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Minnesota WMA
String Lakes Wildlife Management Area: seasons, rules and access
589 acres of wildlife management area ground in Cottonwood County, deer permit area 295.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to String Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near String Lakes Wildlife Management Area
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
String Lakes WMA on paper: the record in brief
String Lakes WMA covers 589 acres in Cottonwood County. Among Cottonwood County’s 22 wildlife management areas, it sits 4th for acres. The 2026 deer designation for DPA 295 is either-sex.
Management sits with the Windom area wildlife staff, reachable at windom.wildlife@state.mn.us.
Hunted here: deer, pheasant, waterfowl, wild turkey, mourning dove.
From the agency record (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around String Lakes Wildlife Management Area
Getting into String Lakes WMA
Directions and parking for String Lakes WMA as the DNR detail pages give them (0 parking points mapped).
| Piece | Acres | Town | Status | Lots | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| String Lakes WMA | 589 | Windom | Open | – | DNR |
- String Lakes WMA: From Windom, go 3 miles west on State Highway 62.
DNR WMA detail pages (Compass feature records); checked October 28, 2026.
Use rules to read before hunting String Lakes WMA
String Lakes WMA follows the rules below on top of the statewide booklet.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Hunting, trapping | Regular seasons |
| Vehicles | Designated roads, lots |
| Target shooting | Not allowed |
| Guns in transit | Cased, unloaded |
| Camping | Designated or permit |
| Portable stands, blinds | Remove daily |
| Overnight stands, northwest | Nov 1-Dec 31 |
| Dogs | Leash Apr 16-Jul 14 |
| Drones | Not allowed |
| Gear left overnight | Not allowed |
Sources: record, agency rules; booklet: 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
String Lakes WMA deer rules: DPA 295
DPA 295 is a 200-series area set to either-sex for 2026. A buck or a doe both count in DPA 295 this year.
| Deer season | Opening | Closing | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Youth deer | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Firearms, 200 series | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Muzzleloader | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 |
Surveillance block: bring adult deer taken Nov. 7-8 for sampling. At 977 square miles, DPA 295 is the unit deer rules follow. DPA 295 overlaps Murray, Cottonwood, Redwood and Lyon.
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
String Lakes WMA dates, species by species
Season rows matched to String Lakes WMA by its game species list; trapping-only seasons are on the species pages.
| Species | Hunt | Zone | First day | Last day | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | DPA 295 | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Deer | Youth deer | DPA 295 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Deer | Firearms, 200 series | DPA 295 | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring archery-only | Statewide | Apr 14, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period A | Statewide | Apr 14, 2027 | Apr 20, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth | Statewide | Apr 14, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period B | Statewide | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period C | Statewide | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period D | Statewide | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period E | Statewide | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring period F | Statewide | May 19, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Regular | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Mourning dove | Regular | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Canada goose | Early geese | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Early geese | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Teal | Early teal season | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Youth waterfowl | Youth days | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | Central Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | North Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Central Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | Central Zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Dec 30, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular ducks | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular geese | South Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Spring light goose | Statewide | Feb 18, 2027 | Apr 30, 2027 |
Zone rows for ducks and furbearers depend on map lines, not on this unit; DNR draws them along highways.
From the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations booklet (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026. All Minnesota seasons.
Harvest trend near String Lakes WMA
In 2025 hunters registered 904 deer across DPA 295 (0.94 per square mile); the table runs back to 2017.
| Season | Adult males | Antlerless and fawns | DPA total | Deer per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 650 | 254 | 904 | 0.94 |
| 2024 | 594 | 241 | 835 | 0.87 |
| 2023 | 569 | 258 | 827 | 0.86 |
| 2022 | 595 | 261 | 856 | 0.89 |
| 2021 | 605 | 252 | 857 | 0.89 |
| 2020 | 621 | 253 | 874 | 1.04 |
| 2019 | 591 | 214 | 805 | 0.96 |
| 2018 | 516 | 244 | 760 | 0.91 |
| 2017 | 518 | 233 | 751 | 0.90 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
String Lakes WMA and the public ground around it
Straight-line distances run from the String Lakes WMA map point; Blixseth WPA (0.9 mi, southeast) leads the list.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | DPA | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blixseth WPA | WPA | 162 | 250 | 0.9 mi | southeast |
| Wilder WMA | WMA | 3.5 | 250 | 1.6 mi | south |
| String Lake WPA | WPA | 231 | 250 | 2.1 mi | south |
| Timber Lake WMA | WMA | 907 | 250 | 3.7 mi | south |
| Farhagen WMA | WMA | 183 | 295 | 3.9 mi | northeast |
| Wolf Lake WMA | WMA | 55 | 250 | 4.4 mi | east |
| Cottonwood Lake WPA | WPA | 310 | 250 | 4.8 mi | east |
| Timber Lake WPA | WPA | 532 | 250 | 5.0 mi | south |
Points: DNR WMA detail page map point (Compass feature_detail). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Cottonwood County around String Lakes WMA
In Cottonwood County there are 40 records like String Lakes WMA to choose from. Firearms deer: Cottonwood County still has a local shotgun ordinance (shotgun-only ordinance). For bear, Cottonwood County is no-quota. Turkey permit area 504 covers the county. Windom Area Wildlife Office (Windom) is the closest area wildlife office to the county centre. Watch for closed ground in Cottonwood County such as Purrington Prairie Scientific and Natural Area.
