Sweetwater Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Sweetwater Wildlife Management Area is 585 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lac qui Parle County, 8 miles from Marietta, inside Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 397 deer in DPA 279 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 AccessSweetwater WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 585 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lac qui Parle County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 279 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Marietta (8 mi), Madison (11 mi) and Canby (12 mi) |
What can you hunt on Sweetwater WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Sweetwater WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Sweetwater WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Sweetwater WMA?
Sweetwater WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 279. The DNR registered 397 deer in DPA 279 in 2025, against 370 in 2024.
| DPA | Sweetwater WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 279 | 585 | 397 | 370 | 358 |
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 Sweetwater WMA?
From Madison, go 8 miles S on US 75, 8 miles W on CSAH 12.
Nearest towns: Marietta (8 miles), Madison (11 miles), Canby (12 miles) and Nassau (12 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 212. 5 Walk-In Access sites within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Sweetwater WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Florida Creek WMA: 1,113 acres, 1.4 miles away
- Indigo WMA: 59 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Plantation WMA: 69 acres, 2.5 miles away
- Bail Out WMA: 155 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Gollnick WMA: 516 acres, 4 miles away
- Dacotah WMA: 49 acres, 4.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Sweetwater WMA
Counting Sweetwater WMA itself, 3,105 of the 30,167 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,664 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,441 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Sweetwater WMA?
In Lac qui Parle County, 8 miles from Marietta. The DNR's directions: From Madison, go 8 miles S on US 75, 8 miles W on CSAH 12.
Which deer permit area is Sweetwater WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 279. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Sweetwater WMA?
3,105 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Sweetwater WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Florida Creek WMA (1.4 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Sweetwater 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.