Salt Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Salt Lake Wildlife Management Area is 780 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lac qui Parle County, near Marietta, inside Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 397 deer in DPA 279 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 areasSalt Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 780 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lac qui Parle County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 279 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Marietta |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Marietta (2 mi), Nassau (6 mi) and Madison (11 mi) |
What can you hunt on Salt Lake WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Salt Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Salt Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Salt Lake WMA?
Salt Lake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR registered 397 deer in DPA 279 in 2025, against 370 in 2024.
| DPA | Salt Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 279 | 779 | 397 | 370 | 358 |
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 Salt Lake WMA?
From Marietta, go 3 miles S on CSAH 7, 1 mile W on Twp Rd.
Nearest towns: Marietta (2 miles), Nassau (6 miles), Madison (11 miles) and Bellingham (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 40 and US 212.
What other public land is near Salt Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Dacotah WMA: 49 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Gollnick WMA: 516 acres, 2.5 miles away
- David B. Vesall WMA: 645 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Northeast Four Corners WMA: 361 acres, 3 miles away
- Haydenville WMA: 484 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Sweetwater WMA: 585 acres, 5.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Salt Lake WMA
Counting Salt Lake WMA itself, 1,374 of the 30,380 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,374 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Salt Lake WMA?
In Lac qui Parle County, near Marietta. The DNR's directions: From Marietta, go 3 miles S on CSAH 7, 1 mile W on Twp Rd.
Which deer permit area is Salt Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 279. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Salt Lake WMA?
1,374 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Salt Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Dacotah WMA (1.5 miles).
Get a Minnesota hunt plan when they open
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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, Salt 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.