Sodus Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Sodus Wildlife Management Area is 756 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lyon County, near Balaton, inside Deer Permit Area 288. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 731 deer in DPA 288 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 AccessSodus WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 756 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Lyon County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 288 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Balaton |
| DNR area office | Marshall |
| Nearest towns | Balaton (3 mi), Russell (5 mi) and Garvin (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on Sodus WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for Sodus WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Sodus WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Sodus WMA?
Sodus WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 288. The DNR registered 731 deer in DPA 288 in 2025, against 634 in 2024.
| DPA | Sodus WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 288 | 756 | 731 | 634 | 556 |
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 Sodus WMA?
From Balaton, go 1 mile E on US 14 then 3 miles N on CO RD 63.
Nearest towns: Balaton (3 miles), Russell (5 miles), Garvin (6 miles) and Lynd (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 14, US 59 and MN 23. 2 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Sodus WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Deer Lane WMA: 117 acres, next to it
- Dayland Marsh WMA: 21 acres, 0.6 miles away
- Lyons WMA: 572 acres, 0.6 miles away
- Jacobson WMA: 290 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Lake Yankton WMA: 237 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Ringneck Ravine WMA: 69 acres, 1.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Sodus WMA
Counting Sodus WMA itself, 2,244 of the 29,904 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7.5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 2,106 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 138 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Sodus WMA?
In Lyon County, near Balaton. The DNR's directions: From Balaton, go 1 mile E on US 14 then 3 miles N on CO RD 63.
Which deer permit area is Sodus WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 288. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Sodus WMA?
2,244 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Sodus WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Deer Lane WMA (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Sodus 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.