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State park in Wright County
Hunting on Lake Maria State Park in 2026-27
State park hunting in Wright County: rules, season dates, parking and nearby public land.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Lake Maria State Park
Parking, trailheads and gates near Lake Maria State Park
- Parking areaParking · 0.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.9 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.
The record behind Lake Maria State Park, summed up
The mapped area of Lake Maria State Park is 1,589 acres, in Wright County. Our list holds just this one state park for Wright County. Deer rules come from DPA 229, a 3-deer limit area in 2026.
The land manager is Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Hunting is limited to the DNR special hunt dates and hunt-map areas; the rest of the year the park is closed to hunting.
Species named: deer.
From the agency record (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); checked October 28, 2026.
Lake Maria State Park regulations in short
Read these before a first trip to Lake Maria State Park; they come from the agency page.
| Item | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Hunting | Hunt dates only |
| Hunt areas | Hunt map only |
| Ammunition | Lead-free required |
| CLOSED hunts | Permit hunters only |
Sources: record; booklet: 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
Lake Maria State Park special hunts
Lake Maria State Park has 1 DNR special hunt for 2026-27; permit hunts are drawn through the DNR lottery.
| No. | Hunt type | Permits | Dates | Bag limit | Sex |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 960 | Adult muzzleloader, permit required | 27 | Dec 11-13, 2026 | 3 | Earn-a-buck |
| Hunt | Begins | Ends | Park open? | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muzzleloader | Dec 11, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | CLOSED | Map |
DNR special deer hunts and DNR state park hunts; checked October 28, 2026. Special hunts and lotteries.
DPA 229 dates for Lake Maria State Park
For 2026, DNR made DPA 229 3-deer limit; its firearms deer season is the 200-series window. Up to 3 deer can come out of DPA 229 this season, using bonus permits for the extra antlerless deer.
| Deer season | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 19, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Youth deer | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Early antlerless | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Firearms, 200 series | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | |
| Muzzleloader | Nov 28, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 |
No mandatory CWD sampling in DPA 229; testing is optional. DPA 229 takes in 313 square miles. Part of Wright, Sherburne and Hennepin falls in DPA 229.
From the DNR 2026 deer season map and the 2026-2027 regulations booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Other places to hunt near Lake Maria State Park
The closest other public land to Lake Maria State Park is Silver Creek WPA, 2.0 mi to the east; the table lists 8 neighbors with 2,312 acres between them.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Deer area | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Creek WPA | WPA | 83 | 229 | 2.0 mi | east |
| Kelly-meyer WMA | WMA | 136 | 229 | 3.2 mi | east |
| Hoglund WMA | WMA | 361 | 219 | 3.5 mi | northwest |
| Corinna WPA | WPA | 131 | 219 | 4.2 mi | southwest |
| Silver Creek AMA | AMA | 4.8 | 229 | 4.3 mi | north |
| Maple Lake WMA | WMA | 410 | 229 | 4.6 mi | south |
| Suconnix WMA | WMA | 1,006 | 219 | 5.5 mi | west |
| Angus Lake WPA | WPA | 179 | 229 | 6.1 mi | south |
Points: DNR state parks management units layer (polygon centroid). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Towns and offices around Lake Maria State Park
The town nearest Lake Maria State Park is Silver Creek at 1.9 mi. Monticello (15,482 in 2024) is the largest of these towns. Sauk Rapids Area Wildlife Office (Sauk Rapids) is the closest DNR office, 21 mi off.
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Creek | Wright | – | 1.9 mi | west |
| Becker | Sherburne | 5,252 | 5.8 mi | northeast |
| Maple Lake | Wright | 2,214 | 6.4 mi | southwest |
| Clearwater | Wright | 2,221 | 8.0 mi | northwest |
| Monticello | Wright | 15,482 | 8.1 mi | east |
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.
Lake Maria State Park area deer harvest by year
DPA 229 totals, which include all the land around Lake Maria State Park: 1,039 deer in 2025 against 1,046 in 2024.
| Year | Bucks | Does, fawns | All deer | Per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 549 | 490 | 1,039 | 3.65 |
| 2024 | 521 | 525 | 1,046 | 3.68 |
| 2023 | 483 | 417 | 900 | 3.17 |
| 2022 | 444 | 427 | 871 | 3.06 |
| 2021 | 420 | 401 | 821 | 2.89 |
| 2020 | 460 | 467 | 927 | 3.26 |
| 2019 | 420 | 332 | 752 | 2.65 |
| 2018 | 377 | 236 | 613 | 2.16 |
| 2017 | 378 | 385 | 763 | 2.68 |
DNR 2025 deer harvest report; earlier years from the DNR yearly reports. Checked October 28, 2026.
