Shetek Inlet Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Shetek Inlet Wildlife Management Area is 542 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Murray County, near Garvin, inside Deer Permit Area 295. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 904 deer in DPA 295 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 areasNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasWalk-In AccessShetek Inlet WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 542 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Murray County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 295 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Garvin |
| DNR area office | Slayton-Talcot Lake |
| Nearest towns | Garvin (next to it), The Lakes (5 mi) and Balaton (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Shetek Inlet WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Shetek Inlet WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Shetek Inlet WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Shetek Inlet WMA?
Shetek Inlet WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 295. The DNR registered 904 deer in DPA 295 in 2025, against 835 in 2024.
| DPA | Shetek Inlet WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 295 | 542 | 904 | 835 | 827 |
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 Shetek Inlet WMA?
Head east on 4th St toward US-59 N, Turn right onto US-59 S/E Main St Continue to follow US-59 S 2.5 mi, Turn right onto 231st St 0.3 mi.
Nearest towns: Garvin (next to it), The Lakes (5 miles), Balaton (5 miles) and Tracy (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 59 and US 14. 2 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Shetek Inlet WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Lake Maria WMA: 951 acres, 0.7 miles away
- Garvin WMA: 82 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Giese WMA: 37 acres, 3 miles away
- Skandia WMA: 498 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Shetek WMA: 731 acres, 3.6 miles away
- Lake Yankton WMA: 237 acres, 3.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Shetek Inlet WMA
Counting Shetek Inlet WMA itself, 1,852 of the 31,581 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,576 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 276 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Shetek Inlet WMA?
In Murray County, near Garvin. The DNR's directions: Head east on 4th St toward US-59 N, Turn right onto US-59 S/E Main St Continue to follow US-59 S 2.5 mi, Turn right onto 231st St 0.3 mi.
Which deer permit area is Shetek Inlet WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 295. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Shetek Inlet WMA?
1,852 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Shetek Inlet WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Lake Maria WMA (0.7 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, Shetek Inlet 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.