String Lakes Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
String Lakes Wildlife Management Area is 588 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Cottonwood County, near Windom, inside Deer Permit Area 295. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and mourning doves 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 areasCounty, city and regional landWalk-In AccessString Lakes WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 588 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Cottonwood County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 295 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and mourning doves |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Windom |
| DNR area office | Windom |
| Nearest towns | Wilder (2 mi), Windom (3 mi) and Fish Lake (6 mi) |
What can you hunt on String Lakes WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and mourning doves for String Lakes WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on String Lakes WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around String Lakes WMA?
String Lakes WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 295. The DNR registered 904 deer in DPA 295 in 2025, against 835 in 2024.
| DPA | String Lakes WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 295 | 588 | 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 String Lakes WMA?
From Windom, go 3 miles west on State Highway 62.
Nearest towns: Wilder (2 miles), Windom (3 miles), Fish Lake (6 miles) and Bingham Lake (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 60, US 71, MN 62 and MN 86. 2 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near String Lakes WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Timber Lake WMA: 907 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Farhagen WMA: 183 acres, 2.7 miles away
- Wolf Lake WMA: 105 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Lillegaard WMA: 88 acres, 4.2 miles away
- Teal Lake WMA: 124 acres, 5 miles away
- Pats Pasture WMA: 318 acres, 5.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of String Lakes WMA
Counting String Lakes WMA itself, 1,329 of the 26,975 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.9%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 898 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 393 |
| County, city and regional land | 38 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is String Lakes WMA?
In Cottonwood County, near Windom. The DNR's directions: From Windom, go 3 miles west on State Highway 62.
Which deer permit area is String Lakes WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 295. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around String Lakes WMA?
1,329 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, String Lakes WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Timber Lake WMA (2.3 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, String Lakes 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.