Willow Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Willow Lake Wildlife Management Area is 178 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Redwood County, near Wanda, inside Deer Permit Area 289. The DNR's WMA data lists pheasants and ducks and geese for it. Hunters registered 558 deer in DPA 289 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 areasWillow Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 178 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Redwood County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 289 |
| DNR lists for hunting | pheasants and ducks and geese |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Wanda |
| DNR area office | New Ulm |
| Nearest towns | Wanda (next to it), Wabasso (6 mi) and Lamberton (7 mi) |
What can you hunt on Willow Lake WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists pheasants and ducks and geese for Willow Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season.
What are the rules on Willow Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Willow Lake WMA?
Willow Lake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 289. The DNR registered 558 deer in DPA 289 in 2025, against 526 in 2024.
| DPA | Willow Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 289 | 178 | 558 | 526 | 512 |
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 Willow Lake WMA?
Ne edge of town.
Nearest towns: Wanda (next to it), Wabasso (6 miles), Lamberton (7 miles) and Sanborn (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 71.
What other public land is near Willow Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Lamberton WMA: 1,361 acres, 3.7 miles away
- Mammenga WMA: 121 acres, 5.3 miles away
- Coal Mine Creek WMA: 146 acres, 5.9 miles away
- Dutch Charley Creek WMA: 162 acres, 6 miles away
- Waterbury WMA: 81 acres, 6.8 miles away
- Daub's Lake WMA: 599 acres, 7.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Willow Lake WMA
Counting Willow Lake WMA itself, 178 of the 22,048 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (0.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife management areas | 178 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Willow Lake WMA?
In Redwood County, near Wanda. The DNR's directions: Ne edge of town.
Which deer permit area is Willow Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 289. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Willow Lake WMA?
178 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Willow Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Lamberton WMA (3.7 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Willow 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.