Wetland Management District · Minnesota · FWS Region 3

Litchfield Wetland Management District Hunting & Fishing Guide 2026–27

Litchfield Wetland Management District is located in Meeker County, Minnesota, with about 38,860 acres of land owned in fee by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For the 2026–2027 season the refuge has 2 mapped hunt units: 1 open with special regulations and 1 closed, covering about 38,587 huntable acres.

1 with special regs1 closed
View hunt map Directions Official hunting page ↗
2hunt units
38.6Khuntable acres
38.9KFWS-owned acres
7game categories

Litchfield WMD hunt unit map

Hunt units are colored by 2026–2027 status. Toggle layers for FWS-owned land, the approved refuge boundary and private easements. Use satellite imagery to scout marshes, timber edges and access points.

Loading interactive map…
OpenSpecial regulationsClosedFWS-owned landWPA (public)Refuge boundaryEasement (private) Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
Take it into the field: KML (Google Earth / onX) GPX waypoints GeoJSON

Hunting at Litchfield WMD

Hunters can pursue big game, waterfowl, wild turkey, upland birds, migratory birds, small game, and feral & exotic here, subject to state seasons and refuge-specific rules. Fishing is available — freshwater fishing.

Litchfield WMD is located just south of where Garrison Keillor's fictional Lake Wobegone would be, along the eastern edge of the "prairie pothole" region.

Big GameWhite-tailed and mule deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bear and other large mammalsWaterfowlDucks, geese, brant, swans (where legal) and cootsWild TurkeySpring and fall wild turkeyUpland BirdsPheasant, quail, grouse, prairie chicken and partridgeMigratory BirdsMourning dove, woodcock, snipe, rails, gallinules and sandhill craneSmall GameSquirrel, rabbit, hare, raccoon, opossum and other small mammalsFeral & ExoticFeral hogs and other non-native species where refuge rules allow

Categories are those listed by USFWS for this station; exact species, seasons and bag limits follow Minnesota regulations plus refuge-specific rules.

Hunt units (2)

Acreage by status
Special regulations: 38,587 (100%)Closed: 114 (0%)38.6Khuntable acres
  • Special regulations38,587 ac 100%
  • Closed114 ac 0%
Units by size (acres)
WPA Open
38,587 ac
WPA Closed
114 ac
UnitStatusAcresPermitDetails
WPA Open
Show on map · Directions		 Special regs 38,587 —
WPA Closed
Show on map · Directions		 Closed 114 —

Litchfield WMD by the numbers

With about 38,587 huntable acres, Litchfield WMD ranks #7 of 19 refuges and stations with mapped hunting land in Minnesota and #73 of 420 nationwide. Roughly 100% of the acreage inside its mapped hunt units is open to hunting in some form.

The largest huntable unit is WPA Open (38,587 acres, special regulations).

1 unit totaling 114 acres is closed to hunting (WPA Closed). Closed areas often serve as sanctuaries — learn their boundaries before you set up nearby.

Besides 38,860 acres of federally owned land, the station administers conservation easements on about 14,866 acres of private land. Easement land protects habitat but is not open to public hunting.

6 Waterfowl Production Areas lie within 35 miles; the closest is Litchfield WPA (463 acres, 0 miles E).

When to hunt Litchfield WMD

Typical U.S. season windows for the game categories offered here. Minnesota sets the exact dates, and refuges often open fewer days than the statewide season — use this to plan scouting, then confirm the 2026–2027 dates in the state regulations and the refuge hunt brochure.

Typical season windows — Big Game, Waterfowl, Wild Turkey, Upland Birds, Migratory Birds, Small Game, Feral & Exotic
AugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
🦌 Big Game
Archery deerFirearm deer
🦆 Waterfowl
Early teal & gooseRegular duck & goose
🦃 Wild Turkey
Spring gobblerFall (some states)
🐦 Upland Birds
Pheasant, quail, grouse
🕊️ Migratory Birds
Dove (Sept. 1 opener)Woodcock & snipeLate dove split
🐇 Small Game
Squirrel & rabbit
🐗 Feral & Exotic
Feral hog (often year-round)

Permits & licenses

Refuge permit

Not listed

USFWS does not list a separate refuge permit for this station. Specific units or hunts (e.g. quota deer hunts) may still require one — check the hunt brochure.

You'll also need

  • A valid Minnesota hunting license and any required tags or stamps — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
  • Federal Duck Stamp (waterfowl hunters 16+) and HIP certification for migratory birds
  • Non-toxic shot for waterfowl (federal requirement)
  • Hunter education certification where your state requires it
  • The current refuge hunt brochure / regulations (often must be signed and carried)

Fishing at Litchfield WMD

  • 🐟 Freshwater fishing

Because of the prairie pothole nature of the habitat and shallow seasonal wetlands and pools, fishing is extremely limited on lands managed by Litchfield Wetland Management District.

State fishing licenses and regulations apply. Some waters close seasonally to protect wildlife.

How to get to Litchfield WMD

Navigate

Destination: Litchfield Wetland Management District (FWS reference point)

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
45.07024, -94.53222
DMS
45°04′12.9″N 94°31′56.0″W

Download for GPS / onX / Google Earth:KMLGPX

Nearest towns

  • Litchfield, MN4.1 mi S of town
  • Willmar, MN25 mi E of town
  • St. Cloud, MN38 mi SW of town
  • Minneapolis, MN62 mi W of town

Closest airports

  • MSP Minneapolis–St. Paul65 mi
  • FSD Sioux Falls Regional150 mi

Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.

The navigation point is the station reference location published by USFWS — often the headquarters or main entrance. For a specific hunt unit, open its page or click it on the map for coordinates and parking planning.

