MacLean Bottoms Wildlife Management Area: hunting, units and nearby land
MacLean Bottoms Wildlife Management Area is 6,955 acres of land managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, in Burleigh and Emmons counties. It lies in deer unit 3C and pronghorn unit 17A. Within 5 miles of its boundary are 1,570 acres of PLOTS walk-in land and 14,640 acres of other public land.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary and acres: NDGF map layers, 2026. Lottery: NDGF 2026.
NDGF wildlife management areaCorps of EngineersState trust landPLOTS (private land open to hunting)MacLean Bottoms WMACounty lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 6,955 acres (NDGF) |
|---|---|
| County | Burleigh, Emmons |
| Deer units | Deer unit 3C |
| Pronghorn units | Pronghorn unit 17A |
| Deer licenses in unit 3C, 2026 | 800 (1,431 first-choice applicants) |
| PLOTS within 5 miles | 1,570 acres |
| Nearest towns | Lincoln (6 mi), Apple Valley (10 mi) and Menoken (10 mi) |
Which hunting units is MacLean Bottoms WMA in?
MacLean Bottoms WMA lies in deer unit 3C and pronghorn unit 17A. Each unit's 2026 lottery, for the whole unit, not the WMA alone:
| Unit | WMA acres in it | Licenses, 2026 | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 3C | 6,955 | 800 | 1,431 |
| Pronghorn unit 17A | 3,078 | 10 | 240 |
Lottery: NDGF deer lottery statistics; NDGF pronghorn lottery statistics. WMA acres in each unit measured by FilledTag from NDGF's boundaries.
What other hunting land is near MacLean Bottoms WMA?
Within 5 miles of the WMA's boundary, the maps NDGF publishes show 1,570 acres of PLOTS (6 tracts centered in that ring) and 14,640 acres of other public land. Other wildlife management areas close by: Graner Bottoms WMA (3,645 acres in the ring), Kimball Bottoms WMA (2,877 acres in the ring), Schmidt Bottoms WMA (626 acres in the ring) and Apple Creek Bottoms WMA (45 acres in the ring).
| Within 5 miles | Acres |
|---|---|
| Corps of Engineers | 11,449 |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 7,192 |
| State trust land | 3,191 |
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 1,570 |
Measured by FilledTag from NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land); acres outside North Dakota are not counted.
How do you get to MacLean Bottoms WMA?
MacLean Bottoms WMA is about 6 miles south of Lincoln, and 10 miles south of Apple Valley. Highways within 8 miles: ND 1804 (31 miles of it) and ND 1806 (21 miles of it). NDGF's PLOTS Guide shows the WMA's parking areas and roads.
Questions hunters ask
How big is MacLean Bottoms WMA?
NDGF lists MacLean Bottoms WMA at 6,955 acres. FilledTag measured 6,955 acres from NDGF's boundary.
What county is MacLean Bottoms WMA in?
Burleigh County (3,883 acres) and Emmons County (3,072 acres).
Which hunting units is MacLean Bottoms WMA in?
Deer unit 3C; pronghorn unit 17A, by NDGF's unit maps. A license is good only in the unit printed on it.
What is the closest town to MacLean Bottoms WMA?
Lincoln (6 miles), Apple Valley (10 miles) and Menoken (10 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Boundary and acres: NDGF wildlife management areas. Land around it: NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land).
- Units: NDGF hunting unit maps. Lottery: NDGF deer lottery statistics.
FilledTag is not part of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Posted rules at the area and NDGF's regulations are the final word.
North Dakota hunting Burleigh County Emmons County Deer unit 3C