: 287 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Diamond Lake WMA: 340 acres, 4.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Paddy Marsh WMA
Counting Paddy Marsh WMA itself, 925 of the 23,177 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 910 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 15 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Paddy Marsh WMA?
In Le Sueur County, near Le Center. The DNR's directions: From Le Center, go 5 miles S on CSAH 11.
Which deer permit area is Paddy Marsh WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 292. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Paddy Marsh WMA?
925 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Paddy Marsh WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Chadderdon WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Paddy 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.