Yaeger Lake Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Yaeger Lake Wildlife Management Area is 1,148 acres of state land managed by the Minnesota DNR in Wadena County, near Menahga, inside Deer Permit Area 246. The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for it. Hunters registered 3,143 deer in DPA 246 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 landYaeger Lake WMACounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,148 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Wadena County |
| Deer Permit Area | DPA 246 |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game |
| Nearest town (DNR) | Menahga |
| DNR area office | Park Rapids |
| Nearest towns | Nimrod (6 mi), Sebeka (6 mi) and Menahga (6 mi) |
What is Yaeger Lake WMA like?
Yaeger Lake WMA is composed of a mix of habitats including pine and hardwood woodlands, prairies, wet meadows, wetlands, and a natural wild rice lake. This WMA contains a network of gated hunter walking trails and floating boardwalk to access Yaeger Lake.
There are many game species available, along with non-game viewing opportunities such as pileated woodpeckers, trumpeter swans, and warblers.
In the DNR's words, from its wildlife management area data.
What can you hunt on Yaeger Lake WMA?
The DNR's WMA data lists deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and other forest upland birds, bear and small game for Yaeger Lake WMA. Each follows the statewide season and, for deer, the bag limit of the permit area.
What are the rules on Yaeger Lake WMA?
Open to hunting and trapping in the regular seasons under the DNR's statewide WMA rules.
How many deer are taken around Yaeger Lake WMA?
Yaeger Lake WMA lies in Deer Permit Area 246. The DNR registered 3,143 deer in DPA 246 in 2025, against 2,624 in 2024.
| DPA | Yaeger Lake WMA acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPA 246 | 1,148 | 3,143 | 2,624 | 2,394 |
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 Yaeger Lake WMA?
From Menahga, go 4 miles east on County Road 17 then south on County Road 23 for 3 miles then east on County Road 15 for 3 miles then south on County Road 150 for 1 mile.
There are 5 miles of hunter walking trails mowed annually on the WMA. There is a small parking area on the north side of the unit, off of CR 15. Also, there is a wheelchair accessible boardwalk, canoe landing and parking area on the east side of Yaeger Lake, accessible from CR 150 (199th Ave).
Nearest towns: Nimrod (6 miles), Sebeka (6 miles), Menahga (6 miles) and Hubbard (8 miles).
What other public land is near Yaeger Lake WMA?
DNR WMAs within 10 miles:
- Menahga WMA: 353 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Burgen Lake Prairie WMA: 2,322 acres, 2.2 miles away
- Kitten Creek WMA: 156 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Red Eye WMA: 144 acres, 4 miles away
- Huntersville WMA: 521 acres, 5.4 miles away
- Crow Wing River Corridor WMA: 750 acres, 6.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Yaeger Lake WMA
Counting Yaeger Lake WMA itself, 4,842 of the 34,538 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (14%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State forest and other DNR land | 2,776 |
| State wildlife management areas | 2,066 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Yaeger Lake WMA?
In Wadena County, near Menahga. The DNR's directions: From Menahga, go 4 miles east on County Road 17 then south on County Road 23 for 3 miles then east on County Road 15 for 3 miles then south on County Road 150 for 1 mile.
Which deer permit area is Yaeger Lake WMA in?
Deer Permit Area 246. Its bag limit and firearms dates apply.
How much public land is around Yaeger Lake WMA?
4,842 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Yaeger Lake WMA included, by PAD-US 4.1. 6 other WMAs are within 10 miles, the closest Menahga WMA (1.3 miles).
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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, Yaeger 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.