Summers Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Summers Wildlife Management Area is 162 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Jackson County, near Lakefield, inside Deer Permit Area 250. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 505 deer in DPA 250 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 areasSummers WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 162 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 250 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Lakefield |
| DNR area office | Windom |
| Nearest towns | Lakefield (3 mi), Jackson (5 mi) and Okabena (9 mi) |
What can you hunt on Summers WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Summers WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Summers WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Summers WMA?
Summers WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 250. The DNR registered 505 deer in DPA 250 in 2025, against 479 in 2024.
| DPA | Summers WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 250 | 162 | 505 | 479 | 497 |
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 Summers WMA?
From Lakefield, go 3 miles S on SH 86 then 1 mile W on CSAH 34 then 1 1/4 mile N on Township Road. From Jackson, go 1.5 miles W on County Rd 14, then 3.5 mi W on Cty Rd 10 to the WMA on the N side of the road.
Nearest towns: Lakefield (3 miles), Jackson (5 miles), Okabena (9 miles) and Alpha (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: I-90, MN 86 and US 71.
What other public land is near Summers WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Husen WMA: 79 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Dead Horse WMA: 40 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Toe WMA: 342 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Bootleg Lake WMA: 87 acres, 3.3 miles away
- Pletz Slough WMA: 118 acres, 3.4 miles away
- Little Sioux WMA: 307 acres, 3.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Summers WMA
Counting Summers WMA itself, 861 of the 39,275 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 534 |
| State wildlife management areas | 327 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Summers WMA?
In Jackson County, near Lakefield. The DNR's directions: From Lakefield, go 3 miles S on SH 86 then 1 mile W on CSAH 34 then 1 1/4 mile N on Township Road. From Jackson, go 1.5 miles W on County Rd 14, then 3.5 mi W on Cty Rd 10 to the WMA on the N side of the road.
Which deer permit area is Summers WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 250. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Summers WMA?
861 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Summers WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Husen WMA (1.4 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Summers 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.