County acres from DNR and federal GIS layers (counties.json); zones from the 2026-2027 booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Gas, food and processors near String Lakes WMA
Closest town: Wilder, 3.0 mi in a straight line from String Lakes WMA. Most services: Windom, population 4,797. The unit page lists Windom as nearest town. The nearest DNR office is Windom Area Wildlife Office in Windom, 4.2 mi away.
| Town | County | 2024 population | Away | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilder | Jackson | 57 | 3.0 mi | southwest |
| Windom | Cottonwood | 4,797 | 3.2 mi | east |
| Fish Lake | Jackson | – | 7.2 mi | east |
| Bingham Lake | Cottonwood | 133 | 7.5 mi | east |
| Heron Lake | Jackson | 592 | 8.4 mi | southwest |
Towns from the 2024 Census gazetteer and population estimates; offices and businesses from services.json (DNR and business listings, chain stores and license agents left out); straight-line miles. Checked October 28, 2026.
Before String Lakes Wildlife Management Area: where to check a zero
Hunters on String Lakes Wildlife Management Area can sight in at Horse Barn & Hunt Club (10 miles), the nearest listing. Target shooting is not allowed on the property itself.
From the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 28, 2026; target shooting rule from the DNR WMA rules.
Legal hunting hours worked out for String Lakes WMA
Shooting starts 30 minutes before sunrise at String Lakes WMA; the two closing columns split big game from birds.
| Date | Season | Sunrise | Sunset | First shot | Last, big game | Last, birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Archery and grouse opener | 7:03 a.m. | 7:26 p.m. | 6:33 a.m. | 7:56 p.m. | 7:26 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:11 a.m. | 7:13 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. | 7:43 p.m. | 7:13 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:27 a.m. | 6:48 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. | 7:18 p.m. | 6:48 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 7:04 a.m. | 5:05 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. | 5:35 p.m. | 5:05 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:31 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 4:47 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 7:55 a.m. | 4:52 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. | 5:22 p.m. | 4:52 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:41 a.m. | 8:01 p.m. | 6:11 a.m. | 8:31 p.m. | 8:01 p.m. |
Early teal runs sunrise to sunset.
Hours rule from the DNR booklet shooting hours page; sun times calculated for the unit point (NOAA method, Central Time); checked October 28, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Pictures that suit a day on String Lakes WMA
Quick answers before you hunt String Lakes WMA
May the public hunt String Lakes WMA?
Yes. The DNR WMA rules allow hunting and trapping in season on String Lakes WMA.
Is camping at String Lakes WMA allowed under WMA rules?
Camping is limited to designated areas or a DNR permit.
What are the 2026 deer rules on String Lakes WMA?
It is in deer permit area 295 (either-sex). Guns: Nov 7 to Nov 15, 2026.
String Lakes WMA size: how much huntable ground?
String Lakes WMA covers 589 acres.
What route leads to String Lakes WMA?
From Windom, go 3 miles west on State Highway 62. Parking points on file: 0.
What can you hunt on String Lakes WMA?
Expect deer, pheasant, waterfowl, wild turkey and mourning dove on String Lakes WMA, per the record.
Do deer from String Lakes WMA need CWD testing?
Its DPA (295) is in the 2026 surveillance block (mandatory sampling Nov. 7-8).
Which office should I call about String Lakes WMA?
String Lakes WMA is managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, from its Windom office.
Where can I hunt public land close to String Lakes WMA?
The nearest public units are Blixseth WPA (0.9 mi), Wilder WMA (1.6 mi) and String Lake WPA (2.1 mi).
When is legal light on String Lakes WMA for the opener?
For the opener, 6:34 a.m. to 5:35 p.m.; birds stop at 5:05 p.m..
Can decoys or gear stay on String Lakes WMA overnight?
Stands are portable-only and leave with you; the one exception is the northwest overnight window from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31.
String Lakes WMA: what to double-check first
Seasons, closures and notices on String Lakes WMA can change mid-season; posted signs and the agency page have the final word.
Sources: source · source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0); Pictures by Ann (CC BY 2.0).