Sunrise, sunset & shooting hours

Today at Litchfield WMD

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in Chicago local time.

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:08 AM6:38 AM7:58 PM13h 19m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:25 AM6:55 AM7:31 PM12h 36m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:44 AM7:14 AM7:00 PM11h 46m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:02 AM7:32 AM6:35 PM11h 03m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:25 AM6:55 AM5:08 PM10h 13m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:45 AM7:15 AM4:50 PM9h 36m
Tue, Dec 1, 20267:05 AM7:35 AM4:38 PM9h 03m
Tue, Dec 15, 20267:19 AM7:49 AM4:36 PM8h 48m
Fri, Jan 1, 20277:26 AM7:56 AM4:45 PM8h 49m
Fri, Jan 15, 20277:23 AM7:53 AM5:00 PM9h 07m
Mon, Feb 1, 20277:09 AM7:39 AM5:23 PM9h 44m

Computed for 45.070, -94.532 (CDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day hunting weather

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Waterfowl Production Areas managed by Litchfield WMD

This district manages 155 named WPAs totaling 38,597 acres of walk-in public land. The largest are listed below; each links to its county guide with a satellite map and directions.

WPACountyAcres
Tyrone Flats WPAMeeker County1,281
Pelican Lake WPAWright County1,264
Lovell Lake WPAStearns County914
Big Kandiyohi Lake WPAKandiyohi County910
Burbank WPAKandiyohi County898
Ashley WPAStearns County856
Yarmon WPAKandiyohi County818
Randall WPAKandiyohi County747
Swan Lake WPAKandiyohi County740
Phasianus WPAMcLeod County720
Padua WPAStearns County716
Sacred Heart WPARenville County695
Florida Slough WPAKandiyohi County600
Lake Lillian WPAKandiyohi County498
Rosendale WPAMeeker County478
Litchfield WPAMeeker County463
Olson Lake WPAKandiyohi County459
St. Martin WPAStearns County449
Trisko WPAStearns County442
Freese WPAKandiyohi County442
Harvey WPAMeeker County430
Ella Lake WPAKandiyohi County421
Weber WPAKandiyohi County419
Prairie Storm WPAStearns County404
Whitney WPAStearns County399

Showing the 25 largest of 155. All tracts are on the map above and in the KML download.

Guides for hunting Litchfield WMD

Deer Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges: Quota Hunts, Archery Units and Stand Rules

How refuge deer hunts work — lotteries and quota permits, archery-only and muzzleloader units, tree-stand rules…

Public-Land Duck Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges: Tactics That Work

How to find ducks, beat the crowds and set up on refuge marshes and WPAs — scouting, timing, small decoy spreads for…

Federal Duck Stamp Explained: Who Needs One, Where to Buy It and Where the Money Goes

Everything waterfowl hunters need to know about the Federal Duck Stamp — who must carry it, signing rules, the…

Nontoxic Shot Guide for Refuge and WPA Hunters

Why lead shot is banned for waterfowl, which nontoxic loads are approved, how steel, bismuth and tungsten compare, and…

Turkey Hunting on Wildlife Refuges: Lotteries, Pressured Birds and Safety

How spring and fall turkey hunts work on National Wildlife Refuges, how to scout and call public-land gobblers, and…

Pheasant and Upland Bird Hunting on Waterfowl Production Areas

Why WPAs are some of the best walk-in pheasant ground in the Midwest, how to hunt them early and late in the season…

Litchfield WMD FAQ

Is hunting allowed at Litchfield WMD?

Yes. Litchfield Wetland Management District offers hunting in 1 unit (38,587 acres) during 2026–2027 for big game, waterfowl, wild turkey, upland birds, migratory birds, small game, and feral & exotic. Seasons follow state regulations plus refuge-specific rules in 50 CFR Part 32.

Do I need a permit to hunt Litchfield WMD?

FWS data does not list a separate refuge hunting permit for Litchfield WMD. You still need a valid state license, any required state tags or stamps, and (for waterfowl hunters 16+) a Federal Duck Stamp.

Can you fish at Litchfield WMD?

Yes. Fishing is permitted (freshwater fishing). State fishing licenses and regulations apply along with refuge rules.

Where is Litchfield WMD located?

Litchfield Wetland Management District is in Meeker County, Minnesota, about 4 miles S of Litchfield, MN (straight-line). GPS: 45.07024, -94.53222.

What are legal shooting hours at Litchfield WMD?

Migratory game bird shooting hours are generally one-half hour before sunrise to sunset; big game and other seasons follow state rules. See the sunrise/sunset table on this page and confirm in the refuge hunt brochure.

Nearby refuges & public land

Sherburne NWR

Sherburne County, MN · 49 mi NE

3 special3 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🎣

28K huntable acres

Crane Meadows NWR

Morrison County, MN · 61 mi N

1 open2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇

2.2K huntable acres

Minnesota Valley NWR

Hennepin County, MN · 66 mi E

12 special5 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

12.6K huntable acres

Minnesota Valley WMD

Le Sueur County, MN · 67 mi SE

2 special
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

8.7K huntable acres

Morris WMD

Stevens County, MN · 76 mi NW

1 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

56.6K huntable acres

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR

Lincoln County, MN · 88 mi SW

1 open3 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐦🕊️🐇🐗🎣

6.7K huntable acres

Waterfowl Production Areas within 35 miles

All refuges in Minnesota →

Data: USFWS National Hunt Units 2026–2027, Hunting & Fishing Opportunities, Realty Boundaries & Tracts. Page updated October 28, 2026.