Spectacle Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Spectacle Wildlife Management Area is 505 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Isanti County, near Spencer Brook, inside Deer Permit Area 227. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 4,198 deer in DPA 227 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 landCounty, city and regional landSpectacle WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 505 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Isanti County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 227 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Spencer Brook |
| DNR area office | Cambridge |
| Nearest towns | Cambridge (7 mi), Princeton (8 mi) and Isanti (8 mi) |
What is Spectacle WMA like?
A majority of this unit consists of riverine/floodplain forest along Green Lake Brook and Rum River interspersed by upland hardwood and softwood cover and scattered amounts of prairie grasslands.
This WMA actually consists of two disjunct units separated by the Rum River. Wading birds and raptors are abundant, and unique species include Blanding's turtle and Red Shouldered hawk.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Spectacle WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Spectacle WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Spectacle WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Spectacle WMA?
Spectacle WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 227. The DNR registered 4,198 deer in DPA 227 in 2025, against 3,893 in 2024.
| DPA | Spectacle WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 227 | 505 | 4,198 | 3,893 | 3,470 |
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 Spectacle WMA?
From Spencer Brook, go 2 1/2 miles N on CSAH 7 then 1 1/2 miles E on CSAH 11 and Co. Rd. 39.
Nearest towns: Cambridge (7 miles), Princeton (8 miles), Isanti (8 miles) and St. Francis (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 95 and MN 47.
What other public land is near Spectacle WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Spencer Brook WMA: 310 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Crooked Road WMA: 390 acres, 4.7 miles away
- Becklin Homestead WMA: 277 acres, 5.4 miles away
- Marget Lake WMA: 508 acres, 6.3 miles away
- Dobe WMA: 99 acres, 7 miles away
- Vietnam Veterans WMA: 79 acres, 8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Spectacle WMA
Counting Spectacle WMA itself, 625 of the 29,127 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.1%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 625 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Spectacle WMA?
In Isanti County, near Spencer Brook. The DNR's directions: From Spencer Brook, go 2 1/2 miles N on CSAH 7 then 1 1/2 miles E on CSAH 11 and Co. Rd. 39.
Which deer permit area is Spectacle WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 227. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Spectacle WMA?
625 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Spectacle WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Spencer Brook WMA (2.9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Spectacle 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.