Walter Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Walter Wildlife Management Area is 510 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Lac qui Parle County, near Nassau, inside Deer Permit Area 278. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for it. Hunters registered 639 deer in DPA 278 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasWalter WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 510 acres in 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Lac qui Parle County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 278 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Nassau |
| DNR area office | Appleton |
| Nearest towns | Nassau (2 mi), Marietta (4 mi) and Bellingham (5 mi) |
What can you hunt on Walter WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game for Walter WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Walter WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Walter WMA?
Walter WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 278. The DNR registered 639 deer in DPA 278 in 2025, against 624 in 2024.
| DPA | Walter WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 278 | 510 | 639 | 624 | 580 |
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 Walter WMA?
From Nassau, go 3 miles E on CSAH 24, 1 mile N on CSAH 3.
Nearest towns: Nassau (2 miles), Marietta (4 miles), Bellingham (5 miles) and Madison (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: MN 40 and US 75.
What other public land is near Walter WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Quilitz WMA: 383 acres, 0.5 miles away
- Caerulean WMA: 264 acres, 2.3 miles away
- David B. Vesall WMA: 645 acres, 3 miles away
- Perry WMA: 212 acres, 3 miles away
- Kibler WMA: 541 acres, 3.1 miles away
- Haydenville WMA: 484 acres, 4.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Walter WMA
Counting Walter WMA itself, 1,270 of the 30,320 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.2%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 1,153 |
| State forest and other DNR land | 78 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 39 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Walter WMA?
In Lac qui Parle County, near Nassau. The DNR's directions: From Nassau, go 3 miles E on CSAH 24, 1 mile N on CSAH 3.
Which deer permit area is Walter WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 278. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Walter WMA?
1,270 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Walter WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Quilitz WMA (0.5 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, Walter 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.