St. Thomas Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
St. Thomas Lake Wildlife Management Area is 320 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Le Sueur County, near St. Thomas, inside Deer Permit Area 291. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for it. Hunters registered 1,896 deer in DPA 291 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 areasCounty, city and regional landSt. Thomas Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 320 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Le Sueur County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 291 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | St. Thomas |
| DNR area office | Nicollet |
| Nearest towns | Le Sueur (6 mi), Heidelberg (6 mi) and Henderson (7 mi) |
What is St. Thomas Lake WMA like?
The St. Thomas Lake WMA is mainly comprised of: A restored oak savanna, wetland complex with forest upland and forest wetland components, along with an agricultural food plot.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on St. Thomas Lake WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese, mourning doves and small game for St. Thomas Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on St. Thomas Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around St. Thomas Lake WMA?
St. Thomas Lake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 291. The DNR registered 1,896 deer in DPA 291 in 2025, against 1,513 in 2024.
| DPA | St. Thomas Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 291 | 319 | 1,896 | 1,513 | 1,504 |
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 St. Thomas Lake WMA?
From Saint Thomas, go 1 mile W on CSAH 28.
Wheelchair access is limited to a gravel parking lot and adjacent highway. Difficult access exists along a primitive field lane that runs south from the parking lot.
Nearest towns: Le Sueur (6 miles), Heidelberg (6 miles), Henderson (7 miles) and Le Center (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 169 and MN 19.
What other public land is near St. Thomas Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Sheas Lake WMA: 321 acres, 1.8 miles away
- Raven WMA: 72 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Mahoney's Marsh WMA: 324 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Bardel's Marsh WMA: 78 acres, 4.2 miles away
- Michel Marsh WMA: 139 acres, 4.9 miles away
- Pheasants Forever #3 WMA: 27 acres, 5.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of St. Thomas Lake WMA
Counting St. Thomas Lake WMA itself, 647 of the 24,850 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.6%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 647 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is St. Thomas Lake WMA?
In Le Sueur County, near St. Thomas. The DNR's directions: From Saint Thomas, go 1 mile W on CSAH 28.
Which deer permit area is St. Thomas Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 291. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around St. Thomas Lake WMA?
647 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, St. Thomas Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Sheas Lake WMA (1.8 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, St. Thomas 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.