Silver Creek Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Silver Creek Wildlife Management Area is 460 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lake of the Woods County, near Baudette, inside Deer Permit Area 105. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 2,485 deer in DPA 105 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 landSilver Creek WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 460 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Lake of the Woods County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 105 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Baudette |
| DNR area office | Baudette |
| Nearest towns | Baudette (6 mi), Williams (23 mi) and Roosevelt (30 mi) |
What is Silver Creek WMA like?
This WMA is composed of several habitat types including brushland, open upland grass, forested creek floodplain and tamarack/spruce bog. Management objectives include providing open brush/grass for sharptails and cranes.
Maintained brush and grass in this unit when combined with private and state land to the west and south, provide habitat for a variety of openland dependent species. No special restrictions; normal WMA rules apply. Small game species present include snipe and rail, ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse and American Woodcock. Fringed Gentian may be found here.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Silver Creek WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, sharp-tailed grouse, bear and small game for Silver Creek WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Silver Creek WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Silver Creek WMA?
Silver Creek WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 105. The DNR registered 2,485 deer in DPA 105 in 2025, against 2,165 in 2024.
| DPA | Silver Creek WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 105 | 460 | 2,485 | 2,165 | 2,545 |
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 Silver Creek WMA?
From Baudette, go 3 miles S on Hwy 72/Hwy 11 then 3.5 miles E on Co 19.
There are no facilities on this site and vehicle access is limited. The ground is wet in some areas.
Nearest towns: Baudette (6 miles), Williams (23 miles) and Roosevelt (30 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 11.
What other public land is near Silver Creek WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Carp Swamp WMA: 15,272 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Spooner WMA: 359 acres, 6.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Silver Creek WMA
Counting Silver Creek WMA itself, 10,790 of the 26,009 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (41.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 10,002 |
| State wildlife management areas | 788 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Silver Creek WMA?
In Lake of the Woods County, near Baudette. The DNR's directions: From Baudette, go 3 miles S on Hwy 72/Hwy 11 then 3.5 miles E on Co 19.
Which deer permit area is Silver Creek WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 105. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Silver Creek WMA?
10,790 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Silver Creek WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 2 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Carp Swamp WMA (2.3 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Silver Creek 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.