The county setting of Lake Maria State Park
Wright County holds 35 public hunting records on this site; Lake Maria State Park is one of them. No deer feeding or attractants in Wright County (DNR ban). Bear: Wright County is in the no-quota area, with licenses over the counter. For turkey the county is in permit area 507 and 506. Wildlife office for Wright County: Sauk Rapids Area Wildlife Office. Unlike Lake Maria State Park, Cokato Lake Aquatic Management Area and Mary Schmidt Crawford Woods Scientific and Natural Area are shut to hunters.
County acres from DNR and federal GIS layers (counties.json); zones from the 2026-2027 booklet; checked October 28, 2026.
Lake Maria State Park: first legal light and last
Calculated for the exact spot of Lake Maria State Park, so the minutes differ a little from the county tables.
| Day | Hunt | First sun | Last sun | Start | Big game stop | Bird stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Archery and grouse opener | 6:58 a.m. | 7:22 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. | 7:52 p.m. | 7:22 p.m. |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:06 a.m. | 7:08 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. | 7:38 p.m. | 7:08 p.m. |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Pheasant opener | 7:24 a.m. | 6:42 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. | 7:12 p.m. | 6:42 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Firearms deer opener | 7:02 a.m. | 4:57 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. | 5:27 p.m. | 4:57 p.m. |
| Nov 28, 2026 | Muzzleloader opener | 7:31 a.m. | 4:37 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 4:37 p.m. |
| Dec 31, 2026 | Archery close | 7:55 a.m. | 4:42 p.m. | 7:25 a.m. | 5:12 p.m. | 4:42 p.m. |
| Apr 14, 2027 | Spring turkey opener | 6:34 a.m. | 7:59 p.m. | 6:04 a.m. | 8:29 p.m. | 7:59 p.m. |
Spring turkey uses the bird column.
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.
Lake Maria State Park and nearby events
1 upcoming event on this property or within about 10 miles (NWTF hunting heritage fundraiser). Checked October 28, 2026.
Upcoming here
| Date | Event | Miles | Where | Sign up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 6, 2027 | Sand Dunes Gobblers Hunting Heritage Bqt NWTF Fundraiser, an NWTF hunting heritage fundraiser | 8 | Monticello | Buy tickets | Source |
Nearest public range to Lake Maria State Park, plus clubs
Elm Creek Park Reserve is the nearest public range to Lake Maria State Park, about 28 miles away. Beside it, two sportsmen’s clubs within 30 miles.
From the operators’ pages and directory listings, checked October 28, 2026.
Lake Maria State Park and country like it, in photos
Straight answers on hunting Lake Maria State Park
Any other public ground within a short drive of Lake Maria State Park?
Closest on the map: Silver Creek WPA (2.0 mi), Kelly-meyer WMA (3.2 mi) and Hoglund WMA (3.5 mi).
Lake Maria State Park: is hunting allowed there?
Hunting at Lake Maria State Park is limited to the managed hunts or the listed open area.
Is Lake Maria State Park a big piece of land?
About 1,589 acres, per the agency GIS.
When does firearms deer season open on Lake Maria State Park?
Deer permit area 229; the 2026 designation is 3-deer limit. Firearms dates in that DPA are Nov 7 to Nov 15, 2026.
What game is on Lake Maria State Park?
The record for Lake Maria State Park lists deer.
What are the directions to Lake Maria State Park?
Drive from Silver Creek (1.9 mi); the agency publishes no directions.
Which office should I call about Lake Maria State Park?
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources runs Lake Maria State Park.
What are the CWD rules on Lake Maria State Park?
CWD status: DPA 229 is outside the CWD zones, with optional testing.
Lake Maria State Park: deer hours on opening day?
About 6:32 a.m. to 5:27 p.m. on opening day of firearms deer.
Before a trip to Lake Maria State Park
Plan with this page, then check the agency page for Lake Maria State Park the week you go.
Sources: source · source · source · source; regulations from the 2026-2027 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations. Checked October 28, 2026.
Other photos on this page: YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); NPS Photo (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain).